The Burning Flowers

Chapter III

As Album Luz walked back from the library and towards the dormitory towers, she couldn’t help but dwell on the confrontation she had overheard between Hirokol and Rennigan, and despite knowing it was rather rude, she failed to prevent an amused smile from crossing her lips. It was blatantly clear from that single interaction that there was a distinct divide between Rennigan and the rest of his team, and as she observed their instability, she found herself realizing just how much of a role Rennigan’s arrogance played in her team’s victory. Had the young water mage actually been cooperative with Hirokol and the others then her failure at orientation probably would have ruined everything.

And I guess Nigreos really wasn’t exaggerating when he said the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, she mused, recalling all of the many rants her father had gone on in regards to Kloras Glaus. Rennigan seems like just as much of a pain as his father is.

But of course, she knew that she was lucky that Rennigan got so caught up in his feud with Nigreos. The morning after orientation, Nigreos had told her that had Abi not come up with the plan she did then he might not have been able to beat the young man, and that it was clear that it wasn’t a lack of power that resulted in Rennigan’s loss, rather it was simply because the water mage had far too big of an ego. Had he stopped for even a second to strategize and cooperate with his team, then they would have lost the battle without a doubt.

Yeah…I was certainly lucky that my mistake didn’t ruin everything, but I know that luck won’t always save me. We’re first rank now, so we’ll be given the more dangerous assignments. This time, only our rank was on the line, but once we’re out in the real world, my inability could get both myself and my team killed. I have to pull myself together! We won’t start getting assignments until winter, so I have time to keep pushing myself! At all costs, I must get better!

‘ “Erasure is like wielding the power of the gods. It allows you to bend reality to your will and alter the memories of every soul in this realm and all the others. It is a terrifying power and a huge responsibility… You know this burden has to be yours… But if you can’t pull yourself together, then you will die. So why can’t you just do what I tell you to do?!”

Her father’s words from that night were still just as fresh in her mind as they were seconds after he spoke them, and the pressure of that responsibility continued to press down on her with an unforgiving weight. She had thoroughly embarrassed her family because of her failure, and if she didn’t manage to fix herself, then she would only continue to do so. How ashamed would Acostav Luz be if she died on her first assignment at the Academy? How would that ruin the image of the Luz family that had been forged through generations upon generations of feats and accomplishments?

And it’s not just Father who I would be hurting. Mother…and Eko both… I don’t want them to have to live with my shame. Now I’ve got a team of people relying on me, too…Nigreos, Abi, Ryokumo… So I have to get better! Pinner’s Syndrome can be fixed if I just train my body to produce more mana, and I’ve only made it harder to cure myself by relying on the gigga root.

She’d been doing her best to psych herself up for the entire week, but each time she felt like she had motivated herself to do it, the furious features of her father returned to her, looking down on her with disgust and hatred—an expression that never failed to conceal how disappointed he was in his only daughter. Album let out a meek sigh as she reached the commons in the center of the four dormitory towers, and just as she was making her way toward the doorway of the first year tower, she suddenly heard her name called out from behind her.

“Album!”

The voice brought her a small modicum of peace and she smiled softly as she turned around and watched her older brother, Eko, making his way toward where she was waiting, a broad smile on his face. He was quick to rush forward and throw his arms around her and Album gratefully hugged him back, having missed her brother quite a deal. Since she had departed Noctalus for Erika roughly a week before Nigreos and Eko had, it had now been three weeks since she had spoken with her older brother. She had noticed his presence in the stands during orientation, but after what happened to her, she had gone off to be by herself, and each time she considered visiting him in his dorm room, she would grow anxious and opt against it. But even so, despite fearing the disappointment she might see in Eko’s blue eyes, she was still grateful to finally reunite with him.

“Now, I want you to be honest with me, Little Sister,” Eko began as he released her from the hug. “Have you been avoiding me this week?”

Like always, he cut right to the point without any hesitation, an inquisitive eyebrow raised as he regarded her, and though Album knew that it was more of a rhetorical question and he almost certainly knew the answer, she still found herself instinctively lying.

“N-no, of course not,” she stuttered. “Why would I ever want to avoid you? I’ve just been busy with school and all. It’s my first week, you know? Lots of classes to deal with and professors to get used to, and I’ve spent a lot of time studying in library cause I don’t want to fall behind right away and—”

“Album.” With the one utterance of her name, he caused her to fall silent and cease her rambling as he fixed her with a concerned gaze. “What did Father say to you?”

“U-um…” Sighing, she glanced down at her feet and finally answered with truth. “He just gave me the usual lecture about inheriting the erased realm and not embarrassing the family and…well, how he wants me to do better. You know how it is, Eko.”

Her older brother grimaced then rolled his eyes with exasperation. “I’m sorry, Sis. I wish he would understand that you’re doing everything you can. I’ve tried talking to him myself, but…”

“No, no, he’s right,” she muttered. “I have a responsibility to uphold and I need to take it more seriously. I let my nerves get the better of me and because of that, I overate the gigga root and put too much mana in my body, leaving Ryokumo to handle everything himself. I got lucky, Eko. I know I did…”

The young man reached forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and when she forced herself to look back up at him, he was smiling his ever-comforting grin. “Look, I’m not going to touch upon what happened at orientation. I’m sure you and Father have already discussed it more than enough. That being said, you’re first rank now, and that’s good. Attribute it to luck or whatever you wish, but the reality is that you won. Regardless of what Father says, I believe in you, Album, and I know you can pull it together and do great things. So smile…and press onwards.”

Somehow, Eko always knew just what to say, and even though he probably gave her more credit than she deserved, it still felt good to hear somebody say that they believed in her. Though, she couldn’t help but think that her brother’s words resembled something Ryokumo had said to her when they ran into each that night.

“And we won, did we not? All’s well that ends well.”

“Now,” Eko continued. “I have business with you and your roommate so if you wouldn’t mind, can we head up to your dorm for a moment.”

Album frowned in surprise. “You have business with Abi? What about?”

“I’ll tell you when we get there,” he replied with a wry chuckle. “Come.”

Frantically trying to deduce why Eko would need to speak with Abigail, Album followed her brother into the tower. Since he clearly didn’t intend to elaborate until they were together, she refrained from pressing him for more information until they finally arrived on her room’s doorstep on the fourth floor. Album wasn’t sure if Abi would even be back from her class yet, but once she placed her hand against the door and used her mana to unlock it, she felt a faint signal on the other side, indicating that girl probably was present, and sure enough, Abi was sitting on the couch, still in her uniform, scribbling on a piece of parchment.

At the sound of their entrance, she looked up with a cheerful smile. “Ah, welcome back, Album, and…” But she trailed off upon noticing Eko, and cocked her head in confusion as she raised a hand in greeting. “Oh, uh, hi.”

“Good afternoon, Miss Abigail,” Eko greeted as he followed Album into the room. “I’ve been looking forward to finally meeting you ever since the orientation matches. My name is Eko Luz. I’m Album’s older brother.”

He bowed his head in respect, a gesture that Album knew only Eko would give to a girl far below him in status, to which Abi was quick to get to her feet and bow her head back.

“Ah, her brother?!” she exclaimed with excitement. “Yeah, Album’s told me a lot about you! It’s nice to finally meet you, too!”

Album hadn’t really been sure what she expected upon seeing Abi and Eko meet, and she certainly hadn’t thought it would happen so soon, but she took some pride in the look of respect Abi had on her face, and she could only contribute it to surprise that her brother would treat her so well. But that was simply how Eko was. His status as the eldest Luz child and the future Master of Light hadn’t gone to his head the way power did to most nobles. He was the type of person to judge someone based on their skill and attitude rather than anything else. He was the complete antithesis of their father, and for that reason, Album always sought to be more like him.

“So, what brings you to our dorm?” Abi inquired, flashing Album a brief glance as if to indicate she was asking both of them.

Album then turned her attention to her brother as well. “Yeah, what supposed business was so important that you couldn’t just tell me and have me relay it to Abi?”

“Well, about that,” Eko began, scratching the back of his head guiltily. “It’s not actually anything I couldn’t have had you relay, but after watching the matches and hearing such good things from Nigreos, I just didn’t want to pass up a prime opportunity to meet you, Abigail.”

Once again, Abi seemed thrown off by Eko’s words and laughed with unrestrained embarrassment. “You wanted to meet me? W-well, I mean I’m flattered, but I hate to disappoint you. I don’t think I’m all that interesting, so…”

There she goes again, Album thought to herself. After a week of getting to know her, it’s become crystal clear that Abi truly doesn’t realize how talented she is. At first, I thought she was just being modest, but no…she really believes that there’s nothing special about her.

“Oh, please,” Eko said with a wave of his hand. “You don’t need to be so humble. Fayela Rio was clearly not an easy opponent and you held your ground magnificently. Not to mention, Nigreos told me that the entire plan to encase him and Glaus in darkness was all yours. In my opinion, my little sister couldn’t have a better partner.”

Album could see Abi’s cheeks turning a slight red from embarrassment, and seeing a prime opportunity to tease the girl a little bit, she quickly jumped in to agree with Eko.

“I agree, actually,” she stated confidently. “Brother, I don’t know if Nigreos mentioned it or not, but Abi’s predominantly self-taught, and she’s spent most of her life as a wandering hermit in the north. In fact, she was so separated from the cities that when we met, she didn’t even recognize our last name.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, that might have happened…” Abi muttered, her cheeks turning even redder as she shot Album a look that begged her not to say anything else.

“But there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Abi,” Album told her. “I think that just speaks to your skill. Most of us have tutors and years of practice with proper training before getting into the Academy, but you didn’t and still got the attention of a Master! So how can you call yourself uninteresting?”

“Er…”

Album laughed and though Abi seemed to realize she was being teased, she started to laugh as well. Album may have been trying to give her a hard time, but she truly did believe what she was saying. Abigail was an amazing person, and she was certain that she would go on to do great things in the future. In just the one week since meeting her, Album found that she really was growing fond of the quirky and cheerful girl that was her roommate.

“Album’s right, you know,” Eko said. “And as it so happens, my message pertains to your rather impressive situation.”

Abi frowned. “How so?”

“The two of you have been summoned to the Citadel two days from now just past noon,” he informed them. “Album, you and Nigreos have been summoned by Father and Master Viiro, while your presence, Abi, has been requested by Master Grunly. According to my father, the Master of Nature wants to check in on you and see how your first week has been.”

“And me?” Album pressed as a sudden realization came to mind. “What does Father want with me?”

She knew Acostav wouldn’t bother to summon her all the way to the Citadel just to chew her out again, and since Nigreos was requested as well, she couldn’t help but wonder if it had to do with Princess Ilirianna. As it stood, there had been no word on her decision, and Album kept stressing over whether her failure had destroyed their chances or not. She silently urged Eko to give her some sort of hint, but her brother merely shrugged.

“I do not know,” he admitted. “Father was rather vague about it. That being said…” Eko then paused and eyed her with meaning that was meant only for her. “He was summoned to speak with the queen tonight, and from what I could gather, pieces are moving.”

Abi frowned and glanced at Album curiously, but it was clear that she failed to understand the significance of his statement. While she and Nigreos were still under orders not to reveal anything about Ilirianna, she couldn’t help but wonder if Grunly might tell her anything about what was going on.

But either way, if Father is being summoned to speak with the queen, then it almost certainly must have to do with the team selection. The princess will probably make her decision soon…and I just have to hope that the other three have done enough to make up for me.

***

Ilirianna Iiji stood silently on her mother’s left as Queen Toranei sat calmly on her throne, her legs folded and her hands placed gently in her lap. Her deep blue eyes were narrowed, but the emotions behind her cold features revealed nothing of what she felt as she gazed out at the doors of the throne room, which opened to admit the Master of Light, Acostav Luz. Due to the nature of the illusion magic protecting that level of the Citadel, Acostav wasn’t able to reach the throne room without a designated guide, and so King Markreas walked with him as they approached the two women. Nobody spoke as Markreas stepped up to his own throne and took a seat while Acostav merely stopped and waited at the foot of the thrones as the three royals looked down at him. Ilirianna certainly lacked respect for the man, but she had to give credit where it was due. Despite being in the presence of the king, queen, and heir, he was standing tall and facing them with dignity, his black eyes shifting between them as he awaited the start of the conversation.

And though it was King Markreas who summoned him, the man didn’t speak, and instead it was Toranei who broke the silence.

“Master Acostav,” she began sharply, only allowing a small touch of anger to seep into her words. “I would imagine you are aware of the reason you have been summoned here tonight and I would like you to voice that reason. Tell me… Why are you here?”

Acostav first bowed before the queen and placed his right hand on his chest as formalities dedicated, before rising back up to speak, the pleasant smile on his face failing to mask his displeasure.

“This is about my daughter’s incident during the orientation, yes?” he inquired.

Toranei smiled back about as coldly as Acostav did. “Correct. And would you please tell me why that is something we need to discuss at all? Why would my husband and I care about what happened to young Album? Do you know?”

“Do I know?” he repeated before giving a shrug. “With all due respect, My Queen, I am not sure. If I’m not mistaken, you were all informed long ago that my daughter has been diagnosed with Pinner’s Syndrome and that her mana levels are not as high as we would like them to be. Unfortunately, through her anxiety, she over-consumed gigga root, and it resulted in what Princess Ilirianna witnessed during the fights.”

A brief glance at her parents showed that while Markreas was glaring down at him, Toranei was still composed, though Ilirianna was certain that deep inside, her mother was probably more angry at Acostav than either of them.

“And why did she need gigga root?” Toranei demanded softly. “From what I recall, you have said that Album’s mana deficiencies were not problematic and that she had learned to cope with them. And yet, she lost…immediately. That does not seem like it isn’t problematic to me? Do you disagree?”

Acostav’s smile turned stiff. “It was an unfortunate turn of events. My daughter has always been a very anxious child. She probably just panicked at the stress of the day and decided to rely on medication when it was unnecessary. A poor choice on her part, and one I’m certain she will learn from.”

He’s lying, Ilirianna internally growled. I can tell. Album hasn’t overcome these deficiencies. He’s downplaying it because he wants his daughter on my team. And if I can tell, then Father and Mother almost certainly can.

“Do not lie to me, Acostav,” Toranei whispered, but still loud enough that her harsh words carried down to the Master of Light. “Tell me the truth. What is the extent of Album’s disease.”

Acostav’s features twitched, and she could see in his black eyes that he was strongly considering holding his ground, but he must have concluded that in the face of Toranei Iiji, it would be a losing battle, and thus, he refrained from lying any further.

“It is nothing to concern yourselves with,” he began. “I am handling—”

“Do not tell me what I should and should not be concerned with,” Toranei spat. “And do play dumb with me. Know your place, Master Luz.” The queen then leaned forward, her eyes boring into the man, who despite his powerful pride, subtly flinched back. “My daughter is choosing her royal team, something you know well. And you would be happy to know that until last week, my husband and I were insisting that she choose Album and Nigreos. We were on your side.”

Acostav didn’t speak despite clearly wanting to, and Ilirianna silently marveled at the power and presence that her mother commanded, even over strong-willed people like him.

“Now, we are uncertain,” Toranei went on. “If your daughter cannot hold her ground, then placing her on Ilirianna’s team would be the same as condemning her to death. Now, I would love to still have my daughter here choose them. Nigreos Noctis is a talented young man, and Master Grunly has strongly voiced his support for Abigail, whose performance only served to give him more credibility. Even Caeli would be a strong individual to have at her side. Yet, even with all of that said, we hesitate. In one week, we will ideally be sending this team to Hiriech on a mission that could be quite dangerous. Now answer. What is the extent of Album Luz’s disease?”

Acostav licked his lips when the throne room went silent and Ilirianna couldn’t help but smile down at him with amusement, though he completely ignored her and addressed the queen and king directly.

“I will admit,” he said, “that Album suffers quite strongly. She eats gigga root on a daily basis to replenish her mana and she can not manage much light magic. She is inexperienced in the other affinities because we have urged her to focus her attention on her light. Truth be told, I do not expect much from my daughter, nor should you. Ideally, she shall remain in Noctalus as the eraser and only come out when we need somebody erased. Fighting is not her strong suit.”

“Then why should we rely on her?” Markreas asked, leaning forward as well as he fixed his own piercing gaze on the Master of Light. “If you do not expect anything of her, then why have you vied for her selection? What would you do if she died?”

Acostav shook his head. “Nothing, Your Majesty. If I’m being honest, Clara and I would simply allow one of my brother’s children to become an eraser. Album is only in this position because of tradition, but I care not one way or the other what her fate may be. If she lives, she will fulfill what is expected of her, and if she dies, well, then she was never fit to succeed my wife anyway.”

Ilirianna gazed down at him with utter disgust as he spoke so casually about the death of his only daughter, and she really did think he wasn’t exaggerating. Album’s death would probably solve more problems for him than anything. Does he really not care for her? Is she just a means to an end?

It took all of her self control not to march down there and slap him across his face, but she couldn’t prevent her fists from clenching down at her side.

“So you do not care if your daughter dies?” Toranei asked him, revealing none of her own thoughts on the statement.

Acostav shook his head. “I do not. My successor is Eko, and Eko will surely serve as a respectable Master of Light when I retire. Album is unnecessary so long as there is somebody to inherit the powers of erasure. If she is on the team and lives, it will tell me that she is, in fact, worthy of such a power. In my eyes, I consider this team a test that she must pass. So even with all I have said, I still urge you to select that team.”

“Very well, Acostav,” Toranei muttered after a pause. “We will take it into consideration. You may go, but first…” Her eyes then narrowed yet again, and her tone turned icy. “If I ever learn you have lied to us like this again, I will not be so forgiving.”

Acostav narrowed his own eyes back at her, but bowed nonetheless. “Understood. Have a nice night, Your Majesties.”

Finally, as he was about to turn around and depart, his black eyes shifted to Ilirianna, but she could only glare down at him with utter hatred, wondering how a man as despicable and selfish as him could ever have been given the responsibility of Master of Light.

She never liked Acostav Luz, but until that moment, she never hated him either.