Bright Battle Academy had many libraries, but they were ignored by the majority of students. After all, no merits were earned for study or research. Nala favoured a smaller one near Destiny Square—the sprawl's tunnels had an exit in the basement of a nearby building, and from there it was a short, relatively safe walk to the library, a long, low building built of red brick, nestling against the dry aqueduct. Inside, shelves stretched to the ceiling, books crammed in wherever there was space, the light dusty but plentiful thanks to the many high windows and occasional skylights.

Currently Nala was occupying a wide table in a quiet corner, various maps of potential monster hunting locations spread out before her, anchored by books on flora and fauna.

"SparkleFlowers may be the key," Nala said, not looking up from the map as Tzugakk neared. "Two support merits each for gathering, twenty support merits for selling. Combine two SparkleFlowers into SparkleDust for a craft bonus of two merits, sell SparkleDust for a base forty-two support merits. If we can find advanced recipes we could earn even more."

"We need components also," Tzugakk said, as he placed a book on the table, its cover faded, its title worn to illegibility. "TwilightMushrooms for me, WideLeafs and StickySap for you. Traps and poisons, traps and poisons. DeepForest places have these things ... but DeepForest places have powerful monsters..."

"It doesn't matter how powerful the monsters are. We won't be fighting them."

Tzugakk nodded, apparently satisfied. Soft silence settled over the pair, Nala intent on her maps, Tzugakk leafing through his book ... though his worried gaze kept going back to Nala, until finally he spoke:

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Nala ... is there more to your plan?"

"No."

"Some of your books are not about monsters or components or the places we may visit."

Nala looked up at Tzugakk. He fidgeted under her level gaze.

"I ... I wonder," he said. "Monster hunting missions are temporary, yes? When the time runs out, back here we come."

"I have read this."

"Then your plan is to do as you have said? Yes? To gather components, to earn merits for our party, to follow the rules of this place?"

Nala was silent, her gaze still upon Tzugakk.

"Nala?"

Without a word, Nala returned to the map she was studying.

Tzugakk sighed.

"I will search for SparkleFlower knowledge," he said, getting up.

"Tzugakk."

Nala didn't look up from the map as she continued:

"We will survive this place together. We will escape from it together. This is my promise to you."

Tzugakk lowered his head, a small smile on his face. He nodded, then nodded again, then awkwardly turned and left.

Nala pushed aside her map and reached for the next. There was so much to learn. Rules, facts, percentages, values. She had never had to think about these things, in her life below. She had relied on instinct born of experience to carry her from one day to the next. There had been no books, no maps. No neatly arranged words describing the world—or if there had been, they were out of her reach. Outside of her world.

There was a flicker in the shadow of a bookshelf. Nala gave no sign of having noticed this.

There is control in this place, she was thinking, as she studied her newest map. Tzugakk may be correct. Bright Battle may be built of rules. But there is something more than that. Something bigger.

Perhaps I am like this place, she thought. Perhaps both of us are about more than the rules of survival.

In books and in maps, in the actions of those around her and in the flicker of shadows, Nala Greyward searched for her 'to'.