Cinder did her best to hide her surprise at Beatrix's lack of a public relations gloss, but only partially managed it. Their early meetings had been different, centered around vague reassurances and meaningless platitudes.

The mask was off. There would be no reprieve of the Magistrate's attitude.

Beatrix continued, laying out her words carefully and slowly enough for everyone to follow. "In short, I need you to tell me why—in terms that don't question my professionalism or insult my integrity—we shouldn't open an investigation into your team, your unique abilities, and your sudden development into a resurrective condition."

The five bristled as one.

"What exactly did we do that was so insulting?" Pyra asked indignantly. "We're still the same people from the last time we all had tea together."

Cinder eyed Beatrix, waiting for an answer.

"Not the question I asked, but I'll answer it," Beatrix replied. "You are attempting to change a policy that is tenuously in place. The fact is, my discretion allowed you to be classified as Unregistered Practitioners instead of criminals and Magical Abominations. The status quo isn't being maintained. We're at a crossroads."

"You sound worried that we're monsters in the making."

Beatrix's gaze focused on her like a ray of light through a magnifying glass. "I sound worried about magic beyond my understanding. A few months ago, you had the chance to tell me about this, and you chose not to do so. At the time, I was willing to accept that decision in good faith. Now? Not so much."

"Understandably," Kindle said. "We'll get back to you if—"

"No." Beatrix leaned forward over her desk. "You don't get to determine anything more on the matter. I was willing to indulge your insistence on privacy because you possessed unclassified abilities, but now? Your classification is contingent on establishing if your ability is consistent with known parameters or requires additional oversight."

Ash flinched. "You aren't going to tell us to show you whatever you want, right?"

Galen shook his head. "Resorting to invasive spells would defeat the point of an interview with sworn testimony. In all honesty, we'll settle for whatever you're willing to share—truth and details only, though we reserve the right to revisit or verify when necessary. Full disclosure helps us expedite your classification."

"If that isn't incentive, nothing is." Beatrix pursed her lips, fingers tapping the desktop in a slow, deliberate rhythm that was somehow far more intimidating than an outright slam. "Let me make a few things perfectly clear. First: as fascinating as I find your nature, that fascination will only protect you for so long as it presents no danger to the public. Second: while your classification isn't based on guilt, any ambiguity on the matter will be held against you. And third: cooperation is always preferable to containment—and much less painful. Don't waste our time."

Valerian cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "Allow me to add a simple truth: knowledge is a boon, not a burden. The Magisterium's purpose is the preservation of magical stability within Amaranth. That is our primary role and duty; all else is incidental." He motioned for Beatrix to continue. "My apologies for interrupting."

Beatrix stood from her seat, sweeping her hands wide at her sides as she enunciated each syllable with sharp, precise diction. "I'm sure you understand my frustration in not obtaining answers. It seems inevitable that such secrecy will hurt you. Better to spill your secrets now, on your own terms, than when others force them out."

"We understand," Cinder said flatly.

"Good." Beatrix drew a steadying breath and regained her seat, expression once more a facade of professional serenity. "So, let's start with a simple question."

Valerian and Galen exchanged a pointed look.

"Fire away," Kindle said, cringing at her word choice, then adding, "you know, fire-related puns not intended."

"I can't get involved in the investigation directly," Galen interjected smoothly, "so the Archmage will take the lead on this."

"Indeed." Valerian steepled his fingers, gathering their attention. "Here's our question: if your nature is truly something beyond necromancy—if you can, in fact, recover from destruction without external support—why not mention that from the beginning?" He held up a hand before she could respond. "And don't say it's because 'you didn't know at the time.'"

The five shifted in their chairs, working out a silent division of labor.

Ash began the explanation. "We didn't mean to keep it secret. It just never really came up."

"And what about the weeks between our meeting and today?" Beatrix prodded, visibly annoyed. "It can't have taken all that time to discover this. Why wait if there was no intention to conceal?"

"Look, when we first found out," Cinder continued, "it had only been a day or so before we got here. We were still trying to figure it out."

"Yeah!" Pyra cut in, voice pitching up. "Even if we'd wanted to say something, we had other priorities and thought it was—"

"—temporary." Kindle finished for her. "We assumed it was an anomaly, and we didn't want to raise a fuss for something that was probably a fluke."

"Define 'it,'" Beatrix prompted.

Ash nodded. "As in, 'we didn't know we could do it.'"

"Didn't, as in past tense?" Beatrix sighed. "Do you mean to tell me this isn't something you've tested on purpose?"

"Of course not," Ember said. "You don't try to die on purpose. Except with—"

She cut herself off, but the silence continued well past the point of subtlety.

"Except with what?" Valerian prompted.

Ash fidgeted in her seat. "During the Gramkul mission at the mines, I intentionally blew up the main tunnel and myself because it seemed like a necessary sacrifice."

Beatrix leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "A 'necessary sacrifice.' Alright, let's address that. This situation has all the signs of an intentionally cultivated ability. But if not, then how does this work?"

The five exchanged another nonverbal conversation.

Cinder sighed. "We've never made a point to figure out exactly how it goes down."

"You say 'goes down,'" Beatrix replied. "That implies repeated experience with the process."

"Well, not on purpose," Kindle admitted. "It hasn't happened that many times, all told."

"How many?" Valerian asked quietly.

The five looked at each other.

Ember offered a pained smile. "Five-ish times?"

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"So five," Beatrix corrected, scribbling down more notes. "Let's move on from semantics to specifics. Explain as though I'm a curious young child who wants to know everything."

There was another long pause, punctuated by the sound of Valerian's hands clasping together.

Ash cleared her throat. "After every time our physical body is destroyed, we... can re-form after a day, more or less, with our previous memories intact. Like... a clean, fresh start."

Beatrix opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again to prevent her stunned expression from becoming apparent.

"No external catalyst?" Valerian said. "Nothing aids the process or speeds it up?"

"Not that we know of," Cinder replied.

"No attempt to alter or control the result?" Beatrix continued.

"Of course not. Why would we?"

Galen shifted forward, raising one hand to enumerate his thoughts. "Let me summarize what I just heard. In short, on five occasions, you've died, destroyed your body, and reformed like nothing happened. Now, I want to be very clear on this. You are certain that you have experienced the process of physical destruction at least five times, and each time, it resulted in the restoration of both body and memories?"

The five nodded.

Valerian stood from his chair, taking up a position that put him at the center of the room, where he could address Beatrix and Galen and see the five with equal ease.

"Let me take this from here," he suggested with a raised hand. "If I may, Beatrix."

She waved him ahead, leaning back with an exasperated look as she handed the reins over to him. "Be my guest."

Valerian gathered his robe around him and turned to fully face the women. His hands remained clasped, though he set one over the other to mask his subtle fidgeting.

"Let me explain in brief. Magic follows rules just as any other physical force. It requires preparation, incantations, power, and personal understanding. Your description of an ability that operates without any of those precursors is nigh impossible—and perhaps that description might be a tad hyperbolic."

He strode to the windows, drawing the curtains aside with a slight flourish and allowing afternoon sunbeams to stream through.

"Ultimate magic. That's the sort of power you're describing—the type of mastery that suggests not merely exceptional ability but almost mythic levels of control."

He turned back to the team, the dim light behind him framing him in a haloed silhouette that contrasted the hard points of his features.

"Now, it's well-accepted that legends can be exaggerated over time, but sometimes, a kernel of truth can be found in the middle of the tale. For example, tales of immortality likely began as accounts of prolonged lifespan—an unfortunate misunderstanding that allowed people to assume they were indestructible. A simple difference of perspective, but an important one. A blessing mistaken for a curse, to put it another way."

Pyra leaned over to Ash, lowering her voice to a stage whisper. "What's he on about?"

"He's saying, if our story feels incredible, that's because it is," Ash whispered back. "But that doesn't mean it's a lie."

"Correct," Valerian agreed, moving to take his place back by Galen's side, pale gaze turning their way once more. "Therein lies the difficulty for someone of my vocation—seeing the magical in the midst of all these details. I struggle to confirm or deny what you say without actually seeing it. But—" He raised an index finger. "—such tests would violate every ethical rule on invasive magical studies."

"If there's a moral dilemma here," Beatrix muttered, "I'm glad it's yours."

"The dilemma is more complex than that, Beatrix," Galen cut in smoothly. "Classification is the question of the hour, but this extends far beyond that, as well. Their condition hints at potential so great I fear to dream it, much less to dare to believe it—or worse, to confirm it."

"You've lost me," Cinder said flatly.

"My point is this," Valerian continued. "If your claims are true, then you possess a form of magical control and preservation beyond anything recorded in history. Which poses an entirely new set of questions, among them: what is the ultimate limit of your abilities?"

Pyra raised her hand. "How about we don't test for that?"

"I'm afraid that's not an option," Valerian said. "An unknown unknown is even more dangerous than a known unknown. Classification is primarily an investigative process of exploration and discovery, after all. We need to have some idea of your capacity, else the risks—"

"Risks?" Ember repeated. "What risks?"

Beatrix took up the thread. "That you're concealing something far more dangerous than anything we could anticipate."

Valerian gestured to the windows behind him. "Magic is often described as the interplay of forces. You emit flame, and a target suffers damage. You create a barrier, and an offensive spell rebounds. Such interactions rely on specific rules and assumptions, even if they're not consciously known. Magic is no more mystical than a game of cards." He offered Beatrix a faint smile. "We all assume there's nothing nefarious going on behind the scenes. Otherwise, we wouldn't play the game."

"That's a weird analogy," Kindle said, "but I think I got it."

"Magic is always subject to the same rules—and when it breaks those rules, we assume there's something underlying the process that we just haven't discovered. Laws of magic. Immutable principles of force. That sort of thing."

Ash tipped her head to one side. "Let me guess: we violate known magic, therefore we may be hiding something malicious?"

Valerian snapped his fingers. "Astute. And worse still if this is a deliberate ruse, of course. Nothing is more dangerous than a catastrophe perpetrated by someone who believes their actions are justified. The safety of this region isn't just my moral responsibility, but also my duty—and the same can be said for the Magisterium as a whole. My point is, we need to figure out how you work—not to invade your privacy, but to determine your function, potential, and threat. Put another way, our task is to understand what we're looking at."

"No pressure or anything, then," Cinder replied drily. "Like, literally nothing to gain here."

Beatrix sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose again. "I think I see the issue. If you're unwilling to help yourself here, I can't force you. Let me be clear: I've been as patient as I could stand to be. Your unique circumstances grant exceptional status, but only in terms of your initial evaluation. That time is over, and now the practical issues take precedence. Cooperation with our regulatory framework is essential."

Galen frowned at her, then turned to the five, hands out at his sides. "We're not attacking you. We're not your enemies. In fact, we're willing to accept that everything you've told us is true. But our understanding is incomplete. Help us complete it, and we can be allies in good faith."

"Answers are essential," Beatrix added, looking at Ash. "Now, not later. Let's assume you aren't hiding anything or doing this on purpose. Even better, let's assume your purpose aligns with our own. Help us figure this out."

Ash looked around the room, catching the other four's attention. After a moment of silent discussion, she turned back to Beatrix.

"We appreciate your patience, and we know the Magisterium only wants to keep Amaranth safe. The thing is, we're not entirely sure how everything works. Not exactly. And anything that sounds too good to be true usually is."

Beatrix set the papers down on her desk, bracing herself against it as she rose. "You're right, of course. Not entirely sure. I can work with that. As long as you're honest with us from now on about what you can do, that's all we ask. Clearly, something remarkable is going on here, and we'd be fools to ignore it."

Galen took up the conversation next. "Think of yourself like a new breed of spell user, with vast, untested potential. What I find fascinating is that you appear to possess mastery of life beyond anything we've ever seen—mastery without formal study—and all the risks therein. A wild flame burns, but a controlled flame serves as a power."

"Hard to believe we're real, huh?" Ember said weakly.

Valerian gave her a bemused look. "Truthfully? The older you get, the more you realize how much you don't understand. By now, I've learned not to balk at the improbable. But I appreciate your candor. We'll shelve the matter for a few days to discuss."

"And if that discussion leads to containing us?" Ash asked, looking to each of the figures surrounding them one by one.

Beatrix gave her a withering look. "Containment has never been part of the equation, despite your insistence on considering the worst possible scenarios. Containment only occurs where harm is possible. You haven't intentionally harmed anyone, and we see no evidence of a deliberate ruse. Assuming you don't lie to my face when pressed, that should remain true."

Galen straightened, looking to each of the five in turn. "All we can do is take your assurances of good faith at face value for now. But if circumstances change, we can't make exceptions. Your classification determines both our willingness to trust and our course of action."

"As for the immediate future," Valerian added, "I'll begin formulating some sort of trial to determine your potential, and Beatrix will review the ethics."

Pyra groaned. "What about our rights?"

Ash elbowed her and shook her head discreetly.

"We haven't violated them yet," Beatrix explained, looking as weary as the five felt. "Your provisional status was well justified by what we saw when you arrived. Now, we know more. And contrary to your persistent insistence on viewing the Magisterium as an oppressive evil, we operate within the law. Your right to confidentiality, privacy, and safety won't be compromised without evidence of a threat. Keep your promises, and that promise will be kept."

"Rest assured," Valerian added, "we're not trying to make life more difficult for you. If there's a way forward without risking the populace, we intend to find it."

The five looked at one another with strained, awkward expressions, unsure if the interview was at an end or if it had, in fact, only just begun.

Beatrix extended one hand. "Deal?"

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