Chrona was a grown woman, she considered herself sensible. She had been refining her magic at this university since she was a girl and showed a talent for it. Admittedly calling it a university was a bit of a stretch, as most who attended never graduated. Just remaining there indefinitely committing themselves to the worship of Creation, hoping this would allow their magic to finally bloom. The only prerequisite to attending this place of learning was the smallest sign of affinity with time magic. Chrona had given up on asking why if they were here to learn time magic, that they worshipped Creation and not Time for help. These kinds of questions were not appreciated.

She had long accepted that this place was more a monastery dedicated to worship than a university dedicated to learning. But all the greatest time mages had studied here. All she had to do was pass and then she could go wherever she wanted. Do whatever she wanted. She could walk up to the highest gods and demand a place in their court with even the patchiest of abilities to see potential futures. The fates had been doing well in Olympus for millennia, well paid and wanting for nothing. All they had to do was occasionally answer Zeus on whether his plans would work. They didn't even have to be right all the time from what Chrona could tell. Shai had taken a role back in his home Realm of Duat, from what Chrona understood he spent most of his time messing around with mortals. It seemed pretty ideal. 

Now the issue in Chrona's mind was simple. Living a simple life of worshipping and study. Wearing only what you're told, having all day everyday completely set out for you. Well, that is such a mortal way to live. Why should the gods follow the ways of mortals? She wasn't one. She was born a goddess, surely people should be worshipping her? Building grand temples filled with magnificent statues, setting their days around praying to her for help. Not that she'd done anything worth worshipping. But the idea of living for an eternity to pray was beginning to sound pretty depressing. So considering all this, Chrona picked the option she considered the most appealing to her. She went back to sleep. 

***

Chrona once again woke with a start, this time to loud banging on her door.

"Chrona! Did you use magic to lock your door again? You know that is not allowed!" A frustrated voice yelled.

Chrona sighed and lifted her hand doing a quick motion. A circle glowed briefly on her door before disappearing. A woman entered the room, disapproval clear on her face. Sia immediately started going through Chrona's drawers grabbing clothes and unceremoniously throwing them at her. Sia was a small woman, who kept her dark hair up in a neat bun. The robes they were given to wear whilst here were slightly dirty at the hem where they clearly hadn't been taken up quite enough. The marks dark against the bright white fabric.

"Well are you just planning on staring all day or are you actually going to get up?" Sia huffed, crossing her arms. "I don't know why I assumed that at least today you'd have gotten yourself ready for once! You always talk about how desperately you want to leave here, how much better you are than this place. If I have to listen to you complain about how boring the lessons are any longer I just might leave! After today's ceremony you'll finally be able to do whatever you want. Be more excited about it!"

"You make it sound like I just need to get through the ceremony and then that's it; I'm qualified, time to go. There's a whole bunch more I apparently have to do first, Sia. It's not that exciting." Chrona frowned. "Plus I hardly know what I've done to get qualified for the ceremony!" Well, this wasn't strictly true, recently she had started to have a recurring dream, and when she had spoken to her teachers about it, they had been very excited. 

The ceremony in question was considered the graduation ceremony for the university. Once a student was 'skilled' enough in the art they would be put forward for consideration. Only once the four heads of the university agreed would it then be approved. Considering no one could tell you what the definition of 'skilled enough' was, these ceremonies were rare. There were no tests, no grades. It was difficult to judge whether you were close. Only after graduating would there be a test. No one knows exactly what it constitutes of, only that the current strongest time mage Chronos himself would be the one to administer it. You were banned from leaving once you 'graduated' until you can pass this test. If you pass, you can leave and go anywhere you want. Endless options. But if you failed, well no one had yet. But Chrona suspected it wasn't something good.

Sia gave Chrona a measured look. "I think it's obvious. You had a prophetic dream. Screw being able to use crystal balls, cards, bloody tea leaves or whatever. Anyone can do that with enough practice! But for the magic to be so ingrained within you that it even invades your dreams!" Well not anyone could do it, obviously, Chrona thought. If that were the case the university would be much busier.

"You undervalue the art, Sia. I've been here long enough to know that is not true." Guilt was curling within Chrona. 

"Fine, whatever. You did all of that and then were blessed with prophecy!" Sia excitedly picked up Chrona's robes, pushing them into her hands. Chrona sat, gingerly running her hands over the fabric. The feeling making her uncomfortable, the desperation to run building. Perhaps she had not been quite as truthful as she should have been.

"How do I even know it is a prophetic dream? And not just, I don't know, a weird recurring dream?" She had been asking herself this for a while now. The idea kept the stress at bay. Sia grabbed her arms and roughly pulled her up. 

"You are a fool. You know how. Tell me about it, this dream. You're always so reluctant. Maybe voicing it again will help." 

Chrona looked down at Sia, they couldn't be more different. Where Sia was small, with pale skin and dark hair, Chrona towered over her, tanned skin a stark contrast to her blonde hair. Vibrant teal eyes quietly sizing Sia up, deciding on the next course of action. Chrona sighed, lifted her hands to her chest and gently tugged on her t-shirt whilst muttering something incomprehensible. Two bright magic circles quickly appeared around her torso. With Chrona standing in the middle. One quickly sliding down and the other up. Watching the spell was strange. For a moment her outfit was split between her pyjamas and her robes, the fabric quickly morphing onto the other as the spell moved. Unlike Sia's robes that had needed to be hemmed and yet still dragged. Chrona's awkwardly swayed at her ankles. Far too short. For some reason no one's robes seemed to ever fit quite right, Chrona remained forever thankful not to have one of the strangely wide robes. Looking down at herself and at Sia, Chrona was acutely aware of the biggest difference between them, the golden sash she wore around her waist. The only colour over the plain white robes. A sign of her seniority, despite how much longer the other had been studying.

Sia threw the pyjamas she was now holding onto the cabinet and grabbed the hairbrush instead. Gesturing to the bed. "Come on, sit down. I'll help you with your hair. Keep your secrets, I won't pry further. But I'm here if you do change your mind."

Out of the window they could see the birds flying in the clear sky. It was clearly a beautiful day. Perfect for the ceremony, afterwards they would all be able to celebrate in the courtyard. The tables wouldn't be set up until after the ceremony, whilst the junior students finished the food they had prepared earlier. Dread was settling all over Chrona now.

"It really isn't as big a deal as everyone makes it seem..." Chrona started slowly. "If it truly is a prophetic dream, I couldn't even tell you what the point of it is."

"Isn't that always the way?" Sia nodded. "Clearly you should've paid more attention in your studies! You have to read between the lines of the vague ideas hidden behind the tiniest of oddities in dreams!" 

"Helpful..." She'd been told that a lot since they'd started. Or, at least versions of that. "Anyway, so basically. I'm in a desert, well I think. It's just barren land as far as the eye can see. So I start walking. There is a feeling of...something, anticipation I guess? After a while I hear a noise, the sound of someone crying. Soon after I find a...a child, scrunched down holding something to their chest. As I approach they look up, surprised. The child almost looks like they are made out of plants themself. Their hair looks to be made of vines, with what almost looks like brown roots growing along their pale skin. Then they hold out their hands and show me this seed. Suddenly they stand, placing the seed in my hands and smile at me. Clasping their hands around mine. They felt like dry leaves, which makes no sense because how can you feel in a dream? Then the seed grows, a flower blooms. It's very pretty. The end. I wake up." This is...mostly correct. Yet Chrona keeps a bit behind, her secret, the thing she is too afraid to share, to even consider the implications of.

The biggest problem with the dream, Chrona had realised, is that no matter how hard she tried to downplay it people just got excited. She could feel where Sia's hands had paused. She waited with bated breath for what the reaction would be this time. She understood enough from the lessons she's been half awake through to know what it looked like her dream symbolised. She was going to do something that helped creation, maybe even the Creation, capital C. The very embodiment of the concept itself. This meant Chrona was destined for something important, who knows, maybe even something Important with a capital I. Before these dreams had started she would have said that is exactly what she wanted, but now faced with it, Chrona decided that maybe it wasn't for her. She had tried to keep the dreams to herself for a while, hoping that perhaps they would just go away and pick someone else. Someone who was motivated, and confident, someone who could receive such a dream and be excited at the prospect. 

"I always knew you were a genius at this kind of magic, honestly basically all the magic I've seen you try. It just seems to come to you instinctively." Sia spoke softly, thoughtfully plaiting Chrona's waist length hair. "I won't tell you what you already know. What I'm sure others have already talked your ear off about all the implications of your dream. But I get it more now. It must be scary, so many expectations... Despite the fact that you never listen, that you do spells that you shouldn't, that you're lazy and undisciplined. You talk back to your superiors, questioning everything seemingly just for the sake of it. You sneak out, have absolutely no regard for the rules..."

"Gee Sia, way to make a girl blush." Chrona injected sarcastically.

"My point, Chrona, is you are always unashamedly yourself. Which is the most important thing when dealing with gods. Which is why, I know without a fraction of a doubt. You'll be just fine." A gentle smile graced the other woman's face. "I'm certain you'll be okay."

Suddenly Chrona stood, and turned. Her long plait whipping round. "Have you forgotten I have a ceremony to be getting to? Someone should really do something about how much you talk. It's a miracle that you ever get anything done!" Pointedly looking above the other woman, not at her. "Don't you think we should go, it's bad optics for the celebrant to be late!"

"Of course, whatever was I thinking? It must be about time now. Shall we head down together?" Her head cocked slightly to the side, hidden questions beneath it.

"I believe that would be for the best. You should be there to take the blame should anyone complain. After all, if I am late, it was your fault." The taller woman spun on her feet and headed to the door, pausing just long enough for the other to catch up. 

"Of course."