Annabelle’s Bastion

Aria never had someone in her life she could call a friend.

Raised in relative solitude from youth, only to be left in the care of Bastion at 14, she had little opportunity to create meaningful connections. The island held no one her age, and the adults were far too busy to care about her. Not that they could fill that hole.

To make it worse, she was raised on a blade’s edge; some wanted her—a child—dead.

Yet, if anyone said she was lucky, she wouldn’t argue. Her first protector came in the form of someone Bastion couldn’t afford to offend; Gromak. As a Dwarf sent to test the waters with Bastion, his irr wasn’t something even those who wanted Aria dead could risk.

Gromak offered her protection for two years, letting her stay in his dorm and help him with daily chores. She was safe. Then Alisha arrived when Aria turned 16 and became her new protector, mentor, and trainer.

Safe, but not happy.

Regardless of what it looked like on her surface, she had ample time to consider what she didn’t have. She craved the affection of a friend—something she only realized when she met Annabelle. Something she only realized the gravity of when it was ripped away from her.

Unbearable sadness and rage battling within her. One urged her to immediate revenge, the other toward depressing isolation.

Aria hated introspection, the path to self-doubt.

But she found herself in that state almost every night, staring absentmindedly at the empty bed across from her. Annabelle made hers every morning. But she was too excited the day of the expedition and had forgotten, leaving it in that unmade state.

It hadn’t even been a few days since the expedition ended.

The tournament was starting tomorrow, and the entire academy only knew that the expedition ended in a… resounding success. Nobody cared that Annabelle Frost had been abandoned—left to rot.

Worse, nobody had spoken to her since, other than Gromak, who showed his atypical concern. Jaxon had left her in an infirmary, Cole had returned to his classes, and Alisha was nowhere to be found. She was left waiting for her coming punishment. It had to happen soon, or they’d risk her participation. Although she couldn’t.

Either participate, then let Cole win, or stay out of it. Admittedly, the former was a good option to try and trick her opponents into thinking she wasn’t infallible anymore.

But she didn’t care for that in the slightest. She couldn’t feel the same drive to win, to best all her opponents.

All she had was the deep pain in her chest, driving her focus away from what was once her motivators. She didn’t know what to do.

That was partly why she stayed within her dorm.

But, really, she feared if she left and saw the likes of Ashton, Greg, or their cohorts, she’d be brought to violence. So she stayed in her room. The classes meant nothing to her, and the sparring was never going to mean anything.

Since she obtained an Apex Sigil so early, all of that meant even less.

A rough knock broke her from her depressing thoughts.

“Enter.”

“Enter, huh?” Gromak wryly said, pushing the door open and squeezing inside. “Careful, girlie, or I might think you hate me.”

“What do you want?”

Probably the same as yesterday; ask how she was doing.

Gromak stopped just beyond the doorframe, scanning the empty room and stopping for a second longer on Annabelle’s suitcase. He lightly sighed at the sight and shook his head. It was depressing for him, too—Aria knew that. But to him, Annabelle was just an interesting character and the potential jewel of his dorm. He couldn’t possibly identify with how Aria felt. It was only more irritating to see him uncharacteristically try.

“I’m not gonna keep askin’ how you’re doin’, girlie,” Gromak said, his eyes narrowed. “You aren’t a child no more. If you wanna keep mopin’ around in this dreary room, go right on ahead.”

“Are you here to lecture me?”

“Disgustin’,” Gromak snorted. He crossed his arms and shook his head. “Alisha wants to see us—somethin’ big, I think.”

Aria instantly jumped out of bed after those words. Finally.

She had been waiting to hear them for days, ever since she was told Alisha was away on business.

“You should have started with that,” Aria said while she securely strapped her katana to her waist.

Gromak spat.  “Why not absorb that?” he asked, gesturing toward the katana.

“Never.”

She told Gromak about her Apex Sigil when she returned, and he was more fascinated with it than she was. He said he would secure a set of basic weaponry for her to absorb, but she declined. She couldn’t touch them; it felt disgusting for her to use a gift given to her by the friend she abandoned.

Gromak shrugged. “None of my business, I suppose. Just make sure you let me know when you’re gonna stop being a baby and test stuff! Always excitin’ to see a new Apex ability in action.”

A comment she promptly ignored.

“Let’s go.”

“No hurry, girlie.”

But to her, it was. She pushed past Gromak and left her room for the first time in days.

The path to Alisha’s office was met with more stares than she ever had before. She recognized two right away as the two closest to Anna; Lily and Jason. Both looked eager to speak with her, but Aria wasn’t in the mood to listen to it. Lily looked to be on the verge of crying, only held back by Jason. But even the rest of the students who were loitering stopped talking as they walked by.

Those stares made her feel worse, like someone guilty of betrayal.

Everyone in their dorm knew what happened to Annabelle.

But Aria had no information to give.

“Give it time, girlie,” Gromak whispered

Time would not heal this wound—only her blade would start that process.

They silently reached Alisha’s office, neither caring to speak to the other. Gromak seemed just as confused about his summoning as Aria was to have him there. Aria herself was just eager to rip into what happened.

If Jaxon was there, power be damned, he’d answer for what he did.

“Come on in!” Alisha shouted from behind her office doors—before Gromak even knocked. “It’s unlocked!”

Gromak snorted and pushed it open.

Aria clenched her fists.

Yet, entering made her comments die.

Inside the empty office—save for Alisha’s desk and two couches… was Jaxon… then, a masked and robed mage, Thagrin, and the announcer with glowing grey eyes from day one. Sitting at her desk with her legs crossed atop it was Alisha.

Jaxon leaned against the wall beside the large window behind Alisha, his sharp gaze on Aria as if expecting her to lash out. No… daring her to.

Thagrin sat cross-legged on the left side of the desk, likely because stranding would cause his head to hit the ceiling. He seemed happy, eating a large chunk of meat without care.

The masked mage stood beside Alisha, along with the grey-eyed man on her other side.

Her outburst froze at the overwhelming power before her. For someone like her, it was almost tangible.

Each person in the room was among the strongest mages Aria knew, making her feel heavy even standing in their presence.

“Oh?” Gromak said, shock clear in his tone. “All of us?”

“Not ‘us’ though, is it, Gromak?” The robed, masked figure said, his voice smooth and cold, partly obscured by his mask. Aria didn’t recognize him or his sound.

“Damn right!” Gromak laughed. “You gotta do way more than that if you want the greatest chef in the universe on your silly team.”

“Your servings are only fit for tiny mice, Dwarf,” Thagrin said, a smirk on his face as he theatrically ripped into whatever meat he was eating.

Gromak didn’t even look at him for more than a second. He snorted.  “Wrong, Barbarian! My food isn’t meant to be enjoyed by oversized orcs with the taste buds of a pig.”

Thagrin darkly chuckled. “Envious of this magnificent frame, midget?”

“I’d sooner—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jaxon growled. “We have much more important fucking things to discuss.” He then sighed, staring at Aria. “Of course, starting with—”

“Why did you abandon her?” Aria interrupted. Hearing his voice completely erased her hesitation. She didn’t care about time or place—she needed an answer. That question burned in her head with each passing day.

“What? Are you fucking stupid?” Jaxon growled, his words laced with wrath. The air around him seemed to darken, his bloodthirsty aura spreading from the window to envelop her. Aria’s heartbeat quickened, thudding in her chest as if warning her to stop… but she couldn’t—she wouldn’t.

“Now, now.” Alisha placed her hands up. “I understand your anger, Aria,” she said, shaking her head. “But I didn’t call you here for me to entertain delusion.”

“Delusion?” Aria’s first instinct was to pull her blade, but that wasn’t a route. Her fists clenched tighter—to the point that it hurt. Even if she wanted to lash out, it would only result in instant subjugation.

The frustration had nowhere to go but causing herself pain.

“What else can I call it?” Alisha said, shrugging. Her tone was casual despite the weight of her words. Her legs crossed over her desk, and her hands wrapped behind her head—it seemed like she didn’t take any of this seriously. “You wanted my subordinate to kill himself just so youcould feel like your insignificant strength meant something. You thinking your presence on Sorana would mean anything is nothing short of laughable. You know—delusion.”

“I—” Aria’s breath caught in her throat, her retort dying on her lips. Alisha’s words twisted in her heart like a dagger, each syllable pushing it deeper. Her nails dig into her palms.

“Damn,” Jaxon muttered, then sighed as his presence diminished as if it were a mercy.

Thagrin just lightly chuckled, shaking his head.

A cold wave of doubt crashed over Aria.

She wanted to reply, to say that Alisha was wrong, but the words wouldn’t come. The shock of Alisha’s uncharacteristic cruelty left her mute, her fire extinguished.

But was it true? Did her emotions make her ignore such an obvious problem? Jaxon clearly almost died. Asking him to stay—to let them stay—was… stupid.

Yet, it was for Anna… her only friend, her roommate, and her partner. She couldn’t say anything as the heaviness set in her chest.

Silence hung heavy in the air, each second stretching into what felt like an eternity.

Aria’s mind raced, searching for a response, a way to respond to Alisha’s words. But all she could do was stand there, unable to come up with anything.

“Aria. What do you think would have happened if Jaxon stayed on that planet to search for Anna?” Alisha asked, her tone far less forceful. “Answer me honestly—think about it.”

Aria lowered her head.

What would have happened?

Immediately, the image of Jaxon’s tattered figure came to her mind. He was overwhelmingly outmatched. What would have happened was death for all of them. Whatever deal Annabelle worked out was the only reason they even had the chance to leave—to ignore that…

To stay… would only ruin the chance Annabelle gave them.

The pain in her palms brought her mind back to the present.

“I think you understand,” Alisha said, nodding. She uncrossed her hands and leaned forward. “I get it, Aria—I really do. Everybody in this room has been in your shoes before and in far more agonizing circumstances. They’ve been where you’re standing. We’ve felt it more times than you can possibly imagine.”

Each person in the room nodded, even Gromak.

Aria looked to the carpet, unable to formulate a proper response to Alisha. At this point, anything she could say felt like it would just be a tantrum in front of the most powerful people on the island.

“Did you call me here to listen to a lecture?” Gromak said, stepping forward. “I have lotsa important things to do today!”

Alisha pointed at him. “I called you here because you’re also one of mine.” Her tone made it seem like it was a simple fact—nothing worth arguing over.

Gromak scoffed in disbelief, clearly shocked by the audacity of her comment. “Your ego is bigger than the orc’s!”

“Gromak is correct—let’s please get to the point,” the masked man said. “I’m— we’re all pressed for time.”

“Right, right,” Alisha said, waving them off. “I called everyone here because It’s time to discuss the next few years in this… humble little place.”

Aria lifted her head. Why was she a part of this?

Gromak groaned. “Should I really be here?” he asked.

Alisha shrugged. “There aren’t any words to express to you how little I care for what my opponents think.”

Gromak chuckled and moved to the couch. “Fine; your drama, not mine.”

“Perfect!” Alisha clapped. She switched her gaze to Aria as if remembering she was there. “We’ll start with Annabelle Frost—I haven’t been… entirely truthful about with her yet, have I?”

“You certainly haven’t,” Jaxon mumbled.

“Frost…” Thagrin seemed confused, trying to pull up the memory of Annabelle. Eventually, he realized. “Pipsqueak? Girl as small as the midget but packs a nice punch. First broken bone in my class... pretty funny. Why does she matter?”

“Isn’t she dead?” the masked man asked. “Declared killed in action.”

“She isn’t dead!” Aria said, her voice raised. For a brief, fleeting moment, she considered rushing to beat some sense into that man.

Being weak, knowing she was weak, was not a pleasant feeling.

“Frost is alive—that shitty man wanted her for something.” Jaxon scoffed, shaking his head. “Her value is the only reason we’re fucking alive.” He looked at Aria. “Bet your fucking ass that I will find out how he got into that expedition. That information is bigger than any person, even Annabelle Frost.”

She instinctually wanted to argue, but that was probably true for most Bastion mages. If there was somehow a backdoor into their expeditions, then that could disrupt every operation.

“Anna won’t be harmed by Eclipse; he’s not some third-rate villain out there to mess with me,” Alisha explained, her hands still behind her head and legs kicked up. “She’ll be alive and well by the time we return to Sorana with the permanent gate.”

“When?” Aria asked.

“I can’t say—it’s not that easy to make one. But a planet uninhibited? That’s a real gold mine. We will be there again.” Alisha then shook her head. “But that’s not what I want to discuss. All you need to know is that she will survive and be recovered.”

And yet, that sounded like it wouldn’t be in the short term. Why wasn’t Alisha as concerned about her? Annabelle was student two—the first Earthling to join the academy. Someone Alisha personally recruited and watched carefully.

It didn’t make sense for her to show such a lack of concern.

“I’ve already petitioned the gate,” Jaxon added. “We’ll start building it as soon as the council reviews it.”

“That easy?” Gromak asked. “Far as I know, those requests gotta go through that obnoxious chain before they even reach the council’s table.”

“The irregularity of the planet makes it a top priority,” the grey-eyed man said. He sounded intrigued by it. “That sound.”

“Right,” Jaxon said.

“That’s beside the point,” the masked man said, shaking his head. “Continue, please, Miss. Alisha.”

“Thanks!” Alisha took her legs off her desk and quickly stood. “I’ll keep this simple and brief; Annabelle Frost has had an Apex Sigil since before I approached her about magic over a year ago.” She held up her hand to prevent Aria’s interruption. “Annabelle herself could be the solution to everything, and I mean everything, from the Prometheus Project to the Taint and Radiance war. Everything.” She shook her head. “This is partly based on her Apex Sigil, but there’s more there than even I’m aware of. The true extent of what she is only lies within the Grandmaster—we’re only picking up pieces of information.” Aria had never heard Alisha sound so serious and near fanatical.

“What—” Gromak stopped himself. “That’s… that’s heavy, girlie.”

“Fuck,” was all Jaxon said.

The others didn’t say anything, but Thagrin had a dark look in his eye as he stared grimly at Alisha.

Aria just stared at her teacher, her guardian—her mind an incomprehensible mess.

How could she possibly have an Apex Sigil? Having one would require awakening, which Annabelle definitely hadn’t completed until she drank the potion. Aria still recalled her friend’s confusion when she awoke the next day—that wasn’t fake. Her body wasn’t used to mana. Yet, Alisha wasn’t someone to spout conspiracies… and it would explain Annabelle’s unique treatment.

“What… what is her Apex Sigil?” Aria asked.

“Yes, that… please explain, master,” the grey-eyed man asked, sounding eager and curious.

Alisha chuckled. “Well… I don’t know!”