Petal made it all the way back to his private home and up to his bedroom again before shutting the door to activate the privacy enchantments and throwing his crown of dahlias across the room in his anger. He had let Leyla crawl under his skin and used his Aura to assert dominance much like his mother would—all because he couldn't stand being forced to speak ill of his sister.

Despite whatever impression he has given Leyla and the thousands of citizens watching his interview, Zendri and he were close; always had been, but especially so since their father's death. Losing their father to the tower has been devastating in many ways, and both he and Zen took it hard. He chose to leave home and join the Lovers while she hadn't spoken aloud since. They kept meeting privately, though.

In many ways, they had helped each other through their grief and also decided to join the rebellion. That was how he met Alaina.

Now, he had almost ruined everything with a single interview that should have been nothing for someone with his stage training. He almost broke the silver straps on his sandals as he ripped them off his feet and tossed them towards the luxurious walk-in closet. Taking a little more care with his intricate top, he unbuttoned the side of it before pulling it over his head and throwing it to keep the sandals company. He was just about to remove his sash when a voice spoke from the shadows.

"Mind telling me what the fuck you were thinking during that insane excuse for an interview back there?" Alaina asked, revealing her leather-armored frame in the dim golden light of the few glowstones embedded in the ceiling.

With a click of his tongue in annoyance, he retorted, "I didn't say anything to make them question my loyalty to the crown."

"No, just enough to make them question your support of the Tower Seasons and, by extension, the gods themselves. So you have a death wish now that Zen is in the Tower and exposed as a rebel?" she asked, walking over to drop herself unceremoniously on his silken bed.

Alaina pulled a small golden case from a pocket, and Petal narrowed his eyes at her before saying in a flat voice, "You're not seriously planning to smoke crimleaf in my room, are you? You know the smell will sink into the fabrics for days."

She shrugged as she set one of the paper rolls into her mouth. "Maybe don't stress me out so much that I need one. Now, what are you planning to do when the Speakers start sniffing around you even more than they already do, or when I get a contract ordering your 'accidental' death?"

"Well, first I would hope you care about my well-being enough to give me a heads-up and assist me in going completely underground—"

A snort interrupted him as Alaina interjected, "I doubt you'd be able to stay underground. You're not exactly great at staying hidden. You'd go mad within the first month, and someone would see you in the shopping district, refilling your precious lip stain collection or trying the newest perfume the Workers came out with."

"I like to believe I'm not that shallow and materialistic," Petal replied with a grimace, sitting on the edge of his bed and taking one of the crimleaf rolls still in her case. When he slipped it between his lips, Aliana leaned forward and snapped her fingers to conjure a small flame at the tip of her thumb, lighting the roll for him. He chuckled and muttered, "I still can't believe you took the time to learn to do that cantrip without a wand just so you didn't need to carry matches around."

"Hey, do you have any idea how shitty it is when you want to relax and realize your matchbox is empty and the price to get more has increased again? We may be in a desert, but we have greenhouses growing trees for a reason."

"I don't think that reason is to support your smoking habit," Petal quipped as he inhaled the crimleaf smoke and exhaled with a heavy sigh, letting himself relax more after being so on edge.

Alaina shrugged and lit her own roll before leaning back against his pillows and taking a few deep breaths of the calming smoke. A moment later, she added, "The crimleaf isn't exactly cheap either, but luckily, there aren't many Sapphire Casters in the city and fewer who want it."

Before he could respond, she pointed at him with the lit roll and said, "Now explain to me why you couldn't just smile and agree with whatever Miss Needs-to-be-laid said about the Season? You know they're going to paint any rebel or ally of our Wayfarer as an enemy of the crown and the city. But no, you had to go on a pacifist crusade and tell all those people who like watching the deaths unfold on the Network that they're wrong to enjoy that morbid display."

"But they are wrong!" Petal insisted. "It's like they don't even realize anymore that those are actual people in there. They forget that each death brings mourning parents, grieving siblings, and children who will never see their parents again."

Alaina paused and got an odd look on her face before taking another drag of the crimleaf and softly saying, "I thought you had gotten over your dad's death. It was years ago. I know you joined the rebellion after the fact, but you always made it seem like you wanted reform, not revenge."

"I don't," he replied instantly. He paused in thought for a long breath before admitting, "Not entirely. Revenge is a side benefit. I had hated the games ever since I realized the truth of them—when I became old enough to watch the unedited slaughter that happens every Season… It needs to stop, Alaina. It's barbaric and cruel."

"Well, it's not going to get better if you have to go underground because you were outed as a rebel," she replied softly, depositing some ash into her hand that quickly vanished.

Petal leaned over and gave her his own ash from the crimleaf with a flick, knowing she was making it vanish into her personal dimensional storage. An ability that was uncommon enough for her to brag about to him anytime she pulled out another bottle of wine. Despite him being the one in the Sect of entertainers, she indulged in her vices much more often.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Look, Petal, you know I love you, but you're gonna get yourself killed or exiled if you keep trying to get the populace to think for themselves instead of believing everything a person says on the Network. You know the Speakers won't like it if the citizens start questioning our way of life here. They're traditionalists—they keep the status quo and abhor any change, especially one that might reduce their power. They might dress it up as 'keeping the peace' or 'being fiscally responsible,' but the root is always keeping power with them. And right now, the best way they can do that is with the Network and the Tower—and killing anyone they deem traitors."

"So we should just remain silent?" Petal asked in frustration.

Alaina raised an eyebrow at him. "Kind of a stupid question to ask the Leader of the Silence Sect, but yeah. For now. We stay silent, build up our numbers quietly so we can vet people properly, but one day we'll be able to step out of the shadows, and when we do, we're going to need you and your sister to help rally the people behind us. Until then, we watch silently and do our best to prepare for that day."

Petal let out a heavy sigh, finishing the last of the crimleaf before smothering the ember in his palm, not even feeling the pain through his Sapphire Caste Fortitude, and handing Alaina the remains. "I still believe making people at least question things now will help prepare for that day. I'm not going to stop, but I'll try to be careful." He met her eyes then and gave a small smile as he asked, "You will give me that heads up before removing my head, right?"

Alaina scoffed as she finished her own roll and swung her legs over the edge of the bed next to him. "Of course, I will, but you'll owe me, and I'm definitely going to flaunt that I told you so… constantly."

Petal chuckled. "Of course, you will."

"However, Gerrik might take your head before that. You know he hates when things don't go according to plan, and your little interview trying to paint the Wayfarer as one of us and your sister as misunderstood was not in his plans."

"I need to hit Emerald soon just so I can avoid his lectures," Petal muttered.

"How close are you, anyway?"

"Not as close as I'd like to be, but if I keep pushing myself during my performances, I hope to hit it within the year."

Alaina eyed him consideringly before admitting, "You know it'll be a game-changer if you hit Emerald, right? You'll be the first non-Speaker to reach it within the last two centuries at least."

"Only because I was a Speaker to begin with. I'm not a combat Class, though. You know my dancing won't fell a nation."

"Well, perhaps our little Wayfarer and her team of would-be rebels can help with that—once the day comes. Until then, we—"

"Stay hidden," Petal reiterated with a sigh. "I know I just… I don't think I can promise to keep doing that for much longer."

As Jin stood from her seat on the porch next to Liraz, she felt a sudden surge of a new Aura surrounding them coming from inside the new cabin home, and it took her a moment to realize it was probably from Karam, with how safe it made her feel.

That just confused her, though. She looked down at Liraz and asked, "I thought people could only have one Aura? Like only one Familiar. How did Kar get two?"

Liraz shrugged and replied, "He must be a Limit Breaker."

Jin raised an eyebrow. "What's the point of having limits if they can just be broken?"

"Well, it usually takes another Ability or Natural Talent to make it possible, so you're potentially weaker for it?" the smaller girl replied with another shrug and squeeze of her slime blob that Jin was increasingly wanting to call a plushie.

"Huh… I guess that's a fair point. Let's go see what Kar has to say," Jin suggested as she made her way back inside, feeling lighter after talking with Liraz about Basima.

When she reached the back room a few moments later, she discovered Karam grinning at his bracelet display as he showed it to Hadia, while Alim was already cleaning up the ash from the spent Ritual.

Karam noticed her and perked up as he said, "Miss Jin! Come look at my new Aura!"

She smiled and made her way over to them to read the presented information.

Class Ability: Beacon of Safety

Type: Aura (magical, life)

Cost: None.

Cooldown: None.

Current Caste: Crystal 1 (0%)

Crystal Effect: Allies in the Aura have increased physical resistance and periodically gain an instance of [Environmental Adaptation]. For a high mana cost, you can consume stacks of [Environmental Adaptation] on a target ally to heal them instantly based on the number of stacks consumed.

Environmental Adaptation (boon, magical, life, stacking): Increases resistance based on the types of ambient magic in the surrounding area.

"Oh, that's really nice, Kar," she replied, looking up into his excited brown eyes. "That's perfect for climbing the Tower with its shifting biomes."

Hadia slapped him on the back with a rare smile that tugged at her scars. "I told you she'd love it. You're gonna help keep us all safe as we reach the top. That's better than any attack we unlocked."

"You got another attack ability?" Jin asked curiously.

"Yeah, and I can't say I'm unhappy with it." Hadia then added with a playful tease, "But you'll just have to wait and see it in action, Sky Girl. Just like the audience beyond the Tower."

Jin snorted a laugh and asked, "Trying to gain that popularity point this round?"

"Hey, we get two points now that we've unlocked the second floor, and they're definitely not going to me. My ability isn't flashy enough, even if it will be good for the longer fights," Hadia replied before her attention shifted to Alim.

Once Jin turned to look, he began writing in the air with his [Mind of the Magister]. "We should give Basima a proper farewell now before we sleep. Then we can hopefully wake refreshed in both body, mind, and soul."

Jin sighed but nodded and signed, "I think I found a good place. It's hidden on the side of the cabin, and I'm hoping Mister Snuggleroot will help guard her."

"Oh, I love that name," Karam happily interjected. "Sounds like something Miss Basima would have picked."

With a glance towards Liraz, who was walking up to them now, Jin smiled softly and said, "I think that's the idea. Just because Bas isn't here anymore doesn't mean she's not with us. We just have to be her voice now."

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