Alais almost snapped at Stella when she told her to go, but she knew that it would be better if Liliane was there- not just because of how Zane might look, but because someone might let it slip, and Alais wanted to be the one to tell her daughter.  Placing a hand on Lilianeâ€™s shoulder, the two of them watched the others hurry away, standing in silence.  Alais finally exhaled deeply, mentally preparing herself for the conversation to come.  â€œCome on, Liliane.  Letâ€™s find somewhere to sit down.â€  They walked through the dark night until they finally came upon a low stone wall to perch on, Alais staring straight ahead while Liliane looked up at the stars.<br/><br/>â€œI came to Styx when I was 15.  My first year was nothing special- I was more advance then some of the students, having been trained at Aunt Sonyaâ€™s dojo, but really, there was nothing different about me.  Then the second year started.  There were a lot of fights that first day- there always were, really, I donâ€™t know why.<br/><br/>â€œPartway into my second year, we believed a student was killed.  We found out later he was still alive, butâ€¦he waged war on Styx.  That was the beginning of the war youâ€™ll hear about.â€<br/><br/>â€œAbi and Sophi told me about it a little,â€ Liliane chimed in.  â€œThey saidâ€¦.they said you died.  But you didnâ€™t.â€<br/><br/>â€œNo.  I didnâ€™t .  I should have.  Sorry,â€ Alais said, when Liliane suddenly hugged her, pressing herself closer to Alais.  â€œHere, let me tell it right.  After so long without talking about it, itâ€™s hard.  Anyways, the war started.  Most of the students stayed to fight.  We were only 16, 17 years old, but we were willing to act as soldiers, willing to fight and kill for our cause.  It was insanity, but we agreed to do it, and did it willingly.  In the middle of all this, I fell in love.<br/><br/>â€œHis name was Evan.  He was funny, kind, and a great warrior.  We were dating, we were happy, even with the war raging on around us.  We would always fight together, as a pair.  We thought we were invincible.<br/><br/>â€œAnd then, he was killed.â€  Alais could hear Liliane stifle a gasp, and she sighed.  â€œIt was in one of the biggest attacks of the summer.  Afterwards, I didnâ€™t want to live anymore.  I just kept fighting and killing and waiting to be killed in turn.  I didnâ€™t expect to live through the war, so I took risks, big ones, that got me in trouble, but I didnâ€™t care, as long as I was fighting and defending others, people that had more to live for than me.<br/><br/>â€œThen, three years after Evanâ€™s death, Zane came back.  He was the man that...fell off the roof earlier.  He had found out he was the Sentrada- it means heâ€™s got a lot of power, and he canâ€™t be killed, someone will explain better later.  Anyways, he started talking to me.  I hadnâ€™t been talking to anyone, had been alone for the most part, but for some reason, he wouldnâ€™t leave me alone.  Later I found out thatâ€¦he liked me.  And I slowly began to like him, too.<br/><br/>â€œYears passed, and the war just kept on going, and we just kept on fighting.  Thenâ€¦we hoped it would be the last battle.  It was big- our forces against theirs, all or nothing.  Someâ€¦really bad things happened, and I took a hit that should have killed me.  I survived, butâ€¦I was horribly injured.  I guess I fled, I donâ€™t really remember.  When I was able to, I went to Aunt Sonyaâ€™s house.  I couldnâ€™t think straight, and for some reason, that was the only place I thought of as safe.  I should have gone back to Styx- the normal doctors didnâ€™t know what to make of me, or how to treat me.  And I was never a very good patient.  It was soon after that that I found out that I was pregnant.â€  She lapsed into silence, and it took a gentle nudge from Liliane to start her talking again.<br/><br/>â€œOh.  Sorry.  Well, after that, I wasâ€¦afraid to go back.  Aunt Sonya insisted I wasnâ€™t well enough to make the journey, and she was right, but I could have sent wordâ€¦what matters is, after you were born, I didnâ€™t want you to be raised here.  I wanted to shelter you.â€  Alais smiled sadly, stroking Lilianeâ€™s hair gently.  â€œI know I didnâ€™t do a very good job, butâ€¦I tried.â€<br/><br/>â€œSoâ€¦whoâ€™s my dad?â€  Liliane tried to keep her voice level, but a thin note of hope filtered through, making Alais smile again.  â€œCan you tell me now?â€<br/><br/>â€œWell, you would find out sooner or later, and Iâ€™d rather it was me that told you.  So yes, Zane is your dad.â€  Liliane leaned back, startled despite herself.  She had almost thought so, based on her momâ€™s story, but stillâ€¦<br/><br/>â€œBut heâ€™sâ€¦kinda scary looking.â€<br/><br/>â€œHa!  Is he?  I donâ€™t think he used to beâ€¦â€  Alais chuckled.  â€œDonâ€™t worry, heâ€™s aâ€¦great person.  When he isnâ€™t unconscious, at least.  But letâ€™s go back inside, we should find your room.  We can wander around the dorm area until we find someone to direct us.â€  She wanted to go to the hospital area, to see Zane, butâ€¦she had other priorities now.  Holding Lilianeâ€™s hand, they went back into the building.<br/><br/>They entered the building Alais thought was the right one, and was rewarded by Liliane calling out, â€œTetramis!â€ and turning to say, â€œShe was helping me before,â€ to her mom, before looking at Tetramis again.  â€œHello!â€