"...one last thing, would VIP pass holders Chase Hewkin and Roy Evarbor please report to the backstage area?"

Chase hadn't been listening to the MC, but the sound of his name caught his attention. He looked up to see that Roy had already stood up and was adjusting his suit, preparing to make his way to the obscure velvet-covered steps that led backstage.

"Well, that's us," Roy offered helpfully, noticing that Chase was still in his seat. Chase sighed, muttering to himself as he stood up. "This is why they say you shouldn't meet your idol."

"Oh, come on, Chase," Roy shook his head, allowing a touch of professional disdain to show on his face. "You didn't think she was going to announce it all to the world, did you? We're not exactly a public operation. What she wants to say, she'll be saying back there," he gestured to the velvet curtain that now hung where Juliana had stood only moments ago.

Chase stiffened, feeling the hairs rise on the back of his neck. There was no way he could've heard that. Chase had barely heard it!

"How did you..." he trailed off, shocked.

"I've got dog cochleas," Roy grinned with pride, tugging his left earlobe. "Lab grown, of course. Juliana has night vision. You'd be surprised what you can get implanted in Arcana if you've got the money. We don't have any of your pesky American restrictions."

Chase was speechless. No wonder Juliana's eyes were so mesmerizing. If Roy was telling the truth, he wasn't just dealing with rich foreigners. He was dealing with... he could barely bring himself to think it, but he was dealing with real bionic people. He had a million questions, but a single one plagued his mind as he stepped past the crimson curtain.

What in the world had his parents been hiding?

"No, I cannot wait for them to be shipped by truck. I need them on a plane on their way to my location now... yes, Mr. Nash, I already told you I was willing to pay the extra thousand!"

A very familiar, if now slightly irritated voice, grew closer as Princess Juliana herself rounded the corner, coming face to face with Chase and Roy. She sighed at the sight of them, yanking the sleek, black earpiece out of her ear. "I can't believe the inefficiency of that company."

"Munitions for the Order?" Roy raised an eyebrow.

"What in the world are you talking about?" Juliana rolled her eyes. "I ordered a new pair of Italian leather sandals for the gala next Saturday and they still aren't here! Crazy, isn't it?"

"Juliana..." Roy darted his eyes secretively at Chase after making sure that the three of them were the only ones in the tiny area between the curtain, the ropes, and the backstage wall. "This is him. Chase Hewkin. He's got clearance to know the truth."

"That doesn't mean it is wise to bombard him with information," Juliana rolled her eyes. "Give him a moment to take it all in. I'm sure he's quite overwhelmed. Hello, Chase. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Chase had been planning this moment out for what felt like all his life. A thousand times he had pictured standing in front of her, shaking her hand, exchanging a smile. He would tell her what he thought of her most recent video, perhaps impress her with his extensive knowledge of her background and beliefs, but he wouldn't get too detailed and cross the line from informed to creepy. Yes, he was more prepared for this than he had ever been for anything else in his life.

"Wow...Princess Juliana...it's, um, it's an honor, Your Highness. I like your YouTube channel?"

Juliana smiled patiently down at him as if he were a child. Chase wanted to disappear. The words flowed so freely in his head, but when it came time to say them aloud, they came out all jumbled. If only he were a little better at socializing.

"Thank you! I didn't think I was very popular in America. Your country is filled with much more interesting celebrities," she laughed. "Anyway, I have a meeting room reserved on the other side of this stage. I'm sure that would be a more convenient place than this to talk."

And just like that, Chase's awkward moment was over. Feeling even more ashamed of his poor conversational skills, he followed Juliana and Roy through a narrow backstage hallway dotted with little doors. His head swam with confused thoughts. What in the world did they want with him, of all people? Did they know about his abilities? Was it a good idea to mention them?

"Look," Chase began, clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering with anxiety as Juliana stopped in front of one of the doors, pushing it open. "I know I'm not nearly as smart as either of you, and I'm very lost right now. This is probably a very elementary question, but... does this- whatever we're doing- have anything to do with the fact that I can see probabilities?"

"On the contrary, Chase, you're very intelligent for having discovered your abilities on your own," Juliana replied, leading the others into the room. It was circular, furnished only with a wooden table and three chairs, but surprisingly spacious. "Please, have a seat," the princess gestured to the third chair as she and Roy took their seats in the first and second. Chase sat down after a long moment of hesitation, still watching Juliana with interest.

"We call your talents Aptitude," she explained slowly, folding her arms on the table in front of her. "You possess more of it than the Order has seen in generations. For reference, it took me three years to learn to decipher probabilities like you do naturally, and my Aptitude score was a 96 out of 100- in the top 1% of my age group.

"What? You mean, you see them too? Do you?" Chase looked at Roy, wide-eyed. This was his childhood dream come true! Ever since he'd first seen Juliana, he'd known she was like him. As far as psychic abilities went, his was pretty darn pointless, but perhaps she had some ways to put it to good use. The possibilities were endless. Yet, just then, one of the things she had said began to stand out to him, forming a question in the back of his mind. "And what's the Order?"

"Do I see them? Chase, one thing I must immediately clarify is that the Aptitude does not uniquely grant us the ability to see probabilities," Roy said sternly, a dark expression coming over his face. "Seeing probabilities is not a superpower. It is merely a discipline, like math or science, that anyone can learn if they put in the appropriate efforts. The Aptitude, like natural talent in any subject, simply gives us a nudge in the right direction. It does not make us mentally superior, and it certainly does not justify a dichotomy between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'." He said this emphatically, as if someone had already come up with this idea and he was not at all pleased with it. "As for what the Order is..." he turned to Juliana, who was now glowering at him, clearly displeased with his last statement. "I don't know where to start."

"The Order of Chance has been called by many different names including one that is probably familiar to you- the Illuminati- but it has existed in some form since the dawn of human history," Juliana began grandiosely, raising her arms in the air for effect. "It is a collection of humanity's brightest minds, gifted with the Aptitude and usually many other talents. Its most famous ancient members were so skilled at seeing and manipulating probabilities that they could perform feats that ordinary people thought were magical. Many of them became known as sorcerers, saints, or even gods. Descended from several of those legendary figures are the Four Bloodlines, the families who preside over the modern-day Order: VanderSchee, Evarbor, Serpentine... and Hewkin."

"My parents are accountants," Chase blurted. "Whoever you think I am, I'm very sorry, but it's not me. The only thing I preside over is my school's computer science club." The information that had just been revealed to him swam incoherently through his brain. Seeing probabilities he could grasp, but manipulating them? He had never even thought his abilities could be used that way. If anything, Juliana's explanation, though very eloquently given, only left him more confused.

Juliana and Roy exchanged looks, silently deciding that Chase would need a little more convincing.

"Chase, you say your parents are accountants. What is the name of the firm they work for?" Juliana asked.

"Nader V. Hesche Financial..." he replied uncertainly, not sure how exactly this tied in to the whole Order of Chance business.

"Unscramble that. What does it spell out?" Juliana continued. "Use the probabilities. Which letters are more likely to go together?" she added helpfully.

Chase squinted, picturing the words in his head. The letters floated in the space between his eyes and his eyelids, and soon, they were accompanied by percentages. He felt the gazes of both Juliana and Roy on his forehead; he was probably taking forever to do this, by their standards. But he continued on, painstakingly rearranging the letters in the most likely combinations until the answer presented itself. The clue was so obvious that he wondered how he could've possibly missed it before.

Nader V. Hesche...

"VanderSchee," he whispered incredulously. "Nader V. Hesche unscrambled is VanderSchee."

"Exactly," Juliana smiled with measured pride. "Nader V. Hesche is a dummy company owned by the Order of Chance. On paper, all of our active agents work for it and receive their salaries from it so as not to arouse unwanted curiosity. After all, what could possibly be less interesting than an accounting firm?"

"That's... I don't even know what to say. My parents are secret agents! Why didn't they ever tell me?"

"Well..." For the first time today, Juliana seemed unsure of herself. She fidgeted with her pearl bracelet, looking over at Roy as if to confirm that she was allowed to say what she was about to say next. "You see, Chase, the house fire that killed my parents wasn't an accident- it was an attack. The Order has enemies dedicated to wiping out the Four Bloodlines, a terrorist cell known as the Jackers. Many years ago, when your family still lived in Arcana, the Jackers swarmed your parents' mansion with the intention of killing them, but when they found the prince and princess of Arcana there for a dinner party, they took them instead." At this, Juliana paused to regain her composure.

"Your father and my father were very close, and my parents' death ruined poor Lord Hewkin. He blamed himself for my father's death- a death that he thought was meant for him. I was too young to remember it myself, but I am told that he saw darkness and danger in the Order that day. You were only a baby, and he wanted to protect you from that peril at all costs." And then, she stopped, as if that would explain everything.

"Lord Hewkin?" Chase gasped, leaning into the center of the table, a strange curiosity ignited in his eyes. "What exactly did he do to protect me?"

"Against the advice of nearly everyone he knew, including the king himself, your father abandoned Hewkin Manor and significantly reduced his involvement in the Order of Chance. Leaving most of his fortune in Arcana, he took his family to live in America. He promised that he and his wife would travel to Arcana whenever the Order needed them in exchange for just one thing: neither the Order nor any of its members would attempt to make contact with his son until he granted them permission. It was a curious arrangement, and ever since then, the Order has been teeming with gossip about the mysterious Hewkin heir with an Aptitude that's off the charts, raised in total isolation from his true heritage. You."

"So I'm assuming my dad gave you permission to tell me all this?"

"He sent us a letter last week," Juliana confirmed. "He didn't mention any sort of occasion- it's not your eighteenth birthday, or anything. We have no idea why he chose to do it now, of all times."

As wild as Juliana's story was, it made sense. He didn't understand his father's decision, but then again, how could he? He had never experienced the level of loss that had driven him to it. As he pondered Juliana's words, running through them once more in his mind, a strange thought struck him.

"So... does this mean my sister is some kind of heir too?" The thought of spunky, middle school drama queen Meg as any level of nobility was comical enough to bring a smile to his face.

"Well, in terms of money, Megan Hewkin will inherit whatever part of the Hewkin estate her parents choose to leave to her," Roy chimed in. "And of course, being the daughter of a nobleman comes with certain benefits within and outside of Arcana."

"But she unfortunately has no Aptitude. Because of that, you are the sole heir to your father's status in the Order," Juliana added. "Someday, the Hewkin Seat will be yours, as that of Evarbor and VanderSchee will belong to Roy and me. As for what exactly that role entails, you'll have to come to Arcana with us to find out?"

"Me? Go to Arcana? But school, and my parents-"

"Your parents know," Juliana confirmed. "They are waiting in Arcana City for us. It is high time you met some of the Order members you will be working with for the rest of your life."

Before Chase could reply, the door burst open to reveal a stout man in a nondescript black suit. "Your Eminences must leave immediately! It's the Jacke-"

He paused mid-word, letting out a horrible choking noise as a patch of crimson bloomed on his lapel. Chase froze as the man fell to his knees and then to the floor, coughing up blood as more bullets hit him from behind.

Chase was beginning to understand where his father was coming from.