A loud knock sounded on Ren’s door that night, and she lifted her head groggily. She pushed herself out of bed and moved to the door, leaving her glasses on the nightstand. She opened it to see a blurry Zyn standing there, wearing stripy pajamas.

“Zyn, what are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night,” Ren groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Zyn entered and turned towards Ren. “That didn’t feel like my magic,” she murmured. “I didn’t feel any different when I did it.” 

“Magic is a part of you,” Ren pointed out. “You don’t have to feel anything.”

“But…I should have felt something, right?” Zyn mumbled, starting to pace in circles around Ren’s rug. “Especially the first time? I can see it becoming more natural over time, that you don’t pay attention to it after a while. But shouldn’t I have felt…I dunno…energy going through me or something? Like you and Dad are always saying?”

“You’re just overthinking this,” Ren said shortly. “Come on, Zyn, it’s the middle of the night. We can talk more about this tomorrow.”

“Ren…did you…did you send that air wave?” Zyn asked hesitantly, stopping in her tracks to look up at her sister.

“Of course not,” she said.

“Then why can’t I feel my own magic?” Zyn pressed.

“I don’t know,” Ren replied.

“You’re lying,” Zyn muttered darkly.

“No, I’m not,” Ren hissed, her voice starting to rise.

Zyn flailed her hands about, signaling Ren to be quiet, despite their father’s room being all the way on the sixth floor. “Look—I know you’re lying. You wouldn’t be this scared if you weren’t!”

“Fine, I’m lying!” Ren moaned, plopping onto the floor. “But what was I supposed to do? If you don’t have magic, then we don’t get to go to school again. We’ve already missed one year—two, if you’re counting me getting my magic early. Besides, I can’t make you go another year without magic, thinking you’re…some sort of…failure.” 

Ren shook her head, rubbing at her closed eyes. “I had to do something, Zyn. I know your magic will come soon, I just know it! But it’s not fair if you miss a whole year simply because it didn’t come today. What if it comes tomorrow, or even next month? We’d have to sit out a whole year just because your magic came a little late.”

Ren removed her hands from her face and peered up at Zyn through teary eyes. “I’m sorry to have lied, and to have…cheated. But we just can’t sit out another year!”

Zyn stared at her quietly, her body stiff.

“You’re…you’re not going to tell Dad, are you?” Ren whispered.

Zyn remained motionless, then muttered, “No. I’m not going to tell anyone.”

Ren reached forward and hugged Zyn. “Oh, thank you!” she whispered.

Zyn sighed in her grasp. “Yeah, well, it’s as you said… My magic will probably come any day now. That’s no reason to miss a whole year of school.”

Ren pulled away and nodded. “I’m so sorry, Zyn.”

“Well…I’m going back to bed,” Zyn grunted, pulling out of Ren’s hold. “We’ve got that first-year meeting tomorrow….”

Ren nodded, remembering Ak-tu had announced the meeting to all of the first-years after Zyn’s assessment. “Okay, Zyn. Good night!”

She opened the door and let her sister out. Ren then returned to her bed, feeling a bit light-headed. 

Was Zyn angry with her? What would happen if Zyn’s magic didn’t come soon? Did Ren set her sister up for failure?