• “Class dismissed.” When Master Fu released them, Aurelia had already beaten her opponent three times out of the four battles they fought. She wiped the sweat away from her brow and slung her bag over her shoulder. The last lesson, the exam, would be held tomorrow. She had to get ready. Be prepared for it. That was the only thing on her mind at the present moment.
    Her thoughts that night were once disturbed with images of destruction and rampage and she woke up covered in sweat, her breathing panicky and her eyes misted with the beginnings of tears.
    When the winter sun dawned upon the world, she was already halfway through her daily routine. Looking at herself in the mirror, she studied her pale features and her sapphire eyes, in which fear still lingered.
    “I can do this. Just a few more days and Isola will be back and I’ll have someone to care for again.” She thought to herself as she splashed water onto her pale face. Slapping herself lightly to get colour into her cheeks, she slipped into her running outfit and was out in a flash.
    As she jogged at a steady pace, her thoughts began to wander and she wondered exactly why she could only stop thinking about the painful past if she had someone to take care of. It seemed ridiculous even to herself and it had taken some serious imagining to push it away, as well as a return to the present by a near slip on a patch of frost.
    At her workplace, Aurelia’s thoughts kept wondering into a different dimension, and her fear increased with every replayal of that fateful day. Her hands shook when she handled the trays and her smile seemed forced.
    “Hey Rea, come here for a minute. Will ya?” Hec called as the girl pushed into the kitchen, probably to place an order or to collect one. When she came out again, her hands were loaded down with trays of food. Eyeing the trays suspiciously, Aurelia nodded and delivered them before she went to her boss.
    “What is it?” He noted the fear and tiredness in her eyes, exactly like how Professor Rowan had described and tried to relax his breathing pace, to seem more like his usual self.
    “The words that come from the heart are not necessarily true and the past does not show all. Courage is the key that opens every door.” He whispered the words to her and her eyes widened in shock and recognition. The necklace she wore around her neck brightened once again and she felt her fear melt away.
    Those words… they brought back an unexpected memory from the past…
    “Mummy,”
    “Hmm?”
    “I’m scared. The monsters want to get Rea, Mummy.”
    “Do you want Mummy to make them go away?”
    “Yes please!”
    “Listen carefully and repeat this little charm to yourself whenever you get scared, okay?”
    “Sure!”
    “The words that come from the heart are not necessarily true and the past does not show all. Courage is the key that opens every door.”
    “How did you…”
    “Professor Rowan’s little surprise for you. He sends a message too.” Hec held out an envelope and watched as Aurelia hesitated before accepting it. The girl slipped it into the pocket of her apron without a second look.
    “Thanks Hec!” She grinned at him as she resumed her job, now a hundred percent her old self. It was amazing how much a few words from the past could do.
    Today was the day. Aurelia gulped down a nervous breath of air as she checked her blade. It wouldn’t do for it to malfunction in the middle of the fight. She scooped her long curls into a ponytail and made sure to pin back her fringe. She looked ready and she hoped she was, correction, she knew she was ready.