Now there were a lot of things I had to take into consideration for this certain competition. I knew that I was capable of completing it, with or without Hallow, but at the same time there were many reasons as to why that was also a problem. Hallow was, quite definitely, the most helpful, heroic person I’d ever come across, which meant that he would undoubtedly try and team up with me during this game. 

It was an inconvenience for my reputation, as well as my heart. I figured he’d begin to do it unawarely, and then possibly realize his actions much later. Having that from the start was awfully troubling. 

Yes, I’d grown to hide my deeply hidden feelings, but how would I manage to keep them locked away whilst he was there? 

I had hoped this competition would be enough of a distraction for me. Alas the only thing it’d done was make me worry even more. I was a little frustrated, too. We had no idea what tasks the professors had created for us, therefore we were going into this blindly.  

Frankly speaking, I was beginning to overanalyze the situation. There were many ways in which I could’ve handled this, for example, I had done extensive research on this ancient competition. But to be fair, I hadn’t felt so confident in my findings. 

The one other thing that I had not tried was rather easy. When I meant that it was easy, I also meant that it was too easy. Neither Hallow nor I would’ve taken precaution in doing it, it was simply that we didn’t think anything could come out of it. 

There was an abundance of friends at Hiraeth, but for me I seemed to be a bit more drawn to only two. Regrettably, they both weren’t very reliable, though they did hold positions of power in the school that I admired. 

I admit, a few of my acquaintances were only acquaintances because I needed them to be. Wow, if Hallow had heard me say that aloud, he would’ve easily remarked my rather cold way of befriending people. 

As cold as I looked, I wasn’t extremely mean. I guess you could say my tongue was sharp, but on the inside I held a rather soft heart. My love for Hallow was evident that I had a warmer disposition for others than most. 

This could be hard to see at times, especially once I was in the presence of one of those friends. Quin Fox, actually, the young man who had come into the school to work as an assistant professor a year ago. He’d attended Hiraeth and was very bright in terms of magical ability even at the humble age of twenty-four. 

Admirable, yes, though he was a total dork. 

I sat in one of the empty classrooms where he usually taught. A small room, tucked into the very end of the large manor, barely noticeable upon entering. It was a nice sort of place, with wide open windows overlooking the emptier side of the grounds, allowing in the sounds of the crashing water from the long fountains nearby. 

Looking at nothing in particular, my hands traced the lines of the wooden table before me. I was relishing in the quiet noises of after school hours. Quin, who’d just joined me after hanging up a few dry bundles of herbs on the wall, gave me an enthusiastic look that must’ve been a greeting. 

As I looked up at him, I examined the walls. This class was reserved for herbal studies, but the main professor sometimes held lectures on ancient languages. It was filled with maps from left to right and top to bottom, on the archways and even on the ceiling. 

Quin thrummed his fingers on the old wood. He was lively as ever. 

“Cue is letting me help him create the next few tasks for you guys.” His tone indicated he was very, very ecstatic. Well, why wouldn’t he be? He was in love. 

“I get to help you two, and also Cue . . .” 

I tried not to give away my disapproval of them, “You’re still on about him, then.” 

“Of course!” he exclaimed happily, rising in his seat. “I’ll help him as much as I can.” 

The air somehow had shifted. If one did not know the case between Professor Cupid and Quin Fox, then the conversation would’ve seemed harmless. Like the many famous tales of forbidden love, they had to be included in that bunch. 

“He is a powerful deity, Quin,” I reminded the older student. 

He still held that smile on his face, “Ah. Yeah, I know—” 

“Then you will also know that students aren’t allowed to interfere with research hours for the professors.” A new voice came into the room, eyeing us suspiciously. 

It didn’t deter me at all. The new presence wasn’t a menacing thing to behold, not even if he was something to be feared by mere mortals like us. 

Quin got up quickly, “Cue.” 

The face Cupid gave him was priceless. “I swear, Fox. I do not know the meaning of that name.” 

Cupid. Or as Quin called him, ‘Cue’, was one of the Gods of Olympus. Mortal now after upsetting his unagreeable father, Zeus. It was unfortunate that his mighty image hadn’t stayed with him as a human. Then maybe I would’ve been more frightened. 

He still had that cliché baby face mortals usually described him as. Even though he was already an adult, he looked younger than what he really was. In human years, he was probably around twenty-five. In godly years, he was thousands of years old. But you could not discern that by his looks alone. His eyes were the thing that gave his real age away. They reflected his ancient life. At times I was cautious of him, of the things he said. Though, his curly pink hair made it hard to take him seriously whenever he spouted dark tragedies of his past. 

Since his first human days, he’d grown up in Hiraeth. I remembered seeing him as my first year professor of potions. Back then, I believed it had been a joke, but even at sixteen his language was eloquent. His body had been given a fresh start, though his mind stayed the same. I constantly wondered if maybe he would stay human, or if Zeus would finally stop being cruel. Occasionally, I even thought that Cupid didn’t mind being mortal. Maybe he found that he could relate to what us humans did? Now that he was in his mid-twenties, he had almost come to know about such things. I was slightly proud. 

Cupid dug through a rucksack, tied over his shoulder, and took out a small plant. It didn’t look like any sort of magical item I’d ever seen. “I’m guessing you’re here to find any sort of clues.” He had found me out. “Lewis Williams, I believe you are bright, like Hallow, but I would’ve sought you both out for this task.” 

I sat forward, “You will tell me the first task?” 

He shook his head. “I will tell you the last task.” 

At that, I grew confused. I was aware that the competition would be hard to understand, but Cupid was making it sound as if I’d never find any real answers to it. Like many generations before, no one knew why or how this wish existed. 

Cupid, the one true person who probably knew, slid the plant towards me. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was not some magical artifact, but a young sapling. “Here.” 

“Here?” I said, pointing to the thing. “What is it?” 

“You know what it is, Lewis.” He sighed. “It is a tree. One that you and Arturo must grow, in order to begin and complete the last task.” 

Looking to Quin, I received no form of response. He only nodded. 

I touched the earthy roots, the wiry mess that was this tiny tree. With magic, it could grow in four months time. That was probably what Professor Eva and Cupid were planning. 

Though what they wanted Hallow and I to do with it—I did not know. 

Cupid stared at me intensely as I responded, “Let me guess . . . it won’t grow unless I work with Hallow?” 

He was trying so hard not to show how satisfied he was by that question. He knew my feelings for my partner. He was Cupid, for goodness sake. 

“Make sure you do,” he advised. “Or else you won’t win, Lewis Williams.” 

Won’t win? That was impossible. 

Work with Hallow? Well, that was impossible.