"Well, we're here. The Daylight Palace," Roy announced quite anticlimactically. It took Chase a moment to realize that he was, in fact, referring to the white marble colossus that sat right smack dab in the middle of the city. The old-ish ornamental architecture of the palace contrasted delightfully with the modern utility of the buildings around it.

"The grounds aren't as spacious as one would expect castle grounds to be, I know," Roy remarked. "But it's in the middle of the city. Space matters, you know? This is more of an administrative palace. The summer palace in Yerkfort? Now that's what I call the kind of place where old kings and queens get fat on exotic wines and cheeses."

"Wow..." Chase trailed off. He hadn't even thought the grounds were lacking- they were certainly more spacious than his backyard- but he decided not to press the subject. He already felt poor and uncultured enough in the presence of a European warrior princess mathematician and her associate. He decided to take this opportunity to learn more about the country he was in. "So, technically, is Arcana still an absolute monarchy? Or is it like Great Britain? You know, with a symbolic royal family but an elected government that does all the actual governing?"

"We're one of the last absolute monarchies left on Earth, and one of the only countries that has never been involved in a war or a revolution," Juliana chirped proudly as the car stopped in front of a large water fountain on the palace's wide open lawn.

"What's our secret? The UN asks all the time, and we make up excuses, but I think you know what it really is, don't you, Mr. Aptitude?" she grinned as she opened the door, standing up to stretch her legs before strolling up the paved path that led to the palace gate.

Incredible. Clearly, the probabilities could be used in ways Chase had never imagined. A literal utopian country had been built with their help!

And that was when, as he hurried out of the car and up the pathway in an effort to keep up with Juliana and Roy, a thought struck him. A thought so simple yet so incredible that he couldn't believe that no one in the Order of Chance had thought of it before. He held it in for fear of looking presumptuous as they walked past the security guards at the gate and entered the palace, carefully skirting the floors that were open to the public in order to avoid causing a scene and stepping into an elevator in an effort to steer clear of the tourists taking selfies on the velvet-clad spiral staircases.

Finally, he could hold it in no longer.

"So, if you used the Power to create a perfect society in which no one rebels and no one wants to go to war... why can't you do that in other places, too? You have the power to create world peace, like, right now. What's stopping you?"

Juliana backed up against the elevator wall, giving him a warning look, while Roy's face twisted into a scowl. "It's such ideas that get our loved ones killed. Such ideas that drive people to join the Jackers. Some things, the world isn't ready for, so they cause pain even when used with the best intentions. You could even say that some things, the world doesn't deserve."

"Roy," Juliana let out a pained whisper. "Forgive him... it was an innocent suggestion. He doesn't yet understand the horror of what he has just said."

A pang of guilt and confusion struck Chase's heart as he caught sight of Juliana's deep, mournful eyes. Horror? What had he said wrong?

"It's alright, I- we overreacted," Juliana continued as the elevator doors opened onto the fourth floor. "There was nothing wrong with what you said."

"Oh, really?" Roy sneered. "You're going to let him go into the Order thinking that?"

"Roy!" Juliana's composure snapped into focus. "Desist at once!"

"As you wish, Your Highness," Roy shook his head, clearly not pleased.

"No." It took Chase a lot of courage to press the issue, but he hated the tense, secretive way Juliana and Roy were acting around him. He was here, and he wanted to know the truth. "It's okay. Tell me what was wrong with my idea."

Juliana sucked in a deep breath, stepping toward the window. "What you said is exactly what the Eagle is trying to accomplish. He says he wants to unleash the Box's abilities to create a utopian world, but he does not understand the full extent of its power. It's too powerful to be owned by one person without corrupting them absolutely, which is why it is safeguarded by the Order."

"The Eagle has already proven himself incapable of responsibly handling the Box," Roy added. "He lies, kills, and steals in his attempts to obtain it. He claims to be working in the best interests of the larger population, but in reality, he is nothing more than a glorified terrorist."

"Well said indeed."

Chase turned around to see a party of two waiting at the opposite side of the room. They had come through a secondary entrance that was so heavily surrounded with tapestries and mirrors that he hadn't even noticed it. His eyes widened with recognition as they stepped forward.

"Mom? Dad?" he gasped incredulously. His parents looked nothing like they usually did. His dad's famously untameable hair was neatly slicked back and his mother wore a deep purple dress perfectly complemented by pearl jewelry.

Both of them ignored their son's greeting. "Oh, Juliana! There you are, my child." Mrs. Hewkin exclaimed in a sophisticated Arcanese accent. The princess rushed toward her and Chase watched, speechless, as the two women hugged. "Lady Violet," Juliana stepped away, bowing her head in acknowledgement. "It has been too long. Please, sit down. I trust you have been busy in America?"

"Oh, not as busy as you've been at home," Violet Hewkin laughed before her expression grew serious. She and her husband followed Juliana and Roy to an arrangement of couches in the center of the room, taking their seats. "We heard something about a new development with the Jackers, and we came as soon as we could."

"Hey, Mom," Chase thought it wise to reassert his presence as he slid into an armchair across from his parents. "I'm here."

"Oh, of course you are!" Violet smiled. "I'm so sorry, Chase, all of this must be awfully overwhelming for you. It's just that..." she looked over at Chase's dad, continuing after receiving his nod of approval. "Your father and I decided that we couldn't keep you from your legacy forever, especially with your Aptitude being what it is. You need proper training- training that you can only receive here in Arcana."

"I assume Juliana and Roy have told you all about the Order and the Jackers?" Chase's father raised an eyebrow.

"The basics, yes, Lord Henry," Roy confirmed. "But we've had less than twenty four hours, and there was an attack."

"An attack!" Violet exclaimed.

"Yes," Juliana nodded. "The Jackers are more powerful than ever before. We've called an emergency meeting with my grandfather at Order headquarters in about an hour. It's very fortunate that you're here- we have much to discuss."

"In an hour?" Chase's father frowned, looking down at the conspicuous dial of his watch. "I thought the King was in England for a state visit. Such a trip cannot exactly be cut short."

"Strings were pulled," Juliana explained vaguely. "This is a matter of utmost importance. The safety of the Box could be threatened."

"Mm," Henry nodded, understanding. "Then it is necessary that we take all precautions." Facing his son, he cleared his throat before continuing. "Chase, I hate to say this, but you will be entering the Order at a very troubled time. I'm afraid our family may have to go back to living and working in Arcana full-time. Your education will continue here, at the Royal Academy, alongside other Aptitudally gifted teens- your mother and I have already requested all necessary transfer papers from your old school. The transition will be difficult, I know, but you will be serving your country and your world in ways you cannot yet imagi-"

"Hold up," Chase put his hands out in front of him, unable to believe his ears. At first, this whole Order thing had seemed like a dream come true, a marvelously pleasant addition to his life. He hadn't realized that it was to become his life. "Look, you know I've only ever had two goals in life: to meet Princess Juliana and figure out why I can see probabilities. I've accomplished both of those things in the past twelve hours, but that doesn't meet I'm ready to be uprooted. I know I'm a nerd- I don't have very many real friends- but the ones I do have mean a lot to me. I just... I don't think I'm ready to leave everything I've ever known behind."

The four Order members exchanged looks as if silently debating how to properly respond to his revelation. Finally, Henry spoke, a stern expression on his face. "I don't think you understand, Chase. Your life in America was a lie- a lie meant to keep you safe, but a lie nonetheless. No lie can last forever. Your real life begins here, now. Here, you are so much more than a nerd or a probability expert- you are a young nobleman, and will soon be a member of an organization dedicated to keeping the human race safe from it's most dangerous enemies. You will have nearly unlimited resources at your disposal, and nearly unlimited guidance to help you make use of them."

"Look, if you think I'm shallow enough to be won over by the fact that we're rich, famous members of the Illuminati here..." Chase trailed off, taking note of the smirk on Juliana's face. "...you're not entirely wrong," he relented, shrugging his shoulders. He was one of four teens in the whole world who would be having this experience. It would be more than foolish of him to throw it away before it even began. What kind of probability expert would be be if he wasn't willing to take a chance once in a while?"

"We appreciate your honesty," Juliana laughed. "Just... some Order etiquette for you: don't call us the Illuminati. It's like calling the smart kids nerds or the sporty kids jocks. It's true, but it's not very polite."

"Got it," Chase nodded, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked from her to his parents, both of whom beamed with ineffable pride.

"Well, now that that's settled, we'd best prepare for our meeting with the King." Roy was the first to break the magic of the moment, standing up to straighten his jacket.

"Yes, indeed," Violet looked down at her watch. "I was so glad to see my son proudly accept the legacy of his forefathers that I lost track of time."

'Proudly' wasn't the adjective Chase would've used, but that was the last thing he was worrying about at the moment. He could barely muster up the formality to ask his school counselor for a recommendation letter, let alone speak to a foreign king. It was all he could do to hope that he wouldn't be doing a lot of the speaking.