The golden-brown hues of Autumn were distinctly undervalued. Where others saw a sign that summer was fading, Kaiya liked the crisp, burned leaves that crept across the trees. It was, to Kaiya, a sign that Christmas was coming and that it was now acceptable to spend the weekends in bed with a book.

The tree before her held all this promise. Or it would have if it were autumn and not spring. The tree was no taller nor wider than those surrounding it. Its branches grew the same way as the rest of the trees in the woods. Where the other trees wore the fresh, green leaves of Spring - this tree was staging a rebellion. Kaiya understood clinging to Autumn, but life would be easier if this tree had conformed.

"Do you want to put a plaque on it?"

"What?" asked Kaiya.

Ross nodded towards the tree. "You and Wind Boy did this. A plaque would commemorate the moment."

"The moment we released the Fragment's Queen?"

"Unless you two have caused another disaster over the last week," said Ross. He framed the tree with his hands, as if measuring up for a plaque. "We could call it ‘A monument to failure’."

Kaiya's cheeks flushed, despite knowing Ross had deliberately left out the details. No one wanted a reminder of their mistakes.

"I'd rather forget we did that," she said.

"You can't. If you forget your mistakes, you'll repeat them. Never forget."

"That doesn't sound healthy."

"You know what isn't healthy? That tree. What do you bet that's the tree?"

Given her current luck, Kaiya didn't doubt that the seasonally confused tree was the one they needed. For two days they’d searched the woods west of Tynewood for a single tree. Naturally, she would be the one to find it, with Ross as her only companion.

Ross was the most powerful of their triad, and the only survivor of the last group of power wielders - but he was hard work. He refused to discuss what happened to the last power wielders, though the experience had clearly damaged him. Surely no one just became this irritating and temperamental?

"I'll call the others," said Kaiya.

"Why?" asked Ross, striding towards the tree. "Two of three power wielders are here."

"We need Benji. Ashley and Taylor should be here too. You know they'll want to see the tree, and we need a plan."

Ross glanced over his shoulders, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure you can manage without a group discussion. What do they teach in schools these days?"

"I think it's called teamwork."

"You're not even certain about that. Why not seize the initiative and decide for yourself for a change?"

Heat flooded Kaiya's face at the jab. Ross knew exactly what buttons to push. Quite the accomplishment after knowing them for a week - it was also the reason no one else would partner with him. To search the woods, they’d split into two groups, rotating every time they met up. For reasons she couldn't fathom, Kaiya had offered herself as a sacrifice for this shift. Maybe it was the defeated look in Benji's eyes, or Ashley muttering how kindness overcomes ignorance that spurred her to volunteer. Maybe it was Taylor announcing that she'd rather burn her meticulous college notes than partner with Ross again.

"Would it kill you to be nice?" asked Kaiya.

"Maybe, wielder of water. Better we don't take that chance."

It was a bad idea, but Kaiya knew that Ross didn't care about that. For a heartbeat, she considered leaving him to deal with it alone and looking for the others. But training their powers had consumed the whole of half-term. They were meant to be a team; water, fire and wind. The three powers formed a triad and were the only hope of defeating the Fragments and their Queen. Of course, it sounded ridiculous. Kaiya might have thought she'd fallen asleep reading if she hadn't lived through it.

"Are you having a group meeting with yourself now? Come on!" called Ross.

He was halfway between her and the tree, with fire wrapping lazily around his left hand - somehow not setting his black jacket alight.

Kaiya chewed her lip, trudging forward to join him. It was better to see what happened, she supposed. Benji, Taylor and Ashley could be anywhere in the sprawling woods. At least if she was here as a witness she could report back honestly to her friends. Despite being on the same team, Ross guarded information as if it cost him to give it away. Staying with Ross was the best way to learn more, but Kaiya couldn't deny pride played a part. She might not be as decisive as Taylor or as curious as Ashley, but she could do things alone - she didn't need instructions.

"Are you sure this is the tree?" asked Kaiya. "Maybe it's sick and dying naturally."

"The sickness is the dark shadow taking root within its roots. Can't you feel the tentacles of darkness spreading through the woods?"

The problem with Ross - one of several - was that everything he said had the same dry, sarcastic tone. It was hard to separate when he was being honest from when he was teasing them.

For now, Kaiya decided to play along, and brace for the humiliation that could follow. "Alright, how do we stop it spreading?"

"First, you need to go to the tree."

"Why me?"

"Because I'm teaching. Because I know what I'm doing - take your pick."

Up close, the tree looked perfectly normal apart from its rebellious auburn leaves.

"Well done, Parks," called Ross, "now you need to water its roots."

Kaiya looked over her shoulder narrowing her eyes. "Why?"

"Because you're the wielder of water. I'm not mocking you, or your mother’s flower shop or even your lack of green fingers."

Kaiya winced - why did Ashley have to tell him about all the plants she'd killed?

"Coaxing the shard out requires a delicate touch," he continued, lifting his burning hand. "I can do it, but it would be a shame to burn such a nice-looking tree, don't you think? Watering the roots seems less destructive."

Was this a possible career choice? Kaiya Parks, human watering can for hire. Perhaps not. Her mum loved flowers, but the rumours of Kaiya's killing spree were unfortunately true. Even so, Kaiya tried to think less of killing and more of watering as she stretched her hand towards the tree.

Following last week's incident in the forest, Ashley's mansion-like house had become their base of operation. Every day, she, Benji, Taylor and Ashley would meet there, hoping Ross might actually train them. All they'd managed to get from him was vague instruction to "feel it" and " let it flow" as if controlling wind and water was that easy. Maybe it was that simple. Ross never struggled to use his power and had looked genuinely baffled when she confessed to summoning her power through fear.

She sighed. Until Ross could show her a better way, she would have to rely on her current method for summoning her power. Focusing on the things that worried her was never a struggle. College, adulthood, the Fragments - Kaiya had plenty of options.

Feeling Ross's eyes on her, Kaiya focused on the negative feelings until she grasped the energy stirring through her. Water sputtered from her hand, soon turning to a steady stream over the tree's roots. Ross wouldn’t teach them, but she and Benji practiced every day and Ashley was only too willing to play coach. Everything around Kaiya ceased to matter - there was only her and the tree. If she let her mind wander, the flow would wander too.

Kaiya kept the water flowing until it ran off the thick roots and trickled through the grass at her feet.

"That didn't do anything," said Kaiya. "What was supposed to happen?"

Silence met her question, and a trickle of unease ran through Kaiya. She turned her back to the tree, only to face the empty woods.

"Ross!" she called. "This isn't funny!"

Anger and anxiety collided in a curious blend. Ross had humiliated her and was probably laughing from behind a tree, but the Woods suddenly didn't seem so friendly. It was too quiet. The trees and bushes were still. The woods hadn't felt like this over the last two days of exploring. Before panic could set in, rustling drew her attention from behind. Kaiya turned, already glaring as she prepared to tell Ross how unfunny he was.

Instead of Ross, Kaiya found herself staring into golden eyes. The effect was startling but so were the crisp, golden-brown leaves that covered the creature's body. It emerged from the tree shaking its leaves out as if waking from a long nap. The creature lifted its head to yawn, exposing white teeth, like polished stones.

Where the creature emerged the tree trunk was now split in two. Like all plants Kaiya watered, the tree was dying.

Kaiya's legs trembled. She took a step back as the creature straightened. It had the body shape of a jungle cat, though its coat was one of leaves rather than fur. It glanced around the area before its golden eyes settled on her.

That was all the incentive she needed. Kaiya's trainers squelched in the damp grass as she turned her back to the creature and ran.

There was part of Kaiya that wanted to be a hero. She imagined herself blasting the creature apart with her power; cool, calm, confident. The logical part of her knew that version of Kaiya existed only in her mind. Far from courage, the only virtue she could claim was common sense.

Direction didn't matter as she hurtled through the trees. Branches snapped as she forced her way through, and her feet stumbled on the uneven ground. All that mattered was losing the leaf creature. Any hope that it might not give chase died at the rustling behind her. Kaiya didn't dare look back but given her running ability stone teeth could be at her neck any moment.

Veering left, Kaiya threw herself between two narrow trees, stumbling down the incline. The move did nothing to deter the leaf creature. Its body contracted to squeeze through the space, never breaking its pace. Most branches offered little resistance to Kaiya until she met one that wouldn’t. The thick branch jerked Kaiya to a halt as the creature lunged.

The impact stole her breath, sending her sprawling down the last few feet of the incline. The sudden change threw the creature off balance too, saving her neck from becoming a chew toy.

Kaiya rolled on the ground, instinctively throwing her hands up to protect her face. In her panic, Kaiya hadn't given her power a second thought, though she could feel the energy simmering. Water exploded from her hands, stunning the creature long enough for Kaiya to scramble backwards.

Getting to her feet was a challenge, and ultimately wasted. Her legs were in open rebellion at the unexpected exercise and her idea of losing the creature had led them to a secluded clearing. Tightly packed trees lined every direction and in front of her was a small, still pond.

All in all, it was a nice peaceful place to die.

Kaiya turned her back on the pond, eyeing the predator. The pursuit was over, and they both knew it. It was an impulse that made Kaiya glance back at the pond. Without thinking, her hand shot up, sending a jet of water into the sky. Maybe her friends would see it and find her body. Hopefully, the leaf creature won't be lying in wait for them when it has finished with her.

"I'm not good meat, you know," said Kaiya. "I'm all sweaty and covered in mud. If you're hungry, there's a man I came here with - much more edible than me."

The leaf creature wasn't convinced, and Kaiya couldn't blame him - Ross was a hard sell to anyone. It shook its leaves out as it approached, shaking the water from its body. Part of Kaiya still wanted to run, but the creature's eyes were drawing her in—a deep gold, flecked with rich browns and greens. Escape didn't matter so much. Nothing mattered.

Kaiya couldn't pinpoint how it happened. One moment she was looking at the creature and the next she saw everything. She saw herself walking alone through a beautiful city. She saw stacks of full sketchbooks in a studio she knew belonged to her. The images changed, each better than the last. This was it - everything she didn't know she wanted. It was a future, she realised. Her future. It was hers if only she would reach out and take it. This Kaiya might be a mess, but future Kaiya wasn't. It was within her reach. She could taste the sweetness-

"Don't you dare eat her!"

Ashley's voice was like a bucket of cold water. The images shattered leaving Kaiya face to face with the creature, its sickly sweet breath wafting around her. A gust of wind slammed into them, sending the leaf creature off balance. It lost interest in her, turning to Benji instead. Ashley hurried towards her, while Taylor took up position with Benji, flicking her blacklight batons on.

"Kaiya, we thought that thing was going to eat you!" said Ashley. She'd switched her blacklight staff on too, so it emitted a faint purple light.

Heat crept into Kaiya's cheeks. "I had it under control."

It was only when she moved to meet Ashley that Kaiya realised why her friend was hurrying towards her. At some point, she'd sunk into the solid ground up to her knees. Great. A leaf monster draws her in with unspoken promises to the point she's half-planted into the ground, and as soon as something better comes along, she’s forgotten. It was ridiculous, but the sting sobered Kaiya from the dream’s touch, leaving embarrassment in its wake.

The creature had promised everything she wanted, but Kaiya couldn't remember what that was. In the moment, it had been more important than anything in the world.

"Why did you plant yourself?" asked Ashley.

Kaiya shrugged. "A surprise for my mum."

Taylor and Benji tried to distract the leaf creature, but other than ruffling its leaves were having no luck in destroying it. Kaiya would have liked to take some revenge on the creature, but she couldn't get free of the ground. Ashley pulled. Kaiya pushed. The ground didn't budge, and Kaiya began to consider life as a human plant.

Ashley stepped back, pursing her lips. "We’re going to need a shovel."

"Kaiya, Ashley, get ready! We're coming to you!" called Taylor.

The creature didn't seem interested in planting Benji but snapped and lunged at him instead. For his part, Benji used his wind power like a shield, driving it towards her and Ashley.

The blacklight weapons had no noticeable effect. Taylor was using her batons like clubs and Ashley was weighing up her spear to do the same. A groan escaped Kaiya when she realised the plan. One power wielder wasn't effective, but two could be.

"What's wrong?" asked Ashley.

"This is humiliating."

"It's an epic story! Imagine the ballads they'll sing about the power wielder's victory over the leaf-cat-thing. There once was a girl buried in the ground, deep in the woods where the monsters prowled…"

"I didn't think it could get worse."

Naturally, it did get worse and not just because Ashley added another verse. Benji's wind struggled to contain the creature and its paw breaking through might have taken his head off if Taylor hadn't batted the leaves away. Where Benji's power had range, Kaiya's had strength.

"Is that close enough?" asked Benji, grunting with the effort.

"A little more."

As soon as Kaiya felt the wind sweep past her face, she lifted her hands towards it, sending water into Benji's wind. Within moments, the mini hurricane trapped the creature. Benji stood across from Kaiya, sweat running down his face.

"Kaiya, are you-"

"Planted. Yes, I know."

Taylor and Ashley filled out the circle, using their weapons to bat away any leaves that breached the hurricane.

"Go team, go!" said Ashley. "We can do this!"

Kaiya was less optimistic. The blacklights didn't bother the creature. Other than making it angrier, their miniature hurricane was having very little effect.

"It came from a tree, maybe we can trap it in a tree again," said Taylor.

"How do you know that?" asked Kaiya. It was a logical conclusion, but Taylor said it with too much certainty. "Wait, you don't mean…"

Benji nodded. "Ross found us, he said you'd unleashed the Shard from a tree and might need some help."

"The water flare was a great idea by the way," added Ashley. "I love a good team catch-up, but maybe we can discuss the Ross problem later?"

"What problem?" drawled a familiar voice.

It took every inch of control Kaiya had to not redirect her water power to Ross instead. He sauntered into the clearing as if it was a normal day and he hadn't left her to be eaten by a leaf monster. He walked around them, eyeing the creature.

"I see you've managed to contain the Shard. Good work pastry squad."

"You abandoned me!" said Kaiya, narrowing her eyes.

Ross patted her shoulder. "You're fine. I don't see any teeth marks."

Ashley was forgiving to a point and Taylor was understanding of mistakes, but Kaiya had thought herself the most tolerant of other's flaws. Maybe she'd been lying to herself and in reality, she was a mug. That was exactly what Ross had of her.

"You should be glad I'm busy," she said.

Ross lifted an eyebrow. "Did you grow a spine in that soil, Parks? That almost sounded like a threat."

It was tempting to bite back, but a little voice in her head told her to let it go like she let everything else go. Besides, her position in the soil had left her eye-level with Ross - not her strongest position to argue from.

"Ross, if you don't make yourself useful, you'll be joining Kaiya in the ground!" snapped Taylor, leaning back as a leafy paw swiped past her face.

"See Parks? That's how you deliver a threat." Ross rolled his shoulders, joining their circle. "I suppose it's time to finish this thing."

Within a moment, a fireball appeared in Ross's hand and the next it was dropping into the centre of the hurricane. Jealousy flickered through Kaiya at the display of power, and Benji's face held the same feeling. The moment the three powers collided, it was over. Kaiya doubted the leaf creature had the chance to decide whether Ross was worth eating before the end came.

Benji swayed as he dropped his arms, and Kaiya let her power go too, weariness curling through her. Smoke wafted from the centre of the circle and when it cleared, a small golden Orb sat in a newly made crater.

Ross picked up the stone, unbothered by the steam coming from it. "One for the Pastry Squad, zero to the Fragments. Good teamwork and all that."

Four sets of eyes bore into the fire wielder, but it would make no difference. He was a wielder the last time the Fragments stirred - they needed him no matter how difficult he was to work with.

Kaiya wished she could understand why. If she had people looking to her for guidance, she liked to think she'd do her best to be helpful rather than a hindrance. It was wishful thinking. Maybe she'd be as difficult as he was.

It was a passing thought, no more significant than most, but Kaiya could swear she heard an answer.

‘Dive deeper. The truth is there…'