I followed Tritetia as she led me across the school, immediately noticing her uniform was slightly different from mine. She wore a sinopia skirt, long and narrow, reaching down to just below her ankles in the same way my own dark pants ended. Her shoes matched the skirt and my shoes, but it was decorated with a lilac trim as if to soften the rusty color. We wore a similar long-sleeved shirt, but whereas mine was sinopia, her’s was an off-white, a creamy color that seemed to compliment the lilac trim.
We left the dorms and passed through the center courtyard, which to my surprise was empty. Even if the majority of students wouldn’t return until the next day for the Entrance Ceremony, it still seemed strange to me that no one was using the silence to make alliances or friendships before the older students arrived. I didn’t know much about the Magic course exam since I had my match during most of it, but it must have been just as intense as the entrance tournament had been.
As we kept walking, I heard the sound of running water before I saw it; low, constant, like a heartbeat made of stone and current. The path curved downward beneath an overhang where the stone turned darker and more damp, and soon the space opened into a narrow corridor where a river cut straight through the foundation of the school itself. A grate sat nestled the bottom of the wall, spanning the entire width of the river as it flowed through. The metal was thick, dark with age and water-worn, but solid, clearly enchanted to withstand years of pressure.
“No one comes down here,” Tritetia finally spoke, her voice barely rising above the flow. “There’s a rumor, that a body was found in the grate once. Everyone says its haunted or tainted.”
“So, no one is going to bother us,” I nodded, stepping closer to look at the flowing water. It was clear and moved with purpose, slipping through the bars of the grate with practiced ease. I glanced back at Tritetia, watching as she stood near the edge of the short wall, not looking at the water but somewhere beyond it.
“No. This is where I used to come…” ” she said softly, her hands tightening slightly in the folds of her skirt. “In the last timeline. When the bullying got bad.”
I turned to face her more fully, irritation spiking in my chest as I stared. I had a suspicion that Tritetia didn’t have a good time at Roxarry, but I had assumed that it was merely being ostracized. Her title of princess was a formality, but it was still a title and should have protected her. But if there were those who would bully her despite that, then it meant I would have to watch more closely than I wanted to.
“When does it start?”
“I… don’t remember. I know it got worse once Pyraxian photographs were introduced,” Tritetia admitted, her voice still soft but steadier now. “I… tried to make sense of my dreams, to… remember more, but I don’t think I can remember clearly like you.”
I nodded, considering the implications. “That’s fine, my memories are mostly useless. I was isolated at Marquess Blackwoods’s estate, so I only saw glimpses of what was going on around me.”
“Yssac’s father?” Tritetia sounded horrified, but I shook my head, frowning as I watched the water.
“He wasn’t this… forward last time. He was adamant on waiting for the ‘perfect’ moment to reveal me and use me to replace Caspian with Yssac,” I fought to keep the anger from my voice, crouching down to touch the stone. It was cold, but in a way I couldn’t explain, and I stared at the wall for signs of runes. “I’m guessing since I used Caspian to keep Yssac away from him and he doesn’t have me as a dragon to manipulate, he’s more desperate and willing to take more chances.”
“I…” Tritetia’s voice trailed off as she stepped a little closer, her gaze dropping toward the water again. “That makes sense. So much has changed with… you around.”
“It needs to change, otherwise my mother dies,” I scoffed, standing back up as I turned to face her. She was looking down at the ground, avoiding eye contact like usual. “What else do you remember?”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“The next sovereign should be here, and I think the other two royals with me and you are from Pyraxia, a brother and sister. Last time it… was only a brother, so the princess is new. I remember it was just me and him in the royal wing until Valaine came,” Tritetia continued, her voice steady as she recounted her dreams and I nodded slowly, taking in her words. “This year… should be calm. Most things start picking up around the third year.”
“The year my mother is supposed to die,” I growled and Tritetia shook her head, squeezing her skirt tighter. “What?”
“You… have another year. I didn’t get a chance to tell you before I left but… your mother’s death got pushed back,” Tritetia revealed and I forced myself to close my eyes, willing myself to calm down. It was good news, ideal based on the circumstance, but I was annoyed to be finding out so late. “And… she dies coming to visit you here.”
“So, curing Caspian changed by the time and manner of her death,” I breathed, struggling to keep the anger out of my voice. “And there’s no way to stop the visit?”
“Not from what I saw. Her visit is a secret, even from you. She won’t tell you when she’s coming,” Tritetia nodded, her shoulders drawing up slightly like she expected me to be angry with her. I ran my hand over my face, shifting my weight as I watched her. “She dies on Roxarry campus, so–”
“Her killer is here.” I completed, my voice flat and Tritetia nodded once. I could see the way her breath caught, the way her fingers twisted tighter in her skirt. I decided to change the subject, not wanting to get too worked up especially after fighting. “Zivi is the next sovereign.”
“Huh?”
“Zivi. That boy who greeted you and the one I fought. He’s the next sovereign,” I watched her face carefully as the realization settled in. She blinked once, then turned away from me, her hand raising to cover her mouth in thought. “He’s a sea folk, like you.”
“I… knew that, but he… seemed so different, I didn’t think that could be him,” she said slowly, taking a deep breath as she dropped her hand from her face. “When he became Sovereign he was… respectful, but cold. Distant. As if he was simply performing.”
“Maybe the change happens here,” I offered, remembering how different Yssac was in this timeline removed from his father’s influence. “Perhaps the friends he makes or a teacher changes his outlook on you.”
“...Maybe.” Tritetia agreed, her voice barely audible over the current. She stood in stillness for a long moment, gaze fixed on the clear water. I didn’t say anything else, just watching as she slowly lowered herself to sit on the low stone lip by the edge. Her hands rested in her lap, fingers still nervously weaving together as the river’s rhythm filled the silence. As she reached out to touch the surface, the faint sound of footsteps got my attention and I raised my hand, motioning for silence as Trietia looked up sharply.
The steps grew closer, slow and steady, but never turned down our corridor. Whoever it was passed above or behind us, never bothering to check near the grate. The rhythm of their movement faded a few moments later, and the quiet returned. I lowered my hand slowly, realizing that it had to be close to evening, the light filtering through the gaps in the stone dimming to a muted amber. Tritetia relaxed again, though I could still see the stiffness in her shoulders.
“We should probably go,” I whispered and Tritetia nodded, standing slowly as I glanced down the path to make sure whoever had passed had gone. “The Entrance Ceremony is tomorrow, so maybe we can learn more or you’ll see someone who jogs your memory.”
“Maybe,” Tritetia agreed, and I glanced back at her to see the look on her face. She was now playing with her hair, and I noticed for the first time there was a subtle curve to her body that had not been there over the summer. I wasn’t sure if it was the uniform or if something about her had changed, but her scent was the same strange mix of boy and girl it had been all summer, so I pushed the thought aside. I allowed Tritetia to walk in front me, leading the way back to the dorms.
“Do you think things will change?”
“Huh?” I barely heard her question, her voice so quiet it almost dissolved into the evening air.
“So much has changed this time, and yet…” Tritetia repeated, her soft uncertainty threading through her voice. Even without seeing her face, I knew she had a wistful expression, likely playing with her hands and twisting the fabric of her sleeves. Her steps didn’t falter, however, each steady as we made our way back through the empty halls and I scoffed, shaking my head as I followed behind. “Do… you think things will really happen differently? That you can… stop it from happening again?”
“I will,” I stated plainly. There was no other choice; I would not, could not, accept a world that would force my mother to die because of what I was. “There is no other option.”
Tritetia remained silent, her steps light as we stepped out of the lower corridor and into the open courtyard once more. The fading sky above had deepened into shades of violet and rust, shadows stretching long across the stone paths. She didn’t respond, and I didn’t press her.
There was nothing more to say.