**Chapter 13– High School, High Sync
---
**Monday, 7:12 a.m. – Lakeside High Parking Lot**
**Frost** **crunched** under **Vans** like **tiny bones**.
**Remy** **revved** the **YZ** beside **QUEENS 7**, **dagger** hidden under **leather jacket**.
**Seras** **twirled** the **cloak** like a **scarf**—**invisible** one second, **visible** the next.
**Crown HUD** **booted**:
```
STATUS: School Day 1/180
Level: 2 (70% → 3)
Sync: Hellebore Blade 2.0 → 109%
Passive: Mist Recovery – Active
```
**Dacia (telepathic, quiet):**
*"**Every heartbeat is a lesson**."*
**Elowene (soft, aching):**
*"**And every choice is a scar—or a star, cariad**."*
**Remy (kicking stand, voice low):**
"**You okay?**
**You've been quiet since the plane**."
**Celeste (fidgeting with locket):**
"**Just… thinking about Elowene**.
**She died when I was six. I barely remember her voice**.
**Now she's in my head every night**."
**Seras (stepping closer, cloak settling):**
"**I get it. My mom still sends me texts in Japanese when I'm stressed**.
**'Eat rice. Be strong.'**
**Feels like she's watching**."
**Remy (hand on my shoulder):**
"**We're all carrying ghosts**.
**But we're here. Together**."
**Julian (leaning on SUV, arms crossed):**
"**And we're late**.
**Bell in three**."
---
**Period 1 – PE (Gym)**
**Coach Ramirez** **blew** whistle.
**Dodgeball**.
**Remy** **spun**—**dagger** **hummed**, **shadow feint** from **mist-space** → **perfect dodge**.
**Ball** **missed** by **inches**.
**Brittany (sneering, voice cracking):**
"**Freak luck**.
**Just like your dead grandma**."
**The gym froze.**
**My throat closed.**
**Elowene's ashes** under the **orchard cedar**—**still warm in memory**.
**Remy (stepping forward, voice sharp):**
"**Say that again**."
**Seras (hand on his arm):**
"**Remy. Don't**."
**Celeste (voice trembling, eyes wet):**
"**She's hurting. Let her**."
**Brittany (blinking, voice smaller):**
"**I… I didn't mean—**"
**Coach:**
"**Brittany—bench. Vale—**
**take the court**."
**I caught the next ball.**
**Held it.**
**Let it go—**
**soft toss to a freshman who'd never been picked**.
**Freshman (wide-eyed):**
"**Thanks, Celeste**."
**HUD** **ping**:
```
Skill Used: Mercy
Integrity +1 → 9/10
Remy Dagger Sync +1 → 98%
```
**Remy (quiet, beside me):**
"**You didn't have to do that**."
**Celeste (wiping eyes):**
"**Yeah. I did**."
---
**Period 3 – Study Hall (Library)**
**Julian** **slid** a **notebook** across table—**blood runes** in **red ink**.
**Julian (low, voice raw):**
"**Vital Surge lattice**.
**My mother used it… before Elias took her**.
**She'd want you to have it**."
**His fingers trembled.**
**I covered them with mine.**
**Celeste (soft):**
"**I'm sorry. I didn't know**."
**Julian (eyes distant):**
"**You do now**.
**That's why we train. Not for power. For **them**."**
**Celeste (sketching with finger):**
**Rune** **glowed**, **sank** into **skin**—**warm like Elowene's hand**.
**HUD**:
```
Rune Learned: Vital Surge (Wrist Tattoo)
Cooldown: 23h 59m
```
**Seras (leaning over):**
"**Can I get one?**
**For my little brother. He's sick**."
**Julian (nodding):**
"**After school. I'll teach you**."
---
**Lunch – Cafeteria**
**Tray**: **pizza**, **salad**, **chocolate milk**.
**Pack** **claimed** corner table.
**Seras (poking salad):**
"**Brittany's staring**.
**Mirror shards in her pocket**.
**She's… scared**."
**Remy (dagger pulsing, protective):**
"**Scared people lash out**.
**Remember my cousin?**"
**Celeste (heart aching):**
"**Yeah. He broke your arm**.
**You forgave him**."
**Remy (soft):**
"**Didn't make it hurt less**.
**But it made me **better**."**
**Brittany (approaching, voice trembling):**
"**Still think you're **queen**?**
**Let's see how you handle this**."
**Mirror shard** **flashed**—**aimed** at **Celeste's tray**.
**Celeste (instinct, tears hot):**
**Crimson Veil** → **blood-shield** **flickered**, **deflected** shard into **trash**.
**No harm. No escalation**.
**Cafeteria** **gasped**.
**Brittany's hand shook.**
**Eyes wide.**
**Mirror shard clattered.**
**Celeste (soft, stepping forward):**
"**You're not my enemy**.
**You're just… lost**.
**I know what that feels like**."
**Brittany (voice breaking):**
"**My dad left. My mom drinks. I—**"
**Celeste (hand out):**
"**I'm not your fix. But I'm not your fight**."
**Principal (over intercom):**
"**Vale, office. Now**."
**HUD** **ping**:
```
Skill Used: Crimson Veil (Compassionate)
Integrity +2 → 11/10
Level: 2 (90% → 3)
```
**Dacia (voice trembling):**
*"**Strength is choosing mercy when vengeance is easier**."*
---
**Principal's Office**
**Principal Hayes (stern):**
"**Weapons on campus?**"
**Celeste (calm, tears drying):**
"**Self-defense. No one was hurt**.
**Brittany threw first**."
**Security footage** → **shard** **clearly thrown first**.
**Principal (sighing):**
"**Brittany—suspension. You—warning**.
**And… thank you for not escalating**."
**HUD**:
```
Integrity +1 → 2/10 (new tier)
```
---
**Period 6 – Chemistry**
**Lab partner**: **Brittany (suspended)** → **solo station**.
**Assignment**: **titration**.
**Celeste (alone, focused):**
**Mist-space memory** → **perfect drop**.
**Solution** **turned** **exact pink**.
**Mr. Chen:**
"**Textbook perfect**.
**A+**."
**HUD**:
```
Skill Used: Mist-Space Precision
Sync: Hellebore Blade 2.0 → 110%
```
---
**After School – Dam Turnout**
**Pack** **circled** bikes.
**Remy** **spun** dagger—**shadow arc** carved **snow** into **four-point spiral**.
**Seras (voice soft):**
"**She'll come around**.
**Or she won't. Either way—**
**we're not her mirror**."
**Julian** **tossed** **blood rune stones**—**formed** **healing circle**.
**Celeste (drawing Dawn Flash in air):**
**Light** **flared**, **illuminated** **turnout** for **5 seconds**—**gentle**, **warm**, **like Elowene's smile**.
**Remy (soft, eyes wet):**
"**You didn't need to win. You **chose** to be kind**.
**I'm proud of you**."
**Celeste (voice cracking):**
"**I'm scared, Remy. Every day**.
**What if I mess up?**
**What if the crown **changes** me?**"
**Remy (pulling her close):**
"**Then we'll change it back**.
**Together**."
**HUD** **final ping**:
```
Day 1 Complete
Level: 2 (95% → 3)
Integrity +3 → 5/10
Team Sync: 99%
```
**Dacia (telepathic):**
*"**Tomorrow: PE volleyball finals**.
**Lead with light. Not spite**."*
**Elowene (whispering):**
*"**You made her proud, cariad. And me**."*
**Celeste (kissing Remy, tears falling):**
"**High school, high sync**."
**Locket thumped**—**six heartbeats** + **forty-seven hellebores** + **valley frost** + **Elowene's cedar**.
**First Crush & Quiet Dawn**
---
**Tuesday, 7:05 a.m. – Lakeside High Hallway**
**Lockers** **slammed** like **gunshots**.
**Remy** **waited** by **my locker**, **dagger** hidden under **hoodie**, **hair still wet** from **morning run**.
**Remy (grinning):**
"**Morning, queen**.
**Brought you coffee**."
**Celeste (taking thermos, voice small):**
"**Thanks. I… didn't sleep great**."
**Remy (tilting head):**
"**Mist-space nightmares?**"
**Celeste (shaking head):**
"**Just… Elowene. And Brittany. And this stupid crown**.
**I'm fourteen. I'm supposed to worry about **algebra**, not **ancient wars**."
**Remy (soft):**
"**You're allowed to be both**.
**Come on. Walk me to class?**"
**We walked.**
**Shoulders brushing.**
**Locket thumped**—**twin heartbeats**.
---
**Period 1 – PE (Gym)**
**Coach Ramirez** **lined** us up.
**Volleyball**.
**Brittany** **stood** at the **net**, **suspension lifted**, **eyes down**.
**Coach:**
"**Vale and Brittany—**
**captains**."
**Celeste (heart thudding):**
"**I pick Remy. Seras. Julian**."
**Brittany (voice quiet):**
"**I pick… whoever wants to play**."
**She stepped aside.**
**Let others choose**.
**Remy (low):**
"**She's different**."
**Celeste (watching Brittany serve—**gentle**, **accurate**):**
"**Yeah. She is**."
**Brittany (after point, soft):**
"**Good block, Celeste**."
**Celeste (smiling, surprised):**
"**Thanks**."
**HUD** **ping**:
```
Skill Used: Grace
Integrity +1 → 6/10
```
---
**Period 2 – Algebra**
**New kid** **sat** beside me—**tall**, **messy brown hair**, **green eyes**, **skateboard under desk**.
**Him (whisper):**
"**I'm Noah**.
**Just moved from Portland**.
**You're Celeste, right?**
**Heard you're… kind of a legend**."
**Celeste (blushing):**
"**Legend? I failed the last quiz**."
**Noah (grinning):**
"**Still passed the vibe check**."
**Remy (from across room, eyes narrowed):**
**Locket thumped**—**jealous heartbeat**.
---
**Lunch – Cafeteria**
**Pack** **at corner table**.
**Noah** **joined**—**invited** by **Seras**.
**Brittany** **sat** two tables away—**alone**, **picking at salad**.
**Seras (teasing):**
"**Noah's in my art class**.
**He draws **wolves**."
**Noah (sliding sketch):**
"**Saw your board. Thought you'd like this**."
**Sketch**: **Celeste on her Board doing a switch flip**, **crown glowing**, **Remy beside her**.
**Celeste (breath catching):**
"**It's… beautiful**."
**Remy (voice tight):**
"**Cool. You draw **everyone**?**"
**Noah (shrugs):**
"**Only people who matter**."
**Celeste (glancing at Brittany):**
"**Everyone matters**."
---
**Period 5 – Study Hall**
**Noah** **sat** beside me.
**Remy** **across table**, **dagger tapping**.
**Noah (low):**
"**So… the crown thing. Is it real?**"
**Celeste (fidgeting):**
"**Kinda. It's… complicated**."
**Noah (soft):**
"**I get complicated. My mom's sick. Dad's gone. I skate to forget**."
**Celeste (voice small):**
"**I skate to remember**."
**Remy (standing):**
"**Celeste. Walk?**"
---
**Hallway**
**Remy (voice cracking):**
"**I saw how you looked at him**."
**Celeste (tears hot):**
"**I looked at **you** first**.
**Always**."
**Remy (pulling her close):**
"**I'm scared too**.
**What if the crown takes you away?**"
**Celeste (kissing forehead):**
"**Then we fight for us**.
**Every day**."
**Locket thumped**—**twin heartbeats**, **stronger**.
---
**After School – Dam Turnout**
**Pack** **circled** bikes.
**Noah** **showed up**—**on foot**, **board under arm**.
**Brittany** **walked** past—**slow**, **head down**.
**Celeste (calling):**
"**Brittany!**"
**Brittany (stopping, voice small):**
"**Yeah?**"
**Celeste (offering spare board):**
"**Wanna ride?**
**No crowns. No magic. Just **us**."**
**Brittany (eyes wide, then soft):**
"**…Okay**."
**Three boards**.
**One dam loop**.
**Laughter**.
**No HUD pings**.
**HUD** **final ping**:
```
Day 2 Complete
Level: 2 (99% → 3)
Integrity +4 → 10/10
Level Up: 2 → 3 (slow)
New Passive: "Heart Sync" – +5% team morale when near Remy/Noah/Brittany
```
**Dacia (telepathic):**
*"**Love is training too**."*
**Elowene (whispering):**
*"**Choose with your heart, cariad. It's the strongest muscle**."*
**Celeste (between Remy, Noah, and Brittany—**smiling**):**
"**High school, high sync**."
**Locket thumped**—**six heartbeats** + **two new ones** + **forty-seven hellebores** + **valley frost**.
---
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