Give this world your best for one week.

  Ms. Vale’s words came to Xenron unbidden as he walked into the long term care center. He put them out of his mind - had he done his best? And what good had come of it? His emotions were too tangled up to make sense of. As he’d seen first from Cerci and then later noticed in Bruce this week, even Tier 3 mentors had doubts and reluctance about what they did. The fact didn’t comfort Xenron - if anything, it made the idea of him getting to a stable place seem impossible. He took a deep breath. He needed to focus on the moment.

  Xexen Keep was divided into various security access levels, and the softly lit room he walked into at the highest level of security he had access to. Beyond that were only truly secure places - laboratories, military facilities, places like his father’s quarters. Even here, if Xenron had not been himself - if he had tried to enter without a security badge or his own biometrics - the way would be barred and soldiers would be on him in moments. That was a small but notable comfort - that the residents here were at least safe.

  Xenron stepped into the familiar room, but it had been too long - almost a month - since he had visited. Training had kept him too busy - no, that’s just an excuse. Still, the receptionist waved him inside with a sympathetic smile. He gave the man a nod, then passed into the hall and checked in the nurse. She was helpful and polite, but… no news, as expected. Xenron thanked her and walked into a room on his right.

  His mother’s skin was a deep olive shade which, with his father’s pale complexion, he had taken half of. Her midnight black hair was pulled back in a neat tail - an oddity, begging the question of where Xenron’s green hair came from. Further back on father’s side, it had always been assumed. Her frame was lean, but not entirely gaunt, and her face had a noble cast to it, though her eyes were closed as she set back in her bed, unmoving but for the slow rise and fall of her chest. She was clean and comfortably dressed. It was a small comfort, but as the wife of the King, his mother was given everything that might put her at ease. Xenron sat by her side, taking her hand in his.

  “I’m here, mom,” he said. He wasn’t sure whether she could hear him, but he didn’t want to startle her if she could.

  “A lot’s been happening,” he continued. “I beat a Class A chess player the other day. It was just an online ladder game, so maybe he wasn’t paying attention - but I was really happy. I’ve been training hard. Ken says it’s a night and day difference since I figured out how to use my Distinction. I’m not his equal, but I can take matches off him now. I’ve been eating better. More stoneroot, and big meals. I get really hungry when I finish up a few days of training. Leo says I rival Basil’s appetite on those days.”

  Xenron frowned, flinching the recent memory as he said Leo’s name and sitting back from his mother’s side. It was a reminder - he wasn’t saying what he had to say.

  “It… hasn’t been easy lately. I wish you were here. Really here. There’s so much that I want to ask you. If you’re in there - I wish there was some way you could show me.”

  It was a selfish ask, but Xenron still waited a long moment. Then, though, an idea came to him. He closed his eyes and focused - and there, before him, slowly resolved the image of a soul. Xenron almost shouted with excitement - but his mother’s soul was as dormant as she was. Its color was almost a dull grey - an empty void.

  “Mother?” he asked in the soundless way of the soul. When she did not reply, he wanted to cry - until he saw the hand of her soul extending upwards. Shocked, he opened his eyes - only to see her body just as motionless as before. A moment later, he closed his eyes again and found the hand in the same place, trembling slightly as if struggling to move. Before he could think, Xenron reached for her hand - and passed right into it. Their souls collided, and instantly, he was overcome with emotions.

  Fear. Fondness. Regret. Pride. Affection. Determination. Anger. Doubt. Admonishment. Xenron tried to put words to these emotions as he spun in a dizzying world where they all embraced him as a torrent of reds, golds, violets, silvers, and deeper colors still. There were not words for all the emotions, any more than there were words for all the strange and thrilling colors that embraced him. He found himself lost in images and memories that he could not later recall.

  When Xenron stepped back what seemed hours later, most of the words were lost, and most of the images were gone from his dizzy mind. One image remained. He remembered the sight of looking up, impossibly small, at his far taller mom, hugging her around the knees before she scooped him up into her arms, smiling over a beautiful wheat field ready for harvest. And of the thousands of emotions in her soul, one remained clear. Love. And, just once, he hear her voice in his mind.

  “Return to me when you can cast Tier III spells. Then, I will… I will try to explain what you have lost.”

  When they separated, his mom’s soul did not stir again, although her breathing relaxed Xenron’s worries - her body was still okay. Her words troubled him, but he said them aside for the time - he would not let this ruin their time. He bowed his head in thanks and deference. Xenron could not remember a time before his mom was comatose, so the feeling of love was overwhelming, and he felt a swell of power besides. He hugged his mother, then, and kissed her forehead. He wasn’t sure if she had exhausted herself and couldn’t hear him, but he spent the rest of his visit telling her lighthearted stories, speaking directly to her soul.

  *Three hours later*

  Sitting in the dinning hall, Xenron reviewed Ms. Vale’s ‘homework’ for him. It’d been over a month, so it was a good time to review his initial goals. He went through the list, making notes beneath the various items on a printed copy of the original notebook page.

  1. Get to really know all the amazing people in the KEY program

  I have a start, but I need to do more. I have to apologize to Eric and Anna, and especially to Aslear for snapping on her. Making bonds is one thing, but I have to cherish them.

  2. Watch the Greatsword of Glory movie premier with Leo

  Unlikely. The movie’s showing on the lower floors, but Leo isn’t talking to me.

  3. Defeat and denounce Johan

  No matter what, I still want to fight him.

  4. Earn the right to go beyond the castle walls

  Not a clear path here, but father seemed pleased last time. If I keep progressing, there’s a chance.

  5. Win a beautiful young woman’s heart

  Work in progress - Ms. Vale said to work on other things first.

  6. Swim in the ocean

  Not yet.

  7. Do something in the spur of the moment

  I protected Ken. I aimed too low here - there’s more that I have to do to become the person I want to be.

  8. See the Xexherre day fireworks

  A lot of these are outside the Keep. No progress, I need to find a path.

  9. Go to a Nevermore concert

  More of the same…

  10. Figure out my past

  I’m getting there - I have a memory I know is real.

  Surprising himself, Xenron smiled at the list. He’d cringed a little bit looking at it and yet, he hadn’t done terribly. When he’d started this, he’d listed a bunch of things that he half-thought were impossible. 1 and 10 had seen real progress, 3 had become complicated as he’d had Johan’s acknowledgment, and 7 he had inarguably accomplished. For just over six weeks working on the “impossible”… at the very least, he’d proven himself wrong. Things could change, but it would take time. Now, as Ms. Vale had taught him, he needed to examine his previous goals critically, assess what had worked and what hadn’t, then course-correct.

  Despite some childish or half-thought goals, Xenron didn’t remove anything from the list. However, as he focused seriously on his new notes, Xenron faced his anxiety about his mistakes. He’d failed three peers very seriously, snapped at another, and besides that, he hadn’t done anything to help Ms. Bushida. He’d checked in with her again, apologizing for his slow work. She wasn’t doing well, and he was the one in a position help. He would keep trying, and his list didn’t reflect that critical goal. After consideration, Xenron added an item to his list on its own page.

  11. Repay my debts

  Around this item, Xenron listed everyone he had to thank for his progress so far, and everyone he had wronged. Leo was front and center, then his mom, Eric and Anna, Ms. Bushida, Ms. Vale, Ken, Aslear, Vex, Zekain, and Bruce. Ms. Summerfield had also been so supportive… this list would get long, but by the end he at least had the core people he needed to thank listed exhaustively. Surprisingly, the exercise comforted him rather than stressing him. Hard tasks took time - and most of these people could wait as he developed and worked on time sensitive tasks for him to fully thank or apologize to them.

  The largest exceptions were Leo and Ms. Bushida, and his mind spun as he worked on how to help them. Leo was the biggest question as he didn’t seem to want help, but that was somewhat irrelevant. Even if Leo never spoke to Xenron again… even then, he owed him. If there was anything he could do to ensure Leo received the best medical care and fair treatment, it was his duty to do so.

  ***

  “I’m sorry, Your Highness. Leonardo isn’t seeing visitors at this time. His care-”

  Xenron waved off the protestation. “I’m aware. I must speak with his care staff. They do not have a complete medical record on him.”

  Xenron kept firm eye contact with the receptionist until he complied. When the nurse came out, a stocky man with an earnest expression. Xenron sat down with him and started speaking without preamble.

  “I understand your time is precious, so I won’t waste it. Leo is allergic to peanuts. Don’t feed him anything with peanuts, or anything processed in the same facility. He’s normally only sensitive if he eats them, but who knows what dying might do to him. He does have a surgical history - he was pretty badly hurt when we was first recruited, and the doctors had to put him back together. Make sure you have good records on that. He’s a bit of a germophobe - always wearing gloves and handling things meticulously. Make sure he’s able to stay clean if he has to be here long. There’s surely something I’m forgetting, so get him whatever he asks for.”

  The nurse nodded tentatively. “He’s going to recover, Your Highness. He’s through the critical time.”

  Xenron nodded. “Just remember my instructions,” Xenron said in the same authoritative tone he’d used to argue with Bruce. “Make sure no expense is spared to ensure his complete recovery. His Majesty will cover the stay.”

  Xenron walked out without saying anything further or waiting for objections. His father would pick up the tab when it came down to it rather than lose face, but he’d have words for Xenron after he threw around his weight like that. But Xenron didn’t care. After watching Leo die, it had dawned on him what a complete nothing a “talking-to” was by comparison.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Well, that was one task done. Xenron still needed to talk to Director Vaere to ensure that Leo wouldn’t be penalized for his time out of class or his inability to fight his match due to his… injury. He should have asked on that first day. No matter; he’d get on his calendar, then work on Ms. Bushida in the meantime.

  Hours later, Xenron took a working lunch. Hunger was catching up to him, but despite his strong start, he had gotten no further. He stared at printed report about Strike Admiral Illex, the man who had envisioned the Xexen Empire before it ever existed. Allegedly, there were credible accounts of sightings after his death, which theorists explained as a product of his soul mixing with natural spiritual entities like Demi Eidolons to gain stability without a body. The work was, conceptually, fascinating, but it was also dense and far above Xenron’s level. He fought to keep his attention on the page, but it was difficult when the author used terms like “ether substantiated pseudo ambrosial superstate,” without explaining them.

  Xenron jumped at a clattering sound, finding a small coin on the table in front of him. He glared up at the intruder before his expression instantly softened. Across the table was a boy with crimson hair and sea blue eyes, wearing a stylish shirt with two buttons open. He balanced a wide tray of food against his hip with one hand.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Eric asked. Xenron sputtered.

  “I… ummm… what do you mean?”

  “Haven’t heard the expression? I guess that makes sense. I hear it comes from our ancestors. Anyway, the coin’s just copper, no sweat if you don’t want to spill guts. Can I sit?”

  Xenron blinked, feeling rude. “P-please! Of course, I mean, that’s fine.” What a strange encounter. The only person who’d approached him unprompted at mealtime was Johan, and that had stopped when they started training together. But the boy made himself comfortable, and started digging into his duskwolf leg. Xenron sipped his tea, steadying himself.

  “I’m sorry,” Xenron said, dreading this conversation but knowing it needed to happen. “I entered that exhibition for what seemed good reasons, and I gave it my all, but I didn’t think about how much more it might mean to people in the KEY Program - the ones it was meant for. I’m looking into how I can make things right - I’ve come up short so far, but I promise you I won’t stop until I’ve helped you and Anna find sufficient professional opportunities.”

  Eric glared at him, then, and Xenron braced himself. “What are you talking about?”

  “I fought you,” Xenron started, “and happened to win because of Johan, but that wasn’t my place. I hurt your future. I deprived you of opportunities, and at the very least someone else from my own section should have been in my place. It was thoughtless.”

  “Xenron - do I look like a victim to you?” Eric said. His tone was gentler than his serious expression.

  “I - what? No,” Xenron admitted.

  “Then you can forget about saying edgy stuff like ‘I hurt you’,” Eric said with a bright smile. Xenron blinked. “Come on,” Eric said, patting his shoulder. “I’m just messing with you a little, but you should know that everyone in the KEY Program has an ego. We’re proud of what we learn and do, and, by and large, we hate pity and shortcuts. It’d be one thing if you cheated. But a good, honest fight with the prince, our future King and a strong fighter? We couldn’t ask for any more.”

  “B-but!” Xenron said, his mind reeling, gesturing emphatically, “Corporal Andross said your career would suffer.”

  Eric put his face in his hands, sighing. “Ah, it’s Cerci again. She’s great at pushing us, but she can also get… touchy,” Eric said, smiling apologetically. “Look, I’m sorry she gave you a hard time. I’m also really surprised she would, but I guess that’s besides the point. There’s a lot of opportunities for us to shine in the program. He might seem flippant and silly, but every week, Director Vaere highlights someone’s magic, classwork, or other innovation. He’s watching. It’s not the same back home, but here? If we don’t have the success we want, we have no one to blame but ourselves.”

  Xenron smiled. He wasn’t sure whether Eric was being entirely sincere or exaggerating the point to relax Xenron, but at the very least, a blinking look at his emotions confirmed what he felt intuitively - Eric wasn’t lying maliciously. He being sincere about how he saw the situation.

  “You gave us a hell of a fight,” Eric said, then gave a conspiratorial glance to the side before speaking more closely. Xenron leaned across the table, curious. “Anna’s still fuming that you totally duped her with that switch.”

  Xenron felt the blush and shook his head. “It was a lucky shot, honestly!”

  “Tell that to her. She doesn’t believe in luck. I can hardly get her to stop training since.”

  “That’s amazing,” Xenron said distantly. Then, he remembered what had followed their battle and his expression fell. That wound…what had happened to Leo…

  Eric frowned back at Xenron.

  “Ugh, I’m messing this all up. I’m sorry. I was meant to check in, make you feel better, but now I’m just mouthing off. If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll shut up.”

  “I… I kind of do,” Xenron said, remembering his teacher’s encouragement. “Can I talk about Leo?” he said in a small voice.

  “Of course,” Eric said, watching with a gentle smile, not even breaking eye contact to eat.

  “I guess I don’t know what to say. I want to open up, but I’m not sure how,” Xenron said.

  “There’s not any right answer,” he said biting into his meat. “I’ve got a lot of meat to take care of, so we have time.” When Eric continued chewing, Xenron eventually spoke.

  “I messed him up, Eric. I was so weak, so mentally fragile, that he had to stand up for me. But when he was standing there, fighting for my honor, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything.” He expected Eric to disagree with him, for the sake of being polite. He found two ocean blue eyes watching him, the rest of Eric’s expression like a gentle sea breeze. He didn’t have to talk more - Eric wasn’t forcing him - but he could. And so he did.

  “It’s not like it’s anything new. He’s been facing Johan on my behalf ever since we started talking. One time, it almost turned into a fight - which could have ruined Leo’s record. Johan’s a better person than I ever gave him credit for, but he’s got a temper, same as Corporal Fernaux.”

  Eric nodded neutrally, and Xenron went on.

  “He watches shows with me - shows that are apparently bad, but mean a lot to me. But how much does he actually like them? He helps me research absurdly specific pieces of history, and tells me how to work the menu for nutrition. He’s drawn out so many diagrams just to help me get a little better control of my mana. He showed me the powder I need to down to stop myself from vomiting from after a hard training session, and the way to keep down food later. And… and I have to question when I’m going to wring Leo out, leaving nothing behind,” Xenron said, his voice breaking and then trailing off. Eric didn’t show any sign of stopping him, and now everything was pouring out. Xenron didn’t think he could stop.

  “If he’s just looking for my favor, I don’t mind! He has it, as far as I’m concerned. I mean, he’s helped me… so much… but what if I can’t pay him back? What if I fail to become a viable successor,” Xenron said, low as a whisper, “and he’s left with nothing? I thought that, if only I could get my spells working, everything would fall into place. But I’m still terrified. I can’t see past my fear. And it’s not just fear. He died, Eric! He’d be gone if not for Vaere, and there’s nothing I could have done about it.”

  “There’s nothing any of us could have done about it,” Eric said clenching his fist, “for now. That’s why we train. To be the people who can make the difference.”

  Xenron nodded numbly. He was right of course. And yet… “It’s true, but there’s only so much time until you all will have to face real military conflict. Time, training, opportunities - it’s all finite. Leo couldn’t fight his match in the Exhibition because of me. He wanted to fight in the tournament so badly - and now his chances are slim to none.”

  Xenron looked up, as if remembering himself. He was sick with embarrassment. What was he thinking? He started to sputter an apology, but stopped when he was flicked on the forehead.

  “Hey,” Eric said. “You got it out. I’m proud of you.”

  Xenron blinked. It was a silly thing to say to a new acquaintance - especially a prince. But the boy’s sincerity washed over him, leaving him in a daze. He grinned weakly. “I guess so.”

  The bench next to Xenron rattled as Ken sat down. Close to tears as he was, his heart swelled at the appearance.

  “Yo, Amber,” Ken said. “You make up with Shiny yet?”

  Xenron groaned, wiping at his eyes. Fortunately, Ken didn’t make a big deal of his emotions. “Ugh, do you have to use Aslear’s nicknames for everyone?”

  “What’s mine?” Eric asked.

  “Blur,” Ken answered.

  “That’s sick!” Eric said with a laugh.

  “It’s cool if you’re, like, 7 years old,” Ken replied, shrugging.

  Xenron thought it was cool. It was the kind of corny cool that he loved, like something right out of Greatsword of Glory. The memory of watching episodes with Leo soured Xenron’s mood, and he looked down, tears continuing to fall.

  “Whoa!” Ken said. “None of that. Get this. You want to free Leo, right?”

  “He’s not in jail,” Xenron cry-laughed. “And… he doesn’t want my help. Even still, I can’t help wanting to make sure he’s okay.”

  “Right, right. Whatever. I’ve got a scheme, man.”

  “Is it anything like your last scheme?” Xenron asked dubiously, but it seemed impossible to sulk around Ken. Eric was already leaning across the table with a curious grin on his face. Damn it, Xenron was curious too.

  “This is way better than that scheme. And I’m serious, I’ve been doing actual reading in the library. If this works, I’ve got a guaranteed way to the tournament. You see,” he said, looking about and only making himself look more suspicious, “’people who sufficiently improve the KEY program will be considered for direct placement for advanced testing, mentorship roles, and tournaments with limited space,’” Ken finished, obviously reciting something.

  “What does that even mean?” Xenron asked, curious.

  “It’s built-in corruption,” Ken said casually. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”

  “That’s a pretty cynical way to look at it,” Eric chimed in. “In real life situations, it’s not like a test where you can only approach it a limited number of ways. If your job is to protect a town of people from a rabid apex predator, hunting it is one way, but you’ve got options. If your approach is to calm it down, or find it a mate, or wake up another predator to fight it, or move the town to another reality, well, any of those could work! I think this is just accounting for that nuance.”

  “How do you think tossing towns into the aether is going to help them? And besides, just killing the beast seems best,” Ken said.

  “Have you seen the magical beasts up North?” Eric said with a knowing grin. Ken shook his head, and Eric didn’t press the topic. “Besides, Xexherre could reliably pull off dimensional travel. He was the first, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the last.”

  Xenron was increasingly impressed with Eric as the conversation went on. A petty part of Xenron had him pegged, jealously, as a know-nothing flirt, or else a sycophant like Leo thought. But neither image had really rung true for Xenron, and Eric’s knowledge of history seemed solid. As he reset his expectations, Xenron took a deep breath that called both of their curiosity before speaking.

  “It’s a good inroad. But what are we supposed to do to fix the program, and how does that help Leo?”

  “Well… I dunno,” Ken admitted. “I mean, you’re clever, right? All those tricks in training and stuff. If you’ve got something, we can submit as a group and include Leo…”

  The table went quiet. Remembering Leo’s hopeless expression as he was brutalized, Xenron ground his teeth. No. Admonishing himself, he refused to give himself to frustration. He couldn’t leave everything to Ken. He’d brought the idea - now it was Xenron’s job to make it work… somehow. He thought back to the doubts of both Cerci and Bruce recently. Their feelings, resonating in him, were familiar. Why? Do I feel the same as them? No - there’s a specific character to this feeling. It’s… Bruce’s. He placed the scrap of remembered emotion. It was the day that he’d stood up to Bruce against Ken. He’d felt so profoundly relieved when Bruce backed down, but in hindsight, it was bizarre that Bruce had listened to him at all. Xenron had chalked it up to his own political posturing, but now he saw that was folly. Bruce wasn’t afraid of anyone.

  This was a shot in the dark predicated on Xenron’s delusions about other people, trying to turn them into some pretty arrangement. So Xenron’s internal heckler barked at him, but Xenron clamped down on it, continuing to breath deeply though he was barely aware of it. Meditation hadn’t done much, but it had steadied him, and now, he needed to stay the course. He was on to something, damn it! He was certain that his nails were scratching the surface of something significant. Luckily, the shape of the puzzle was obvious.

  Xenron’s extreme relief at Bruce letting Ken off the hook wasn’t just his own emotion, but a combination of his emotions and the others present via Empathic Integration. Xenron felt sure of it, somehow - Bruce had to have been relieved too. As if he thought he needed to punish Ken harshly, but was glad to be offered another path.

  So the Tier III mentors doubted themselves, and the even highest authorities were flimsy, flawed people with slow processes. Leo had told him how hard it was to get bad laws off the books in the current legal process, and he’d seen the self-absorbed way Director Vaere acted. It was stupidly obvious in hindsight. But to Xenron, it seemed natural that older people knew more, perhaps everything. That they had it all under control. Again, foolish. If they did - if things were truly “under control”, then the

  Xexens wouldn’t need a King - and they wouldn’t need him. If Bruce didn’t want to be harsh, why was he? Xenron thought again of the old laws Leo had talked about and a research assignment of Ms. Vale’s on the Mad King, and things started to come together in his mind.

  This was still conjecture, but going forward, Xenron didn’t have to rely on conjecture anymore. He could see emotions, and had an increasingly acute understanding of them. As he looked at his two companions, curious as he puzzled over the issue, Xenron closed his eyes tightly. In that darkness as heavy as the ocean, Xenron saw two glimmers of light. Eric, bright yellow, filled with almost reverent curiosity and a hint of excitement, the other, Ken a deep indigo. Determination? Anticipation? The emotions were complex, but encouraging nonetheless.

  Xenron opened his eyes and started gathering things on his tray, readying to stand and leave. Ken’s face split with a broad grin.

  “You’ve got something already?” he asked excitedly.

  “I’ve got a hunch,” Xenron said, “but there’s only one way to check on it.”

  Eric quickly finished eating and stood as well. “Count me in, this seems interesting. And besides, I could use a boon… if I’m honest, my ranking could definitely use a bump.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Ken groaned. “Studying’s a pain, so I could still get dropped from the program if stuff slides too far for me.”

  Xenron smiled to himself as the group set out. He remembered the feeling of being surrounded by his mother’s love once again. He had a duty to fight, no matter what. He knew that. Still - it was a joy and a relief that this time, he wasn’t fighting alone.