Khai sensed it immediately. The sudden flaring of fire, out of control and hungry. He turned sharply, the element inside him responding.

By the time Khai arrived, visible flames were licking up a multistory house. A group of people were trying to spray sand and dampen the flames.

“Hey, stop! Don’t get in the way of the mages!” a man scowled.

Khai ignored him, pushing past the men to get to the door of the house, which had been closed.

“Don’t open it, you stupid girl!”

Khai opened it. Flame rushed out, and Khai welcomed it, drew it into himself.

“Oh shit, she’s a fire mage!”

As he drew the heat of the flame into himself, he could sense a different sort of flame in the building now that he was close.

People.

Khai extended his awareness, and pushed his hands forward and down. Fire blinked out. With haste, he made his way through the building to where he sensed people. If he could sense them, they were still alive.

On the top floor, he found a mother and son. The mother had built a makeshift earth block against the flames, but the son’s breathing was all wrong.

“What?” the woman stuttered, drawing her son close. “You—”

“I’m a healer,” Khai said, drawing out his licence, and ignoring the wrong name and face on it. “He must have breathed in smoke. Young lungs are more susceptible.”

“Oh.” The woman finally stepped aside enough for Khai to reach the boy.

Khai called forth heat to his palms and pressed them over the boy’s chest. Delicately, through the magic of his flame, Khai called away the tiny, tiny particles of air-of-fire out of the boy’s lungs.

The boy’s breathing evened. “Mum?”

The woman hugged her son. “It’s fine, now.”

Footsteps up the stairs. One of the earth-element men appeared at the door way. “Ma’am, are you alright?”

The woman flashed a quick smile at Khai. “I am,” she said.

“We should get out of the building. It is no longer structurally sound,” the man said authoritatively. “Let me help your son.”

The woman shook her head. With unsurprising strength, she scooped up her son and made her way out.

The man looked pointedly at Khai. “That was dangerous, young lady! Save it for after you graduate from Immin and join Taesu’s firefighting unit!” He looked pointedly at Khai’s uniform.

The uniform of Immin University, Taesu’s major university for women.

Khai ignored the man and headed down himself.

He had been misgendered all his life, and under the stern and sharp gaze of his Healing Master-turned-adoptive aunt, there was nothing he could do about. Even now, in Taesu, away from his hometown, his aunt’s reach was still felt, steering him to attend Immin instead of the co-educational Four Elements University which his aunt had deemed unsuitable for polite young women.

And the best way to deal with the dysphoria...was to bury its flames deep, deep inside.

Khai glanced up at the sky, tracking the sun’s current position. It was time to get to Immin’s opening ceremony.

*

Quy jumped down from the rooftop from where he was watching Mai, cushioning his landing with a sharp burst of fire. His butler, Shima, landed beside him.

“She looks a lot like me, doesn’t she?” Quy said, smirking. More than just black hair and gold eyes, Mai had a similar height and build, the same echo of nose and slanted eyes. Enough of a likeness that the border officials at Taesu’s gates had gossiped about it, even joking about a long-lost daughter of Lord Quyen. And thus, Quy had heard.

“She does,” Shima allowed.

Quy strode to the edge of the alleyway. He knew that Mai was just round the corner. “Well? Grab her.”

Shima bowed his head and obeyed.

Quy had seen it in the way Mai walked, the gait of trained combat mage. And she had dealt with the burning building very nicely. He turned to her as Shima hustled her into the alleyway.

And Quy smiled. He could sense the fire ready in her hands.

“Calm down, Mai,” he said, stepping a little closer. Shima blocked Mai’s exit, a ready hand on his sword. Quy stopped an arms distance away. Corner her, but not too much. Quy smirked. “Hello, Mai. My name is Quy.” Formally, he bowed.

After a beat, Mai bowed back.

“And this is swordsman Shima,” Quy introduced. When Mai had straightened, Quy said, “Mai, you’re going to be my body double.”

Mai’s eyes narrowed. “Pardon?”

Quy tilted his head, just a little. “I know all about you, Mai. Orphan, and licensed mage healer.” He leaned in. “And an accomplished fighter.”

Fire flared in Mai, even though it was quickly subdued.

Quy smirked. “You will attend Baashi University in my place. Renowned for producing master mages,” he added.

“For men,” Mai said flatly.

Quy looked her over. “You’re flat chested enough,” he said shrugging. “And we do look very alike. And if you refuse, you will quickly find yourself homeless. And your aunt, Healer Master Tien, will be notified.”

Mai stared at him. It was almost odd to see that gold gaze from a face so like his own. “On whose authority?”

“I am Quy, son of Lady Chau and Lord Quyen. You, Mai, will attend Baashi in my place. No questions asked.”

Mai’s eyes flickered away.

Quy let the silence stretch.

“Fine,” Mai said, the smart choice.

“Good—”

“On one condition.”

Quy could almost grin. If Mai was too pushover, she wouldn’t work well as Quy’s double. “Yes? I shall be magnanimous.”

“You pay me by the hour.”

Quy smirked, and Mai flinched. “Very well. At the proper wage for a trained mage.” He held out his hand.

Mai reached out and gripped.

Quy let just a little flame dance across his palm. In this, Mai didn’t flinch.

“Mai, your work starts immediately.”

*