The ENGINE hovered over towering freeform and spiral skyscrapers, nestled between mountain peaks. Soft pink, white, and mulberry clouds drifted across the blue sky. Marble statues stood proudly, gazing out into the wilderness. Spiral stairs and ether-powered bridges connected dormitories and libraries. Students, professors, and mages gossiped near waterfountains and maze gardens.
The air carried the scent of magic, curiosity, and hormones. Ether lit lights glowed while Elm and Oak trees swayed in the wilderness. Rays of sunlight emerged from the treelines. Deer and birds gazed at Emily through the thicket and shrubs.
"You doing alright, kid?" Elijah asked as he glanced back at Emily, who was busy staring up at the ENGINE as they walked.
Emily shrugged. "I will be alright, just got a lot on my mind right now."
Elijah nodded. "You still got your notebook?"
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"Just wondering, haven't seen you scribbling in it lately."
Emily bit her nail, "I have, you just were not around."
Elijah nodded. "Dezerea said thanks, by the way."
Emily glanced at Elijah, then smiled before gazing back up at the sky.
"Well, at least I won't have to worry about feeling out of place here," Rachel said as she gazed around at the mages gossiping at a nearby water fountain.
"What's wrong. Don't like your mulberry eyes?" Emily chuckled as she walked next to Rachel.
"Speaking of that, why don't your eyes always remain mulberry, Emily?" Sarah asked while she gazed up at the skyscrapers.
"Forbidden knowledge, Sarah," Emily replied.
"That just makes me more curious."
Emily rolled her eyes. "Curiosity killed the flamingo."
Sarah scoffed. "Well, I am sure there's something here in these grand halls."
"Nothing related to what you're asking for."
"You think your brother will come looking for you, Rachel?" Alice asked as they crossed a bridge.
"It's possible," Rachel replied. "My family will not let what happened slide."
"The Engine rules still apply, so there isn't much they can do," Elijah said as he lit a cigarette.
"If anything, Emily's antics probably made every chosen align with their faction," Alice suggested. "The intel we got from Diego is also concerning."
"Only if they split us up or we start not trusting each other," Elijah replied, then looked at Sarah.
Sarah's eyes dilated. "What, you think I am going to defect?"
"No, your mouth is the concern."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, who cares what they are scheming anyway. We have Emily."
Emily sighed, then looked up at the ENGINE. She ran her hands through her hair as a frown formed on her face. "So nothing matters because you have me in your back pocket. Is that the gist of what I am hearing?"
"Well, besides becoming PRIME since you don't wanna do the job," Sarah replied, then tapped her chin. "I wonder if I get mulberry eyes if I become PRIME? No, wait, I could make my eyes pink right!?"
Emily slowly blinked at Sarah as her face turned sour.
"Here she goes again," Elijah muttered as he smoked. "You and your big fucking mouth."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "What? I am asking a legitimate question. If Emily can just change her hair color without dyeing her hair, she could totally change her eye color."
"Excuse me, we are not accepting visitors," A mage dressed in scholarly robes said as he approached.
"We are chosen," Alice replied as she crossed her arms. "We wanted to check out your library and gain insight on our abilities from one of your grand mages."
"You speak of chosen, but don't bear the mark of the ENGINE."
Rachel sighed, then glanced at Emily. "Told you to leave the masks on before we got here."
Emily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she grumbled, then snapped her fingers and all their masks manifested back on their face.
The mage raised an eyebrow. "What sorcery is this? This has to be an illusion; nobody can get rid of the Engine's mark."
"Not an illusion," Elijah replied as he created a cloud of smoke around him. "Will you let us in, or do we have to force our way in?"
"My apologies, I am just doing my job," the mage said as he gestured towards the staircase. "The grand library is just up ahead."
"What about the grand mage?" Rachel asked.
The mage's eyes narrowed as he stared into Rachel's mulberry eyes. "He is in his studies. Are you a conduit by chance?"
Rachel shook her head. "No, why do you ask?"
"Your eyes are unnatural; many conduits have unusual physical attributes about them."
"Nope, just had an accident," Rachel replied with a thin lip smile.
Emily chuckled, then rubbed her neck as Rachel nudged her.
"I see, well, the grand mage is currently in his studies. He is also chosen," the mage replied.
"Can we speak with him?" Elijah asked.
"He is not receiving any-"
"He would want to see us, more specifically, the girl over there who can remove the ENGINE mark."
"Ugh, just had to put me in the spotlight, sourpuss," Emily groaned as she crossed her arms.
"Fine, follow me," the mage instructed as he led them towards the grand hall.
Tomes and artifacts sat on towering bookshelves as they followed the mage into the building. Geometric patterns were woven through the architecture, while ether lit chandeliers hung from the roof. Mantra melodies echoed in the halls as students and professors gazed upon their chosen masks. Floating pedestals powered by ether lifted mages and students to unreachable doors. Marble staircases spiraled towards the heavens while sunlight beamed through mosaic windows.
Statues of archmages, powerful conduits, and previous grandmages stood near support columns. Portraits and surreal paintings hung on the walls as they ascended the staircase. Professors taught in lecture halls while conduits trained their powers in supervised arenas.
An elderly man sat in an occult circle as the mage opened a massive wooden door engraved with runic symbols. An olive green mask covered the right side of his face. He wore a silver magician's robe with black and ruby embellishments. His pure white beard and hair glistened in the candle and chandelier light.
"I am busy," the elderly man muttered.
"Forgive me, Grand Mage. But they are chosen," the mage replied and bowed as the elderly man stood up.
"Chosen, you say," the elderly man replied as he grabbed his ancient wooden walking stick.
"Yes, and one of them can remove the mark of the ENGINE."
"If that were possible, I would have already removed mine," the elderly man chuckled, then turned around. "Gunter, Grand Mage of the Mage and Conduit Academy of Magic Arts. And you are?"
"Sarah of Tyrial, world-renowned musician," Sarah introduced herself as she fluttered her folding fan. "I am sure you heard of me?"
Gunter chuckled. "Afraid not," he replied, then his eyes narrowed when he spotted Emily leaning on the wall. "You in the white mask. What is your name?"
Emily's eyes dilated as she pointed at herself. "Me?"
"Yes, you," Gunter replied as he slowly walked towards her. "You bear the white mask. Do you not know the significance?"
Emily's gaze drifted towards the ground. "Yeah.... unfortunately."
"She is the one who can remove the ENGINE's mark," Alice said as she pointed at her mask.
Gunter nodded. "Show me."
Emily sighed, then snapped her fingers, and all their masks vanished from their faces.
Gunter's eyes widened as he rubbed his cheek. "Fascinating," he mumbled as he walked over to a bookshelf. He grabbed a dusty tome and flipped it open. "I didn't catch your name."
"Emily."
Gunter nodded as he put the book down. "If I were to attack you, would I become hollow?"
"The rules don't apply to her," Sarah said with a grin.
"He wasn't talking to you, flamingo," Emily grumbled as she crossed her arms.
Gunter's eyes widened. "Is that true?"
Emily shrugged.
Gunter chuckled as he went back to the bookshelf and grabbed another tome. "So the zealot seers from the Xinhua were right after all."
"You talking about the white mask, right?" Rachel asked.
"Partially," Gunter replied as he opened up another tome. "Most of the scriptures the seers babble about are utter nonsense. However, they believed a cycle would arise where a chosen would be unbound."
"Unbound?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, unbound. A chosen who the ENGINE has no power over. In other words, already PRIME."
"We had a seer traveling with us for a while. Her name was Shiyu," Elijah explained as he lit a cigarette.
"Shiyu, you say? She was one of my pupils," Gunter replied as he looked at Elijah.
"She is chosen as well," Alice said.
Gunter rubbed his long white beard. "If the prophecies are true than this cycle would be the cycle to end all cycles."
"Yeah, there's a problem with that theory," Elijah replied, then looked back at Emily. "She want's someone else to be PRIME."
Gunter's eyes narrowed. "That's not possible," he replied. "If she is indeed what the prophecy fortold then that's like trying to change fate."
"That's exactly what I am going to do," Emily replied. "I have no interest in the throne."
"Even if you think that is what you wish, Emily, you can't just hand over what you were born as," Gunter insisted. "Fate can't be rewritten. You can't change what you are, no less than we can escape being chosen."
Emily bit her lip as she looked down at the ground with narrow eyes. "Watch me," she whispered to herself.