Devvyn's wounds grew itchy as they neared the school gate. The ones beneath his clothes he could manage, but his face was on fire. He patted his pockets, hoping he'd forgotten a handkerchief in there, but his pockets were empty except for an old receipt.
He groaned, fighting the urge to scratch his face.
Aela walked a step ahead of him. Without warning, he hooked a finger into the collar of her shirt and yanked her back.
"What are you—"
He wiped his face on the back of her shirt. "I am never going back to Eternis." He said, then breathed a sigh of relief as the itching stopped.
Aela spun around, scowling. "We both know that's a lie," she said, and flicked him hard on the forehead.
''Hey!'' Devvyn winced. ''Ow.''
''Ow to you too,'' Aela said, rolling her eyes as she kept walking. But she stopped short a few steps ahead. ''See?'' she said, pointing to the dense crowd gathered outside the school gates.
From inside the compound, someone was shouting: ''No to the exit notice! No to the exit notice!''
It was Jelric.
Devvyn turned to Aela, and she just shrugged. ''Absolutely crazy.''
"Where's Headmaster Rhanes? The teachers?"
"He got one too, so he's letting the protest happen. I guess it's the same for the teachers." Aela answered.
Devvyn slowed down, his eyes scanning the crowd packed in front of the gates and spilling into the compound. He spotted a few familiar faces, old classmates he hadn't spoken to since graduation. One of them, Rellan, caught his eye and gave a small nod. Devvyn looked away immediately, a sharp urge rising in his chest to turn around and vanish into one of the side streets. He didn't feel like being seen today.
"Um…maybe we should go back? Let Jelric get this out of his system…" He said and began to turn around, wanting to go before anyone else spotted him.
''Hey Devvyn!''
Ugh. Devvyn's face squeezed as thoough he'd sucked on a sour lemon. He knew that annoying, overeager voice. Novius, from the train ride. He watched as the boy broke away from the crowd and rushed toward them, nearly tripping over someone's feet.
''Devvyn!'' Novius called again, beaming as he rushed over.
Aela squinted at him. ''What's with him?'' she muttered under her breath. She didn't wait for a response. Attention wasn't her thing, especially not around people who had bullied her until she became friends with Devvyn and Jelric. Before Devvyn could say a word, Aela gave him a pat on the back and slipped away.
Devvyn hissed, "Aela," but she was already gone, slipping into the crowd like smoke. He turned, fully intending to vanish after her, but a pair of hands clamped down on his shoulders.
"Devvyn!" Novius beamed up at him, entirely unaware of—or unbothered by—Devvyn's evident discomfort. "We've been waiting for you. I was telling the guys over there that…" Then, without warning, he spun around, cupped his hands over his mouth, and shouted, "Everyone Devvyn's here!"
Conversations trailed off, and a hush swept over the crowd as dozens of eyes landed on him. Devvyn saw Rellan at the fence, nudging someone else and then pointing in his direction. Rellan and a group of guys separated from the crowd and began to approach Devvyn. Even from inside the school grounds, students began pushing toward the gates, craning their necks to get a better look.
Perfect. Just perfect. Devvyn clenched his jaw. He felt like stuffing cotton into Novius's mouth. There was nothing he hated more than a loud person who had zero respect for boundaries.
"You're going to speak to Lord Pyrethorn on our behalf, right?" Novius asked.
"What?" Devvyn froze. "Who said that?"
But Novius didn't answer. Instead, he spun around, flung both arms into the air and shouted, "He's going to talk to Lord Pyrethorn! He's going to stop the evictions!"
Devvyn's eye twitched.
One of the boys coming with Rellan picked up a chant.
"Devvyn! Devvyn! Devvyn!"
The chant swelled like a tide, rolling over the crowd until even the kids inside the gate joined in.
"Devvyn! Devvyn!"
Before he could blink, Rellan's hands were around his legs and lifting him. Two others grabbed his arms.
"Wait…hey…"
The sudden tug sent a sharp jolt through his body. The scratches beneath his shirt and pants flared in pain, burning as if they had been freshly opened. He gritted his teeth, trying not to yell as they hoisted him higher, oblivious to the wounds they were pressing into.
They hoisted him up, ignoring his flailing limbs and loud protests. Devvyn's stomach flipped as he was lifted above the crowd.
"This is not happening," he muttered as they carried him on their shoulders, pushing through the throng of people. Hands reached out to pat him on the back. Someone threw a strip of cloth in the air like confetti. He spotted a boy tearing off his shirt and throwing it at him. Devvyn grimaced, praying to Mizuho that the shirt would not land on him. It didn't.
For a moment, all he could see were faces and teeth and fists pumping the air. And then, he was tossed forward. Devvyn stumbled, landing hard on the platform just inside the school gates. The makeshift stage shook under his weight.
Dozens of students stared up at him, expectant. Hopeful.
He slowly straightened, heart thudding in his ears.
Jelric was still speaking at the other end of the stage, his voice growing louder with passion. The moment he saw Devvyn, he lit up, striding over in two quick steps. "Our hero is here!" Jelric shouted, grabbing Devvyn's hand and thrusting it into the air.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Devvyn winced as the movement pulled at his sore muscles. From the sea of faces below, he caught sight of Aela, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in a deep, unimpressed frown.
He stepped up beside Jelric and leaned in close. "What are you doing?" he whispered.
"What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm speaking up. We can't let them take our homes away."
"You're starting a riot, that's what you're doing," Devvyn hissed. "This isn't the way. It's just going to get people in trouble."
Jelric finally turned to face him fully, eyes sharp. "Easy for you to say. You and your grandmother have options. She has that nice little house, she's rich, and you're not sleeping five to a room like most of us."
Most of us? Jelric lived alone with his dad, and they were better off than most people in the Lower City. He wasn't sleeping five to a room either. Devvyn stiffened but didn't argue. Instead, he stepped forward, raising his voice loud enough for the gathered crowd to hear.
"Listen—my grandmother is writing a petition. She's taking it straight to Lord Pyrethorn himself." He paused, lying through his teeth. "She knows him personally. He'll listen to her. We just need to wait."
"And if that doesn't work?" a voice called out from the back of the crowd, laced with scepticism.
"You saved Lord Pyrethorn's life!" another person quickly added, pushing to the front. "Can't you call in this as a favour?"
Devvyn's shoulders slumped. "I have no more power than any of you in swaying a Highlord's decision," he admitted, his voice losing some of its earlier bravado. He ran a hand through his hair, looking out at their hopeful, anxious faces. "But I'll do my best. You have my word."
"So go home," he added. "Let's not do anything that'll make it worse for everyone. Give the petition a chance."
The tension in the air began to thin. One by one, students turned and began to walk away, muttering under their breath. A few lingered, disappointed, eyes flicking between Devvyn and Jelric as if unsure who to believe. Eventually, even they dispersed. Jelric stepped down from the stage, jaw tight. He started back down the street, pushing past a few stragglers still lingering by the gates.
Devvyn scrubbed a hand over his face. What had he done? He'd just promised an entire crowd of desperate people something he had no idea how to deliver. He wasn't some hero, and he sure wasn't about to march into Lord Pyrethorn's study and demand he reverse an eviction notice because Devvyn saved his life.
He settled on handling the things he could control first. He jogged after Jelric. "Jelric—wait. We need to talk."
Jelric didn't slow down. "What for? You got to dine with a Highborn and now you're on their side?" He was about to say more when Aela suddenly stepped in front of him, unwrapped the cream doughnut and stuffed it into Jelric's mouth.
"Shut up and chew," she said, glaring up at him.
Jelric blinked, mid-mumble, then gave up and just bit down.
"You're welcome," Aela added with a huff, brushing sugar off her fingers.
"Come on. Let's go to the beach." Devvyn said.
None of them said anything more for a while. They turned toward the edge of the city, following the narrow paths that wound past shuttered kiosks and the old storage sheds until they began to smell the salt breeze. The Lower City's beach wasn't much, rocky and patchy in places, with algae-ridden waters. Still, it was their favourite hangout place.
There weren't many people on the beach. Just some kids playing and a few adults fishing.
They found their usual spot near a worn-out driftwood log, half-buried in the sand, and flopped down in the shade beside it. Seagulls circled overhead. Somewhere in the distance, a boat horn Echoed out across the bay.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Devvyn drew circles in the sand, Aela said cross legged, twiddling with her thumb and Jelric chewed on the doughnut, slowly.
Jelric licked the last bit of cream off his thumb, then stared out at the water for a while. The silence stretched between them, thick and awkward.
Finally, he muttered, "Hey… sorry about what I said. About you and your grandmother and the high born thing. I didn't mean any of that. I promise."
Devvyn didn't answer right away. He picked up a small stone and rolled it between his fingers, watching the tide crawl up the shore. He wanted to be angry, but it was Jelric, his best friend, and he knew something was off with him, causing him to act out. He just wasn't sure what.
"It's fine," he said after a moment. "You were angry. I get it."
"Still," Jelric said. "Didn't mean it. You've always looked out for us. I just—" He shook his head. "Seeing you stand there… you've always had answers so I thought you would, for this…"
"You know what happens when we protest anything the Highborns do. Remember the first mana wells they dug here?" They were five when it happened. The people affected had taken a protest to Eternis. They were arrested and by the time they were released, mana wells had replaced their homes.
Aela snorted. "Damned if we do. Damned if we don't."
Jelric cracked a small smile. "We'll work something out. But they're not taking our homes."
"On more pressing issues, Devvyn fought with a cat. And clearly lost." Aela announced.
Jelric turned to Devvyn, his eyes narrowing. "Wait… What happened?"
Devvyn brushed a hand over the bruised skin near his jaw, then gave a dry laugh. "Got chased by bloody gang members."
Both Aela and Jelric straightened up.
"What?" Aela said sharply.
"Which gang?" Jelric asked at the same time.
Devvyn leaned back against the driftwood, one knee pulled up. "Vance, the smuggler. They cornered me on my way home. Wanted me to feed them information about the Pyrethorn estate layout."
"Shit." Jelric said.
"And you didn't give them anything?" Aela asked, raising a brow.
"Nope." He glanced away toward the crashing waves. "I ran. Ended up diving into an underground tunnel to lose them. Was down there for a while. That's probably when I got these damn wounds." He left out the part about Eamon Wynstros and the book. His hands tightened a little on the driftwood.
Aela clicked her tongue. "Should've given them the information, honestly. Lord Pyrethorn's kicking half the Lower City out like we're vermin. Why protect him?"
Jelric shook his head, brushing crumbs off his shirt. "Yeah, the Pyrethorn estate being robbed just after a boy from the Lower City was there doesn't raise any suspicions."
"Oh you're suddenly smart and logical Mr. Say no to the exit notice." Aela mocked.
"At least I tried to do something." Jelric said.
Devvyn let out a slow breath. "I'm just tired of feeling helpless." He said, cutting off Aela and Jelric's squabbling. His voice was low, edged with frustration. "Tired of standing around while people like Pyrethorn toss us aside like scraps."
Aela leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Wouldn't happen if we were bonded with an Echo. We could fight even. You could have fought those boys."
"Right," Devvyn muttered.
Aela looked down at the sand, thoughtful. "I've been thinking about entering the Gauntlet Trials." She glanced up. "All my siblings are in school now so I have more time. If I succeed in the trials and get into the Academy, I can give them a better life. I can't let Maelis keep taking care of us forever."
Jelric gave a low whistle. "Funny. I've been thinking about it too. Pretty much everyone who makes it into the military academy from the Lower City did so through Gauntlet Trials." He shrugged. "If we want a shot at our dreams, that's the door."
Devvyn frowned. "You both know how dangerous those trials are. People die."
Aela gave him a sharp look. "So what should we do then? You always wanted to go to the Academy, what's changed?"
"I promised Maelis I wouldn't." But that wasn't just it, Devvyn sighed and continued. "Like Jelric said, anyone like us who got into the Academy passed the Gauntlet. But they all had Echos, even if it was a one-lux Echo. We're likely to die if we go in there without one."
Then Jelric leaned in, eyes glinting. "Then, let's steal one for ourselves."
