She looked stressed.

Normally, Grace was cheerful and easily swallowed discomfort. But right now, Grace wasn't being rational, and that's what made it so hard for me to understand her.

“What's wrong?” Bayla asked.

She looked up from her black notebook, where she had started making countless notes since last Thursday. Mostly a few moments after she'd asked me or Grace questions.

I had a bad feeling that – if we really had to erase her memory – we would have to get rid of this book too.

“I hate statistics!” Grace looked angrily at her binders, which were now strewn all over the floor. “I wish I was a Fire Quatura and all this was on fire.”

I looked up in surprise away from my puppy, who had just rolled over on my blanket.

He was cute, but he was nibbling on all sorts of things. But I couldn't be angry with him because he was still so small and every time, he scratched his ear with his little paws and tipped to the side, my heart melted.

I'd only had the little guy for a week, but already I got on better with him than with anyone else here.

It was relaxing to run through his soft fur or play with him.

My mother had taken him to her heart first when I had brought him to Moenia, which had immediately turned me off. She had stroked him and played with his little ears until I had simply picked him up and disappeared into my room with him.

Amara had asked Grace why she had brought such a hairy troublemaker into the house and told her that we both had enough on our plates and couldn't take care of a dog, but Grace had argued that it was my dog and I could manage it.

“Julie would need a few more friends.”

“Very funny,” I had replied, but Grace had been serious.

She often wanted me to meet up more with the other Quatura because socializing within the Circle was important. Unfortunately, I didn't function that way. I had Grace, Erik, and now a little dog who seemed to be looking for attention.

Buddy sat up and shook himself before he slipped off my bed and pranced across the floor to disappear through the open door.

“Then change your major. You still have the chance.”

Bayla made it sound like it would be so easy.

“We both would have liked to study something else...” I said and reached for my smartphone.

Bay looked at me with a slight grin, but I tried to make it clear to her with a begging look not to make any hints so obvious in front of Grace.

My heart leapt when I read who had texted me.

I had to smile a little.

“And why didn't you do it then?”

“Believe me, if we were allowed to, we would have. But there are duties we have to fulfill before we can do what we want,” Grace laughed without really laughing. An expression I never understood why people used it, perhaps to be sarcastic?

Grace's curly hair bobbed up and down in her fury. She gathered up all the pieces of paper again and threw them on her bed.

“The dog can pee on it for all I care,” she hissed angrily. “He seems to mistake our beds for his toilet anyway.”

“Don't tell me that's what this Circle wants...”

Bayla had put the notebook down on her legs and was now wide-eyed.

I nodded in confirmation before answering Erik with warmed cheeks.

“Have you ever actually rebelled? Did you do what you wanted? I mean, they can't forbid you to lead your own lives, can they?”

I wished from the bottom of my heart that this would be possible, but unfortunately it wasn't that simple. The Circle was our top priority. Had to be our priority...

“We can't afford something like that. If you only knew how many duties I have.”

I looked up again. “Grace, I don't have any fewer duties.”

“I guess you do. I wish we could swap for a day. Then you'd know how hard it is to have to fulfill your role as part of the prophecy.”

Her words made me tremble inside, not out of disappointment at her misjudgment, but because it reminded me why I wouldn't wish anyone to have to step into my shoes. The terror in my head, all the duties and the role I had to play for Gloria and Grace. What Gloria did to us Air Quatura…

My hands got cold again, and I felt like I was drifting off.

“Don't say that,” I said in a shaky voice.

I hated that my voice broke so often.

My mind wandered painfully back to all the Quatura in my life. Margot, Vivienna, Amber, Gloria... They all reminded me that I was a failure. At least Grace should see that she had it better than me. But that wasn't going to happen.

Grace fitted into the system and I continued to keep my head above water.

“Leave it, Julie!” Her voice got louder. “I have the right to complain because it's about me! I wish it wasn't about me, but this whole prophecy is such a damn burden!”

She looked at me in anger and it hit me. She was never loud with me, never, unless it was about this ridiculous prophecy. She knew it confused me, only she'd probably forgotten that I couldn't handle that amount of emotion.

“Honestly, you could even study what you want. You're just not doing it because of Gloria, even though that woman doesn’t even care about your private life. So, stop pretending you're in exactly the same position as me!”

Her words hit me with unexpected pain, stabbing through my heart like a rough finger through a soap bubble.

But I couldn't defend myself. Something inside me was blocked. All I was able to do was my usual attempts to calm her down.

“Grace, please. You're making a big deal out of this. That damn prophecy shouldn't limit you. You don't always have to try to be perfect just to fit into this picture.”

Grace didn't seem to take my words the way I wanted them to come across. She gave me a furious glare.

“Okay, guys, relax for a second. What kind of prophecy is this all about?”