"I'm sure my mind only works one way," Alice remarked. "I can't remember things before they happen."
"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards," the Queen remarked.

- Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass

You didn't get very much sleep that night. Thoughts of traveling with Kris flooded your mind. You had just met the guy a few hours ago, and now you were traveling with him to Ordea first thing in the morning. You couldn't comprehend it. There was just too much happening at once. Why were you being summoned to Ordea? What did Kris mean when he said that you'd be serving the Kingdom? How come your father agreed so easily?

You pondered on these questions all night, after which you still had no answers. As your eyes became heavy, you began to take deep breaths. You pushed all your questions out of your mind. You had a busy day tomorrow and had to be completely rested. I'll find all the answers at Ordea.

-

You were running as fast as you could. There was a loud screech, and you suddenly felt a sharp talon clawing at your back, ripping though your armored cloak. You turned your head and stared into the creature's dark eyes as you grabbed a dagger and pierced its eye in the center of the cornea. It cried out in pain, the noise loud and concussive as it lost its balance and toppled to the ground.

As you turned your head back, you saw hooded riders coming in hoards as they charged in your direction. The riders were howling their battle cries. You grabbed your two main blades and took them out of their sheaths. They were sleek silver, but there was a light blue glint to them, which revealed the intricate engravings. When they were close enough that you could see the glow of their eyes, you yelled your battle cry and jumped into the air, landing on the creatures being ridden. You looked straight at the hooded being as you stabbed it in the heart.

It made a strange, chanting screech as it began to turn into ashes, ashes that were up by something that looked similar to a vortex. You continued to jump from rider to rider, killing them off one by one before they could reach whatever you were protecting. You then saw a red light in the distance. It was your target. You needed to get there. After killing the last rider, you jumped off the last creature and ran towards the light.

-

"Kora?" a voice called. You shot up in a second, your arms in a basic fighting position. It was Kris; he laughed at your reflexes. You blushed and put your arms down. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. You nodded your head. "Yeah, just give me a few minutes. Wait for me in the shop, okay?" you told him. He nodded and walked out, closing the door as he left.

You got out of your bed and pulled your hair out of its ponytail. You brushed your long black hair and then put it back in your usual hairstyle. You tied your hair up in such a way that it looked short. This was just the way you liked it because it made you look tougher. A sigh escaped your lips as you walked over to your wall and grabbed your bag. It wasn't a large bag; it was a fairly small size, which forced you to take only the things that you really needed: basic essentials.

Basic essentials included three sets of clothes (only because Kris had told you that clothes would be provided when you arrived in Ordea), a book about Illusionists and Mimics that Ramulin had given you to learn from, a few of your handmade daggers, and your Iren necklace. The Iren necklace was given to you when you were 11 years old, the year your Illusion and Mimicry abilities kicked in. You quickly stuffed these items into your bag, placing your folded clothes on top as you closed your bag and said goodbye to your bedroom. As you walked out of your room, you were greeted by your mother. Her eyes were puffy, making it obvious that she had been crying all night long. This was quite understandable: she wasn't exactly thrilled when you told her that you were leaving to Ordea with a stranger.

"You're going now, Kora?" she asked, her voice quivering. Opposed to you, she was very delicate and small, making her very emotional. You walked to her and put your arms around her. She snapped and instantly began crying, her tears falling down your neck. "I'm leaving now, mom. You and dad better keep everything in shape for when I come back. An