“Let us dispense with our first option. By now, I expect you have some understanding of what we do here at Primevus, correct?”

  Fallon nodded, but I felt the need for clarity. “We’ve picked up quite a bit from context, but I’d appreciate it if you could make sure we’re understanding properly.”

  Elsenis’s eyes dragged from Fallon to me, and I suppressed a shiver at the weight of those crystalline orbs. “Very well, that may be… Prudent. Primevus Academy was founded following the Age of Chaos, to impart the teachings of the First Delver.”

  “In short,” Elbexas explained, “we train delvers, providing the knowledge, resources, and, critically, crystals, needed to create skilled, high-level fighters capable of plumbing the depths of dungeons as they spawn and ensuring they don’t merge into the world.”

  “It is a dangerous, but necessary, job,” Bela warned, her sad eyes fitting her words.

  “In exchange for exposing themselves to that danger, our students garner a certain level of prestige throughout Elida,” Helda continued. “Even if they choose to end their service following the completion of our curriculum, or earlier than that, the abilities our students garner here open many doors for them.”

  “If they survive.” I fail to hold off a shiver that time. Merreira’s voice, speaking those words, was like something out of a horror story.

  “Exactly so,” Elsenis continued. “So let me begin with this offer: are you both sure you are interested in enrolling here?”

  “What are our other options?” I asked.

  “The Academy will bear the cost of finding you a home, and ensure you have funds enough to settle in comfort. You will, of course, be required to find a trade and earn your way from there, but I suspect, given your unique natures, you won’t find that any great challenge.”

  I frowned and sat back in my seat, thoughtful. While my first urge was to discard the Magisters’ charity, their offer carried a certain appeal. A comfortable start to a life in a fantasy world. No school, no modernity, no dying world in late-stage capitalism. I could think of worse lives, really. But…

  But what would I be walking away from? A life of danger, certainly, but also a life of wonders. Of magic, like that we found in the dungeon. Of doing good, meaningful work.

  I could pretend that all I wanted was to live an easy life, away from the pressures of the life I had left behind. But at the end of the day, I couldn’t lie to myself. I had experienced the sort of powers I could never have imagined. How many more experiences would I give up if I chose to—what? Become a potter?

  There was Fallon to think about, too. After everything we had been through, I had a hard time defining what exactly our relationship was, but I knew I didn’t want to lose it. Fallon had already made up her mind, and for me to leave Primevus meant leaving her, too.

  “I think I’d rather take my chances and stay here,” I finally decided.

  “There’s no way I could leave after seeing this place,” Fallon agreed.

  Elsenis nodded, and I somehow knew he expected those answers. “Very well. Unfortunately, our Entrarium class just ended, so we must needs move ahead via the Fortunate Precedent. Are all Magisters in favor of moving ahead to exam offerings?”

  Bela and Helda’s hands raised, but Merreira kept hers down as if waiting for the objection that Elbexas promptly raised.

  “Elsenis, look at them. They’re exhausted.”

  Was I? I considered it, and realized progressively that I was, indeed, just about ready to drop. I had just long since reached that level of determined momentum that kept me moving despite everything I had been through. Now that I was made aware of it, though, the full force of my fatigue swamped me.

  The tiniest of frowns marred Elsenis Ful’s face, and he nodded. “Of course. Your proposal, Watchful Magister?”

  “It’s past afternoon meal already. Let’s give them the night.”

  A thoughtful moment passed before Merreira whispered, “Conspectus votes with the House.”

  Elsenis blinked, slowly, as if that had been confirmation of something he didn’t necessarily agree with.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Well enough, then. Motion accepted. Examinations will be offered tomorrow.” Elsenis paused the barest moment, then added, “As the purpose of this recess is to give our guests time to rest and recover, all Magisters are forbidden from conversing with the Starcrossed during this time.”

  Elbexas’s mouth twitched, and he began to lift a hand, but Elsenis cut him off. “On punishment of censure, Elbexas. You’re right that our guests deserve some rest, without anyone trying to push them in any certain direction.”

  The Watchful Magister stared hard at Elsenis, and I got the impression that there was a lot in that look neither I nor Fallon understood (although, come to think of it, that could’ve described the entire meeting we had just sat through.) Eventually, though, he nodded.

  “Um,” Fallon started, but I was ready and willing to ask the obvious question without her tact.

  “Does anyone want to tell us what just happened?”

  Those uncanny crystal eyes flicked from Fallon to me to Elsenis’s side, and Bela spoke as if prompted by the Grand Magister. “Our normal orientation process has already finished for this term. The Fortunate Precedent His Eminence mentioned is normally used for ellids who, by happenstance, found their way into a dungeon and received a class. Like them, you’ve proven your ability already, so there is no need for you to go through an orientation. However, you still need to be hosted by one of the four colleges.

  “Normally, at the end of an orientation class, each student is offered an exam by whatever colleges they may have impressed. In your cases, we will move directly to the examination stage, with each interested college making you an offering.”

  “Following a good night’s sleep,” Elbexas added.

  “Okay,” Fallon said, a thoughtful frown on her lips. “Can we know more about these exams?”

  “They vary from school to school,” Bela said. “It will be the examining Magister’s choice.”

  “But we already have classes,” I pointed out. “So what happens if we pick a college that we don’t have the class for? I thought that was the whole point?”

  “Steps can be taken,” Elsenis said simply. “Again, the Fortunate Precedent caters to that situation.”

  Okay. That was ominous.

  “Are there any other questions?” Elsenis asked.

  About five million of them, but the vibe had quickly changed in the course of the meeting. There were undercurrents to this conversation that I was sure neither of us were privy to, and more than anything, at that moment, I wanted to just pass out and ignore all of this for a few hours.

  Fallon and I traded a look, then we shook our heads.

  “Very well, then we will adjourn for the day. Examination offers can be delivered between morning and afternoon meal tomorrow.” He paused again, one of those thoughtful pauses that gave the impression of a great and glacial mind grinding forward. “You’ll both be escorted to private rooms for the evening, and food will be brought by our staff. Please, eat and drink to your fill, and rest well, with your safety ensured by the full faith and might of Primevus Academy.

  “Once again, welcome, Fallon and Danielle Starcrossed.”

  #

  From there, the Amethyst Magister, still looking more than mildly perturbed at being kicked out of the Ominous Council of Importance, showed up to escort us to a pair of rooms, side-by-side.

  She barely spoke to us, leaving us feeling like a chore to be fulfilled so she could hurry off, no doubt to catch up with Elsenis Ful. “Make yourselves comfortable,” she said briskly, in a tone that said, very clearly, that she didn’t care much about our comfort. “I will send food and fresh clothing along shortly. There are also baths in each room, which…” She trailed off, the rest of her sentence made obvious from a single look.

  “I rather like my clothes,” I told her, smiling in the broad way I only did when trying to frustrate people with the power of kindness. “Would you be able to have them laundered?”

  Almara gave me a look that said plenty about what she thought of that request, but she gave a clipped nod. “Leave them outside your room after you change, and I will ensure the staff is informed. Good evening.” Then she was gone.

  “She moves fast for her build,” I noted.

  “Would it kill you to be nice?” Fallon asked.

  I gave her the most innocent look I could. “I was nothing but polite to her!”

  “Mhmmm.”

  We each looked to our individual doors, and I thought that, maybe, the same reluctance I felt was visible in Fallon’s body language. After everything we had been through together, it felt weird to go in separate directions.

  “Come to my room once the food gets delivered?” I suggested. That would give us at least a little time to ourselves, to bathe and change, before we got together.

  “I-I guess some time to straighten out my thoughts could be good,” Fallon said.

  My thoughts at that moment were plenty gay, and I had no intentions of doing any straightening of them, but I still resisted the urge to breach that invisible line we were both toeing the edge of.

  As nice as it would’ve been to have a shower buddy.

  Fallon must’ve caught on to at least the general direction of my thoughts, because she quickly excused herself with a squeaked out, “Okayseeyoulaterbye!” before fleeing into one of the doors Almara had pointed us towards.

  “I am so great at flirting,” I told the empty hallway. It didn’t respond, yet somehow it still felt judgemental. With a sigh, I turned and slid into the other room.

  I had expected my mind to be abuzz with everything I had seen and heard during our meeting with the magisters, but no–instead, all I could think about was Fallon, and if anything would ever come of what was between us.

  Turns out, relationship angst can follow you even between worlds. Great stuff.