wn the long, ca

adilla ancestors. Their painted eyes seemed to follo

Alina's canvas bag and plain clothes. They didn't bow. They didn't low

to the countless nights in her past life, burning her hands on alchemy cau

y double doors leading t

n stood the Silvercrest Academy monument-a towering crystal a

ood at the base

ir was perfectly styled. When he saw Alina in her black cloth

ping with condescension. "If you just go back inside and apologiz

man who had driven a blade throug

art didn't race. She just felt

" Alin

her stuttering, to her lookin

e me?" He reached out, ai

er weight slightly to the left, dropp

ed him forward, making his heavy boots stumble over the co

nning around. "You won't last a month in a savage

t walking straight toward the m

leaned against the stone wall, crossing his arms, making

idn't s

d a microscopic, chaotic sliver of her unrefined mana. It was the exact resonance frequency she had discovered while studying ancient mechanics in her pas

oan, the massive iron gate

open gate, then back at Alina. A cold sweat broke out on his nec

hit her face. Her lungs expanded, taking in air that

entirely. She walked two miles down the

t three silver coins. She slid them

ern Border. Cheapest air

usted, sputtering airship. The cabin smelled strong

at near a scra

eeking of stale beer, lumbered over. He sla

girl. I like

d her head. She lo

m a decade of frontline warfare bleed into her gaze. Her p

ly jerked away from her seat as if the leather had burned him. He stumbled backwa

ghed, but they all g

ry book from her bag and opene

red to life, vibrating

e book, Alina closed he

mental energies clashed violently against each ot

cific, rhythmic pattern. The

een earth, yellow light, and purple dark began to swirl together.

knitting the torn tissue back together. The p

olently shook as it broke throug

uctor shouted over the engi

off her face. She lo

ed cliff was a massive fortress built of bl

lgard

ed her bag