The Elderwood bracelet was back on my wrist, pressing my mana core into silence. I had only been wearing it for an hour, but already, the air felt thick and confining.

  ?Nora and Oliver took me home much earlier than usual. Nora was still shaking with fury.

  ?"She is not having you," Nora vowed, wrapping me in a fierce, protective hug. "She wants a lab rat, she can find a Goblin."

  ?I pretended to snuggle into her neck, but internally, I was already planning. Alicia had been smug. Calista had been arrogant. Both of them treated me like property, and it all stemmed from that infuriating baptism incident. This was my chance to hit back.

  ?My greatest talent right now wasn't magic; it was acting.

  ?Back at the hut, Oliver tried to stay. He sat at the desk, arms crossed, attempting to mimic a protective bodyguard.

  ?"Oliver," Alicia called sweetly from her desk, "go chop the wood you missed yesterday. You would disturb the patients."

  ?Oliver tried to argue, but the threat in Alicia’s eyes was clear. He left, grumbling, and I instantly felt exposed.

  ?The day's torture began when Nora was was sent to deal with a task.

  ?"Lily," Nora instructed, handing me over. "Don't let that woman near him. Keep him close."

  ?Lily, grim but determined, put me down in the center of the children's activity area, and immediately tried to position her body between me and Calista, who was watching us like a hawk.

  ?The observation period began with criticisms.

  ?"This noise," Calista announced, waving a hand dismissively at the children. "It's obvious why humans can't sustain complex magical thought. Too much stimulation. Too uncivilized."

  ?She moved to the back corner where Silas, the oldest of the apprentices, was trying to solve a puzzle.

  ?Calista leaned over Silas’s slate. "Still thinking about that simple kinetic displacement problem? Ah, as expected. The human brain is just too slow. They struggle with basic principles."

  ?Silas slumped, deeply hurt. Clara, Finn, and Freya glared.

  ?I was performing my best impression of a distractible, curious toddler, gurgling, examining my foot, and occasionally drooling. But at Calista's cruel words, a flash of white hot anger shot through me. I squeezed my hands into fists on the blanket, a brief, intelligent surge of resentment that did not escape Calista's sharp eyes.

  ?'She saw that,' I realized, disgusted with my momentary loss of control. 'Back to basic functions.' I immediately reverted to sucking my thumb.

  ?A few minutes later, I noticed the three older children huddled in the supply corner, whispering like a conspiracy.

  ?"A rope," Finn suggested, his eyes wide with mischief. "Right at the exit. She'll fall in the mud!"

  ?"Too simple," Clara hissed. "We should mix some of the bottles from Alicia's supply and put it in her stew. It'll make her sick."

  ?"Bugs!" Freya insisted. "We put big, squishy worms on her robes!"

  ?I knew I had to intervene before Clara accidentally gave Calista actual, lethal poison.

  ?I crawled slowly, gurgling slightly louder than necessary, and reached Clara's side. I pulled at her apron. "Gah?"

  ?She looked down, annoyed. I leaned in, pointed at the green bottle, the one I had seen Alicia dispense to old Farmer Theron, who had been "blocked up" for three days, and whispered quickly, "Green bottle. Food. Better."

  ?Clara stared at me, then at the bottle, then back at me. A look of wicked understanding crossed her face. "Finn, Freya! New plan! The baby has a brilliant idea!"

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  ?The plan was executed flawlessly. Finn ran outside and came back winded, yelling, "Professor! Urgent message! A really good looking man is asking for you, and he looks important!"

  ?Calista, flattered and needing to escape the hut's chaos, ran for the door. She didn't see the rope until she was airborne, tumbling out the doorway and landing with a sickening splat face first in the muddy path outside.

  ?The children erupted in triumphant laughter.

  ?Calista returned, cleaned by a furious, silent spell, her pride utterly shattered. She tried to maintain a cool composure, but she was vibrating with thwarted rage. She tried to engage Lily, asking pointed questions about my "motor skills," but Lily just gave evasive, unhelpful answers.

  ?Lunch arrived. While Calista watched, suspiciously, the children worked quickly. Clara "accidentally" jostled the pot, giving Finn a moment to flick the required dose of green liquid into Calista's bowl.

  ?That afternoon was a glorious victory. Calista spent the entire time in the "5 star hotel" (the outhouse). The hut was filled with the sound of low, delighted snickers.

  ?With the predator temporarily neutralized, I felt safe. I settled back into my corner and focused my mana.

  ?I pushed my mind through the familiar, painful wall of the First Ring. But this time, it was different. Instead of resistance, I felt a smooth, satisfying pop! of release.

  ?My Second Ring was made.

  ?The instantaneous rush of Aether into my system was overwhelming. I was two steps ahead of the twins, and now, finally, I was one step closer to the Elves.

  ?I focused my boosted power into my [Analysis] skill. I aimed at Freya.

  ?A clear, stable window popped into my vision

  Perfect. It worked precisely as intended, giving me clear, useful data.

  ?I turned the skill on Alicia.

  Alicia was a formidable opponent. The Analysis skill was only useful for assessing targets weaker than me. A crucial piece of data for future engagements.

  ?Four days passed similarly, filled with my stellar acting and the children's ingenious pranks. Calista was miserable, convinced I was a fluke child with no genius, constantly sucking my fingers and staring blankly at the wall.

  ?On the last day, Alicia and Calista sat together.

  ?"You see?" Calista declared, waving a hand dismissively at me. "He's ordinary. The core awakening was a genetic accident or something. He has no spark, no discipline. My candidates, my six year old boy and five year old girl, will have completed the Fifth Ring by the time he's managed his third. You have lost the true wager."

  ?"Oh, I doubt that," Alicia said. "But let's make it a truly fair test. Eleven years from now. When your candidates are sixteen and seventeen, and Vivian turns twelve. The age when a human might, theoretically, try to petition for entry into an Academy."

  ?Calista's eyes narrowed, intrigued. "The Academy Entrance Exam? The one that covers Ring Aetheric Theory?"

  ?"Exactly," Alicia confirmed. "Highest score wins the prize."

  ?Calista laughed, a cold, confident sound. "Done. He has no books, no resources, and no Elven level tutor. He will fail spectacularly."

  ?"Ah, but Calista," Alicia said, her voice dropping, "there's a problem. That academy is Elves only. You would have to become Headmaster and change the rules to allow a human to sit the test."

  ?Calista hesitated. "All that political work... just for a bet?"

  ?"Or," Alicia purred, "you could gain access to the mind that built two Rings in a single year. Become Headmaster, change the rule, and I will let you be his tutor."

  ?Calista's face froze. The prospect of teaching a mind this terrifyingly efficient was too great. The prestige, the academic data, it was a world changing opportunity.

  ?"You have a deal," Calista said instantly, already plotting her ascent to Headmaster.

  ?The brief meeting was interrupted by a letter from the Academy. Calista grabbed her travel case, her mind clearly elsewhere.

  ?"I am leaving," Calista mumbled, her voice strained. "But the wager stands! I will be Headmaster!" She looked at me, a dazed look in her eye. She was already calculating promotion paths.

  ?Alicia approached me before Calista could go. She held a perfect, Saffron flower ,the purple threads gleaming, the most valuable spice on earth.

  ?"A simple test, little genius," Alicia said, holding out the flower. "Answer my question, and this is yours."

  ?I stared at the saffron. It was beautiful. It was expensive. It was a taste of my home. But I didn't need it right now. I looked away, pretending to be more interested in a nearby wooden block. Alicia had a genuine look of surprise on her face.

  ?"Fine," she said, pocketing the flower. "One easier question. For a different prize. If you can tell me how many adults are currently in this room, I will let you sneak food to my preservation artifact and not tell Nora or Oliver."

  ?I hesitated. I looked at Alicia. She was manipulative enough to set this trap.

  I decided.

  ?I held up two fingers. "Two."

  ?Alicia smiled a slow, terrible smile.

  ?I watched Calista fly away in a flash of green Aether, muttering to herself about "Headmaster" and "human potential," while I was stuck in the hut, having been played like a fiddle by my mentor, yet again.