How the hell was I going to get myself out of this one?

My mind reeled.

Clenching my fists at my sides, I drew in a deep, steadying breath. I had bullshitted my way into this mess, and by God, I would bullshit my way out.

“I, uh…” I made a wiggly motion with my fingers, hoping it looked cool and mysterious. “I’m actually an extremely powerful Psychomancer.”

“That’s not possible,” Lucian sneered. “Even the most formidable Psychomancers can’t see into another person’s memories without the use of a scrying pool or some kind of ritual.”

“Well then, I guess I’m beyond formidable! Formidable-er, one could say!” I puffed out my chest. “I can see into your mind right now and tell you all sorts of things about your past.”

As long as I’d read them in an Owen Thorn book, anyway. 

Lucian stuck up his nose. “I don’t believe you.”

“Try me, bitch!” I thrust my hands toward him. “Gimme me your head!”

“Excuse me?” Lucian gasped, stumbling back. 

“I said,” I mimed a squeezing gesture that caused Lucian to look absolutely scandalized, “gimme your head!” 

Lucian’s gaze bore into me, a mix of disbelief and curiosity. Then, with a slow, wary movement, he leaned forward.

My hands clasped either side of his face, squishing his cheeks together until he looked like a disgruntled fish. Furrowing my brow, I pretended to concentrate hard.

“BraaAAAAAAACE yooooOOOOOurseeeeeeEEEEElf,” I cried out, my inflection going up and down.

Grasping his head, I shook it violently, up and down, side to side.

Lucian’s eyes bulged, his hair whipping about his face as I shook his head like a maraca. “What the hell are you—”

“Focus!” I yelled, giving his head an extra vigorous shake. “Your mind is an open book to me!”

Lucian’s confusion was palpable, his eyes wide and lost. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, his lip curled in irritation. Just as he seemed on the brink of wrenching himself from my grip, I leaned in, my voice dropping to a breathy, mystical whisper.

“You were raised in a lineage of pure elvish blood, a legacy that has always cast you in opposition to humans. Your family’s belief in elven superiority shaped your entire life. But that all came crashing down in your first year at school when Owen Thorn bested you in a duel. Your family was ashamed of you because of your loss to a human. They called you failure, a disgrace to your bloodline. You’ve hated him ever since. But even deeper than that, you’re cruel to him because you're afraid you’ll never be able to be even a fraction of who Owen Thorn is—”

Lucian stumbled back, his breathing fast. “I think that’s quite enough.”

The irony was that I’d just word for word quoted a character analysis of Lucian I’d posted on my Lucian hate account while in a fight with one of his fans. 

I smirked, crossing my arms. “So, do you believe me now?”

Lucian stared back at me, looking rather ruffled. Literally, his hair was a mess from all the shaking.

“Yes, yes, of course I believe you.” He frowned, dark brows pulling together. “Though, from the way you were talking, it made me sound like some sort of villain.”

Because you literally are, you thick-headed asshole.

That look from earlier was back on Lucian’s face, the one where it felt like he was mentally dissecting me, piece by piece. But this time, it was as if he’d tossed aside an old theory and was rapidly constructing a new one.

What truly unsettled me was the glint in his eyes—a sharp, calculating gleam. As if before I’d just been some trash for him to discard, but now… 

Now he was looking at me like he’d just found a winning lottery ticket. 

“I’ve never met someone this gifted in the sight before,” Lucian said with a smile that looked like it belonged on a venomous snake. “You might just be one of the most talented Psychomancer I've ever met.”

It hit me then that Lucian actually thought I was super powerful.

This was bad for four distinct reasons:

1. Being powerful made me useful. And being useful to a person like Lucian Darkona was definitely not a good thing. 

2. Lucian probably wanted to use my powers for some sort of evil scheme. 

3. I had no powers at all.

4. If Lucian found out I had no powers, he’d realize I was lying. And if he realized I was lying, he might discover he was a character in a book. And if he discovered he was a character in a book, who knew if it would create a paradox and accidentally tear a hole in the universe or something. 

So, in summary—I was royally fucked. 

“You know,” Lucian began, his eyes glistening like a predator closing in on unsuspecting prey, “some say not to brag. But clearly, those tossers are just losers that have absolutely no talent whatsoever. Which is why I won’t do myself the disservice of false modesty…”

“Is there a point to this?” My eyes narrowed. “Or do you just get off to stroking your own ego?”

“Well, there’s a lot to stroke,” Lucian said with a sharp smile. “My ego is very large.” 

“Well you know what they say,” I said. “Big ego…” my gaze fell very pointedly to his crotch, “little amigo.” 

Lucian’s smile twitched. “Well, the point—”

“All crown, little scepter,” I continued. “All swagger, no dagger. Full of steam, short on the beam—”

“The point,” Lucian interrupted loudly, “is that I am the greatest Alchemancer at Darconia Academy this year. No, scratch that. The greatest Alchemancer at Draconia Academy ever.”

Yeah, large ego indeed.

“And when an Alchemancer and a Psychomancer join forces,” Lucian continued, “they can create a form of magic more powerful than most can imagine. I’ve always been curious to try, but I’ve never encountered a Psychomancer at my level—until now. Which is why, despite your unfortunate status as a lowly human…” He smirked, extending his hand. “I’m offering you the rare, coveted, and extremely exclusive chance to be my friend.”

“Hard pass,” I said flatly.

Lucian had the nerve to actually gasp at that, like he’d just received the shocker of a lifetime. 

“Don’t be daft,” Lucian scoffed. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime. You would be a fool to turn it down.” He huffed, looking away. “Also, you don’t know anyone else.”

Heartbreaking: The worst person I know just made a great point. I had literally negative luck in the friendship department.

On the other hand, I couldn’t imagine anything worse than being friends with Lucian Darkona. From his almost comically villainous grin to his unnerving obsession with my “abilities,” it was painfully obvious he was plotting something.

But a saying popped into my head then: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

If this truly was the beginning of the seventh book, then this was the year Lucian would be lured in by The Great Darkness and eventually merge with it. But if I befriended this dickhead, maybe I could change things and...

My eyes went wide as the realization hit. 

I could stop him from killing Owen Thorn.

I’d watched him die over and over and over again, helpless to do a thing. But now, we weren’t separated by paper or a screen. I could actually save him!

“Alright, fine,” I said, reaching out to take his hand. “I’ll be your friend.”

Lucian offered me a predatory smile. “Great.”

I returned the smile with an even more predatory smile. “Really great.”

We shook hands, both looking like we planned to eat each other for lunch. It was a game of cat and mouse with the cat having no idea he was really chasing after a viper. I’d let Lucian think he was playing me, and all the while, I would be the one playing him. 

Maybe a bit of Lucian’s ego had rubbed off on me, because in that moment I thought: Wow, I am a total genius. 

“Brilliant!” Lucian said, giving my hand yet another hearty shake. “What an adventitious friendship we shall have.”

I grimaced. “You don’t need to phrase it like that. It’s a friendship, not a business deal. You’re making it weird, man.”

“Right, of course.” Lucian’s smile twitched again. “I look forward to getting to know you better… uh… err…” he stared helpless back at me. 

“Holy shit,” I gasped. “All this time and you literally didn’t ask me my name once.”

“I was working toward it,” Lucian huffed, crossing his arms. “So…”

I raised a brow. “So?”

“So spit it out!” Lucian snapped. “What is it?”

“Niko Price,” I said, before pointedly adding, “dickhead.”

Lucian clapped his hands together. “Oh! We’re using nicknames with each other? How fun!”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not a nickname, I’m insulting you—”

Lucian’s head fell back, letting out an obnoxious fake laugh. “Ha ha! I see we are already close enough to joke-insult each other. This friendship really is moving fast. I find your jest very entertaining, Nemo Price.” He swung an arm around my shoulder. “I look forward to our prosperous friendship.”

“It’s Niko,” I muttered. “And you’re making this sound like a business deal again.”

Lucian’s gaze flickered to the sky, pink streaks coloring the horizon. “Oh bollocks,” he said. “If we don’t leave now we’re going to miss the opening ceremonies.”

Opening ceremonies? That meant this was the first day of the new school year.

“Come now, move those spindly legs,” Lucian said, grabbing me by the arm as he pulled me after him. “If we don’t go now we’re going to be late.”

It hit me then—the reality that we were really going to the place I had dreamed of my entire life. 

I made sure to snatch my ‘I Love Owen’ pen from the ground. That was an exclusive collector's edition item! No way was I leaving that behind. 

Heart pounding, I followed after Lucian. I tried not to shudder as we passed by the Child Snatcher. Its branches twitched, as if sensing our movement.

“Just keep walking,” Lucian whispered. “As long as it doesn’t notice us, we’re fine—”

A sudden, thunderous snap echoed as my foot landed on a twig.

The Child Snatcher's eyes snapped open, locking on us. 

“Ugh,” Lucian snapped as we broke into a sprint, “what the hell, Nemo?”

“It was an accident!” I retorted. “And it’s Niko!”

The Child Snatcher released a deep, guttural growl, its twisted branches lashing out with a menacing sweep. They flew toward us like a living storm. We surged forward, our feet drumming against the earth as the branches came hurtling overhead.

I gritted my teeth, urging my legs to move faster as we tore through the underbrush. A wave of branches surged at us, their jagged tips reaching out with a hungry snap. Lucian and I twisted and ducked, narrowly escaping the grasping tendrils.

“Faster!" Lucian urged, glancing over his shoulder. “You need to go faster!”

“I’m trying!” I panted. “I normally sit around reading fanfic all day, so forgive me if I’m a little out of shape.”

“Fan-what?”

“Just forget it.”

The forest seemed to close in around us as we sprinted, the branches of The Child Snatcher lashing out and tearing through the foliage, showering us with a cascade of leaves and twigs. Lucian wove through the trees like he was some kind of trained athlete, flinging himself into a dense thicket of trees. 

Behind me, a branch came shooting toward my ankle. 

“Nemo!” Lucian yelled. “Come on!”

With a final surge of adrenaline, I flung myself forward, crashing into the thicket beside him. 

The Child Snatcher recoiled with a sudden shudder, as if it’d hit an invisible shield. Its once-menacing branches went slack, slithering back to the base of the tree with a reluctant, almost pitiful grace.

Panting to catch my breath, I took in the massive oak that rested at the center of the clearing. The very same oak The Child Snatcher had been planted here to protect. 

To anyone else, the tree would look perfectly ordinary. That was the point. With the school hosting the most powerful young mages in a world at war, it was constantly at risk for attacks. That’s why the only way to guarantee the protection of  the students was to hide Draconia Academy and hide it well. 

Lucian stepped before the oak tree, reaching for a specific branch. With a firm grip, he pulled it downward.

The bark of the tree groaned, a deep, resonant hum echoing like a concealed mechanism. With a slow, creaking motion, the trunk parted, revealing a circular wooden elevator nestled within the hollow.

I stared at it with wide eyes, in awe. 

Lucian strode inside. “Are you going to just stand there looking as ridiculous as a gnome in a leotard or are you going to get in?”

“What is with you and these weird gnome metaphors?” I asked, following after him. “And why do they always make zero sense?”

The moment I stepped into the elevator, the bark closed behind us, encasing us within the heart of the ancient oak. The rumble that followed reverberated through the wooden walls. The elevator’s descent began, accompanied by the creak of ancient wood and the faint hum of machinery concealed within the tree’s trunk.

As we descended, the reality of what was happening hit me like a freight train—this elevator was carrying me to the place of my dreams. 

Draconia freaking Academy.