Rising Shards

It was less than a day back at school, and I was already back to one of my least favorite hobbies at Rising Shards: wandering the halls aimlessly as I worked through anxious emotions. I was basically doing laps around the cafeteria hoping I’d run into Amara and Naomi, but I didn’t know where the prefects normally went or if they had routes or something. Naomi just usually showed up when it was least convenient to me.

“This is kinda stupid,” I muttered. “I miss Aira and Laenie a lot already, who’s gonna console me there?”

I knew it was a bit different with Kalei’s crush on Nikki, and Amara’s whatever that was for Rain. If Oka had gone, then maybe there’d be more concern for me from Lillia. But if Oka had gone, I probably wouldn't have been in any condition to return to school.

“I don’t even know where Amara is.” I said. “Or Naomi, for that matter. If it was Kalei, I could just text her, but then she’ll know what’s up right away…”

I trailed off as I realized I was talking to myself out loud very close to someone working on a display case. They heard me and looked up. Making matters worse, it was co-principal Berin Kilander, who was also Oka’s adoptive parent.

“Something up?” He asked.

“No, I’m just…talking to myself.” I said.

Berin looked at me quizzically. After Caya caught Oka and I making out, I’d been nervous about what Berin Kilander’s reaction would be. I figured Oka had told him about us already, but if Caya passed on any details of what she saw to him, things might get awkward.

“Zeta Faleur, right?” Berin asked. “I’ve been meaning to have a chat with you.”

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. I’d never talked to Jeans’ parents before. I’m not sure what they would have said given that Jeans was cheating on her actual girlfriend Ovie with me the whole time we were together without my knowledge, so maybe that was for the best.

Berin got the glass case open and began taking what looked to be an assortment of random objects out and put them in a cardboard box at his feet.

I started to panic as I wondered if he wanted me to respond next. Did I need to pitch myself as a suitable partner to his daughter? Was he gonna do that thing dads do on TV where they get all overprotective of their daughters and vaguely threaten violence in a weird power play under the guise of protecting against anything bad happening? Did he remember the time Kalei locked him in the gym’s freezer thing and wanted revenge? Did I mess up his pool the last time I was at his house with Oka?

“There’s a lot of things I’d like to talk about at once and I’m not sure where to start,” Berin said. “I know we’ve talked before obviously, but it’s a bit different now, yeah?”

I nodded.

“Stella neglected to tell me that you’re her sister until the last time I talked to her,” Berin said.

“Oh…sorry?” I said.

“No, no,” Berin sighed. “Sorry, this is sort of new to me.”

“Maybe we can start over?” I said. I held my hand out. Berin seemed impressed at my handshake skills. “Stella taught me to try to always shake hands when I meet someone, and I don’t think I did last time we met, so…I’m Zeta Faleur. Nice to meet you? Again?”

Berin laughed. “Very professional. Berin Kilander.” His look became a bit more serious. “I know your class was one of the ones hit hardest by the raid, and if the records I read are right you in particular were instrumental in stopping the one in your void node.”

I wasn’t sure how to react, but it did make me feel proud to hear that. Diast had told me how good a job I’d done with the whole breaking the Starlight Despair thing, and I was equally proud and embarrassed hearing Berin say it as I had hearing it from her. 

“I had a lot of help,” I said. “Like, Kalei and Oka…” I winced, not sure how Berin was going to react, because the ‘hey I’m dating Oka, your daughter’ part of the conversation was surely about to follow.

“Well, all of you did great work,” Berin said. “Sorry it meant the ‘pleasure’ of meeting Kitty, too. I was hoping to have a better speech this morning about her and the whole situation, but then Penteldtam had an…outburst there.” Berin said. “That was pretty unprofessional.”

“Yeah…” I said. “I guess everyone’s dealing with the last few weeks in their own ways.”

“That’s…probably a good way of looking at it.” Berin said. “Apparently this is my way of dealing with it.” Berin put another handful of objects into the cardboard box.

“Are you…putting up a new display?” I asked.

“Just taking it down,” Berin said. “I’ll have to figure out something else to go here, but…”

I peeked into the case. With all the trinkets from it in the box, all that was left was framed photos. The first one that caught my eye showed a group of five students, in a uniform I didn’t recognize.

“Who are they?” I asked.

“Ahhh, it’s a long story,” Berin said, taking the photo and putting it in the box. “It’d take a long while, and I don’t want to keep you from whatever you were up to.”

“Can you give me the short version?” I asked, too curious to let it go.

“They’re called the Light of the Rebel Spirits,” Berin said.

“Oh, that sounds kinda familiar.” I said. “Why does that sound familiar?”

“A long while ago, there was a group of the Order of Terina that was much harsher than even the normal ones. A small group that threatened pretty much everything out here, and everything in their region of the void. And these five, mainly their leader, put a stop to it.”

“Wow,” I said. “I think I might’ve seen a documentary about that or something. I’ve definitely heard the Rebel Spirit name before.”

“That was the school that they went to.” Berin said. "It uh...yeah. Was very. In the news. But it isn't our school, so I'm not sure why a display for them should be..."

I squinted. It looked like he wanted to say more, but before I could ask him further, I spotted Amara following closely behind Naomi.

“I have to go, sorry Mr…Co-Principal. Kilander.” I said.

“I should probably get back to this yeah,” Berin said.

I didn’t have a plan, but going after Amara and helping her was what Lillia asked of me so I had to at least try.