That night Winter laid on her luxuriously plush bed and stared at the oddly nostalgic flowery wall clock for hours. She watched each second pass by agonizingly slow in an attempt to distract herself. Usually Winter didn't get nervous. She meticulously conducted calculations in her head and thought out all possibilities until there was no more room for nerves. But something about the nature of the mock war made her nervous. That, combined with the ominous note from Nelly, left Winter uneasy. She walked over to the table, scribbled some of her thoughts onto a piece paper, and then burned it. It brought her some ease, but not enough. Winter moved her attention back on the wall clock, staring at it with all the intensity she could muster. Winter wondered about the familiarity of the clock and about who kept leaving anonymous flowers on her dresser. Frustrated at the amount of unanswered questions that had accumulated, she ran her fingers through her long ebony hair. "Relax," she reminded herself, "one step at a time."
Winter got up and pulled on the black training suit they gave to everyone participating in the mock war. They were all supposed to meet in a specific room designed for instructing students beforehand. The meeting was scheduled promptly at seven a.m. Winter made it in time to see the enormous crowd of students accumulating in clumps before the raised platform. The stage was filled with onlooking administrators. Nelly Terran was standing in between Mr. Cornell and Coach Russo. Della was standing off to the side, a quiet presence. Cornell approached the edge of the platform and stared at the multitude of students. The room fell silent and the students filed into neat, orderly lines. "Today is the mock war. You are all expected to use your full strength and abilities. Do anything it takes to win." Cornell's voice rang throughout the room, bouncing off of every wall. "Anything," he repeated. Winter didn't like the gleam in his eyes. "Anything? What does that mean to these people?" Winter's eyes swept over the crowd. She noticed Jax glowering behind Sam. He did not even try to compose his hatred. Winter's eyes caught on the emblem both Sam and Jax had on their uniform sleeves. She looked around and saw that no one else had anything like it. The only thing others had to differentiate themselves and their teams were different color arm bands. Winter thought that the emblem must have been how they were distinguished as powerful magic users on the field. Winter unconsciously rubbed at her wrist, her eyes dancing over the colorful bracelet. They flitted over to both Sam's and Jax's. Each bracelet was identical except for the colors. Was that what they were for then? To have some kind of control over them, over their magic? Winter toyed with the idea of them having a common enemy. She didn't necessarily consider herself part of it though. She couldn't assume that she was powerful. Though with the way Endora Della had acted in the dungeon, Winter wouldn't be surprised if the tests told them more than they allowed her to be privy to. Winter studied them a bit longer before reverting her attention back to Cornell. "I want everyone armed and on the battlefield in five minutes." As soon as the words escaped his mouth, the students began bustling about, rushing to get their weapons. Winter glanced at Leo and M.J. briefly. They gave the slightest nod before dispersing. Winter's eyes skirted over to Nelly before flickering away. Her words echoed in Winter's head, "They're watching." Winter casted away the thought. She approached Mandy, Layla, and Brenna who were laughing by the table that displayed darts and throwing stars. "I see you guys are getting along well," Winter smiled. Mandy nudged Brenna, "She's surprisingly nice when you get to know her." Brenna's smile waivered when she noticed Winter. She glared before sauntering off to the sword stand. Winter shrugged lightheartedly, "I doubt she'll ever show me that side of her." Mandy grabbed Winter's arm, "Forget about that. We heard about your team's practice." Layla whispered, "Everyone is talking about how pathetic your team is." Winter rose her eyebrow and spoke loud enough for eavesdroppers to hear, "It's to be expected. Those boys are always at each other's throats. Fools. The both of them." Mandy and Layla looked at each other before looking at Winter skeptically. Winter leaned in and spoke in a hushed tone, "I'll fill you in later. Meet me at the tent before the festival." They nodded. "Are you guys ready for this test?" Mandy tossed her braid over her shoulder, "It's not our first time. We know how this goes." Layla rose her hand to Mandy's hair, "Are you ready?" Winter smirked, "I don't have a clue." They giggled, "We doubt that." Cornell barked, "Time's up. Get to the battle field." "Now!" Coach Russo reinforced. Mandy and Layla hugged her tightly, "Good luck." Winter turned her head towards Brenna and looked at them apologetically, "You too." She noticed M.J. standing by the door leading out to the courtyard. On her way over to him, she bumped into Jax. He looked down at her, clearly annoyed before noticing it was her. Winter didn't hesitate. She pulled him close to her, speaking quietly, "I know you're upset that you're paired with Sam, but you have to try to win this." He tried to pull away, taken aback by her suggestion. She tightened her grip and went on, "I have my reasons. But trust me, don't prove them right. Just this once." This time, when Jax pulled back she let him. He looked into her eyes, trying to determine how serious she was. He bit down his annoyance and grumbled, "I make no promises." Winter ruffled his hair, "Thank you Jax. " Jax merely scoffed as she browsed the room. She noticed Lucas watching them in a corner. As soon as their eyes met, he averted his gaze and strode outside. Winter glanced at Jax and scratched her chin, "Was that jealousy? Why? They're soulmates." Cornell's hollering interrupted her thoughts, "Stop dallying. Everyone out." Jax left Winter standing alone, clearly upset. Leo crept up behind her, M.J. in his shadow, "Looks like the war is starting." Winter randomly grabbed the weapon closest to her, "No. The real fight has not yet begun."