Cautes stood in a narrow alleyway, the darkened space squeezed between two towering apartment blocks. They loomed above, their concrete faces cracked and worn. The alley was a place the sun barely touched, the only brightness coming from the windows dotted above.

Tangled wires dangled overhead, swaying slightly in the breeze, casting long and thin shadows across the walls. The air smelled faintly of garbage, an all-too-familiar scent in this part of Inops.

A few droplets of water dripped from broken pipes, echoing faintly in the space. The old man leaned against the cold, grimy wall, his arms crossed, and his expression twisted in frustration.

The shadows around him seemed thicker, the darkness itself clinging to him, unwilling to let go. Beneath his feet, the damaged pavement was littered with all manners of discarded rubbish. It was a remnant of a part of the city that had long since been forgotten.

The occasional sound of footsteps or distant conversations filtered down from the apartments overhead, the residents having grown used to ignoring whatever transpired below.

Cautes turned to face the figures gathered in front of him, their forms barely visible in the dim light. Their nervous faces were partially hidden by the overhanging wires. Thus, it was like as if even the world itself was conspiring to keep them out of sight.

“I can already tell by your expressions what happened.” He snorted; his face was unamused.

There was a long pause.

“Yes, they escaped.” One of the braver men finally managed to utter his words.

“You useless lot! While I was working in the mine’s depths, what were you doing? Playing around?” He berated them, not giving a chance for his subordinates to defend themselves.

“That Skalvorn was supposed to finish the job.” He growled, his voice a low, dangerous whisper.

His fingers drummed impatiently on the hilt of the knife strapped to his side. Though it was useless in battle, it was a toy that he enjoyed playing around with.

His plan had been perfect. There would have been nothing to link the incident back to himself, but these buffoons couldn’t follow simple instructions.

Throwing the knife into one of the walls, where it was embedded, he couldn’t help but clench his fists. His nails were biting into his palms as he tried to keep his voice steady. Every failure reminded him that his grip wasn’t as tight as it should be. Where he planned to venture to, there was no room for weakness. One misstep, and he’d be the one at the bottom of the food chain, not those two.

One of the lackeys shifted nervously, working up the courage to speak.

“We didn’t expect that old man to handle it, boss.”

Cautes waved him away, turning away with a scowl.

“Of course he handled it. That’s why we need to get him out of the picture."

He earned a wave of nods.

"They’re more resourceful than I gave them credit for, but in the end it won’t matter .”

He turned to face his underlings again, a cold smile curling on his lips.

“They’ll slip eventually - and when they do, we’ll be ready.”

He paused for dramatic effect.

“But this isn’t about them. We’ve got bigger fish to focus on.” Cautes continued, his voice cooling into a more calculated tone. “They’re a distraction, a mere stepping stone. I have plans for something much bigger.”

***

Making his way through the crowded streets of the central sector, Alex’s eyes drifted upwards towards the towering skyline. The buildings here were sleek, and their glass exteriors reflected the bright sunlight that streamed down. There was not a spot of blemish to be found anywhere, a stark contrast to what he was used to.

He couldn’t help but feel a little out of place, weaving through the steady flow of people dressed in fashionable clothes. There was a constant bubble of conversations surrounding him, one he was not privy to.

In the near distance, the imposing Griffin Tower loomed over the city like a giant, its sharp, mirrored surface gleaming against the clear blue sky. The tower stretched over a kilometre high, a symbol of the power and wealth of that family. It reminded everyone of who watched over this city.

Alex could see the upper levels disappearing into the clouds. The people who worked there lived in a different world to the impoverished in the gritty streets he had passed earlier, him included. It's sheer size made him feel small and insignificant.

He glanced around as he walked, noticing the carefully maintained streets. The storefronts were adorned with bright signs on the outside and intricate decorations on the inside. Everything was pristine. Even the air here felt different. It tasted crisper and cleaner as if this part of the city had its own atmosphere.

It was a Sunday, thus no one had work or school, and the streets were packed. But the large crowd only served to make him feel uneasy.

Families strolled leisurely around, some making their way toward the grand church that stood not far from the library, while others moved between the upscale cafes and shops. The constant movement around him was disorientating.

The boy found himself keeping his head down, his pace quickening as he avoided standing in one place for too long. Despite the busyness of the central sector and his relative unimportance in it, Alex could feel eyes on him.

It wasn’t that anyone stared outright, but there was a subtle sense of not belonging. A feeling that his presence here was an anomaly. This part of the city wasn’t for people like him, and he could feel it in the way the pedestrians unconsciously steered clear of him.

As he kept moving, his eyes fixed ahead, the Grand Library finally came into full view. The building was a mix of the old and new, its grand stone pillars mixed with the more modern architecture from countless renovations.

It made the library stand out even in this part of the city. A large dome made of glass adorned its top, glistening in the sunshine. It was an imposing structure, but also a place of refuge - somewhere he could disappear for a few hours and bury himself in knowledge, away from the hustle of the streets.

Alex walked through the arched entrance, its old stone walls holding the weight of centuries of wisdom. Massive shelves stretched up to the ceiling, filled with dusty tomes that hadn’t been touched in decades. Meanwhile, holo-terminals blinked softly between the rows, casting a blue glow on the worn wooden floors.

The inside was just as strange a mixture of the past and the future as the outside - where some scholars in robes could be seen flipping through thick books, while others used modern devices to access information from all corners of the city. Despite the quiet hum of technology, the air still carried the scent of old paper and leather-bound history.

“Good morning. What is your name?” The library’s receptionist, dressed in a tight-fitting t-shirt and pencil skirt, kindly called out to him.

Before he could enter the library’s main body, he had to get through her, a light blue transparent barrier blocking his path.

“Good morning. I am Alexander. How much is it for a single person to enter?” He asked, trying to feign as posh an accent as he could.

“That would be 200 Aes for a single visit if you don’t have a membership and are under 18. But are you alone? We need minors to be accompanied by adults.” She raised her eyebrows.

Alex silently cursed himself. He had to spend 400 Aes just to get here and back on train tickets. If he had nothing to show for it, he would be screwed.

‘This could have been easily avoided if I had done just a little bit of research.’

But who could have guessed that access to knowledge would be restricted in such a way? Though his heart ached with regret, there was simply nothing more he could do. But before he could turn out and leave, someone called out.

“He’s with me.” It was a voice that projected both a need for obedience to it, but also a promise to cherish you back.

Alex turned around, question marks flying above his head. He had never heard the man before, and turning around confirmed his suspicions.

Sleek dark blue hair, curled to perfection. Sharp turquoise eyes, visible through his glasses. A finely trimmed suit, dark yet shiny. And a perfect set of white teeth as he smiled at Alex. The boy was about to deny the connection when the man gave a quick wink to him.

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Hesitating, Alex allowed him to walk over to the receptionist. Though she looked on sceptically, she didn’t ask any further questions. The man having paid for the pair without asking the boy, Alex scanned his palms to confirm entry. The two were soon beyond the barrier, it reappearing behind them.

Alex’s mind raced as he followed the man deeper into the library. Why would a rich and high-class person like the man, bother helping him out? It wasn't hard to tell from his clothes the status of his wealth. And he was just a child too.

Alex wasn’t used to people offering something for nothing, and despite the man’s charm, a small part of him couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious. What was the man’s angle?

“I am Quin Irsay. It’s a delectation to meet you.” He paused, turning around and extending his hand out in greetings.

Alex hastily shook it back. Despite his wariness, it would be rude not to do such a minor thing for the favour he was given.

“Before you ask why I availed you, I will just verbally express it myself. I merely thought it was a pity for someone pellucidly as studious as you to be gainsaid the opportunity to expand their cognisance.” He chuckled at his own choice of words. “More seriously, think nothing of it. I just felt like it.”

He waved away invisible applause.

“I will leave you to your devices. Just make sure not to mess anything up, it’ll be in my name after all. Oh, and you can leave whenever you want, the receptionist won’t ask a thing.”

With a quick motion of his hand, and denying Alex the chance to thank him, he walked away.

“Uhh, thanks.” Alex’s voice was barely a whisper, and he was sure the man hadn’t heard it, but unseen by him the blue haired figure let out a mild smile.

Looking back at the pillars of books in front of him, Alex pondered to himself on where to start. Finally, he decided his course of action. Instead of browsing through the dusty volumes like some of the patrons, Alex made his way to one of the many terminals, with the sunlight snaking through from the roof and highlighting it.

Sitting inside, with a flick of his wrist, the holographic display blinked to life, casting a soft glow as lines of text and images hovered in mid-air. He scrolled through the library’s vast digital catalogue - everything from elemental theory to ancient history was at his fingertips.

Alex lightly smirked to himself. He didn’t need the internet for this. Here, in the heart of the library, knowledge felt more tangible, more real - even if it was projected through a device. Not to mention, there were many things you could learn here that would be impossible to find elsewhere.

He intended to study here for his exam as well, but his main purpose was to find information on dreams. Things that he couldn’t find on the internet. As he continued browsing, his gaze landed on a particular entry, the title catching his eye: The Legacy of the Original Party.

Alex tapped on it, and the text unfolded before him, images of their life flickering in the air. At least, how people imagined it did. Information from that time was scarce, and many parts were fragmented. He read out a particular section on their descendants.

‘Of the seven, only two have progeny that can trace back their ancestry. These are the famous Albus and Guerra families descended from the esteemed Freya and Roxana.’

As Alex read through the passage, he couldn’t help but feel distant from the grandeur of the Original Party. They were legends, figures so far removed from his reality that it was hard to imagine them as real people. And yet, the idea that some of their blood might still walk among the living... it was fascinating, in a way. What would it even mean to have such a background?

His mind drawn back to the book, he continued to read.

‘Notably, their leader, Aesir Horn had rumours about having a child, but this claim could not be substantiated.’

After finishing a bit more, he finally clicked out of the book.

‘If someone today really is descended from him, sucks to be them.’

He laughed inwardly in amusement, before focusing his mind. He shouldn’t be getting distracted, he had more worrying things to focus on.

Thus, Alex scanned for more information, filtering for books related to the topic of dreams. After some narrowing, he finally picked one named ‘Dreams: The Causes Behind Them’. Finding the sections on nightmares, he began to read.

‘There can be many explanations for their origin, both magical and psychological in nature. For example, for many people it is simply a result of trauma they may have faced recently or at a younger age. In such a scenario, the best way to resolve the issue would be to confront the fear head on and overcome it. Come to terms with it. Accept it. The recurring nature is often simply due to the mind’s inability to accept what it experienced.’

Alternatively, it could have a magical origin as well. For example, the mind element is well known and documented as being able to induce negative dreams. For others, the nightmares are instead a premonition of what is to come. Such cases are indeed much rarer, and anyone inflicted with these visions should not jump to conclusions. Meetings with a doctor specialised in magic is your best bet to accurately gauge your affliction.’

His eyes kept scanning over the words, the book delving deeper into possible explanations and how to curse them. However, it did remind the reader at every step that they should not self-diagnose but instead seek professional help. Alex simply shook his head at that. He was far too poor to be affording appointments like that.

He wasn’t going to delve into a major portion of his wealth just to solve such a minor issue. His siblings needed it for their future far more than he did. With those thoughts, he switched to another book, eyes skimming through countless texts.

As time passed, and people came and left, the room darkened and the lights turned on, the boy finally woke from his research. All the reading had made him tired and hungry, and he hadn’t even had the opportunity to study for his exams.

‘I know what I need to do now. I must confront and resolve my past.’

With his stomach rumbling, he stood up, his legs straining after a long period of inactivity.

‘I haven’t been eating as much at home. Some ingredients are starting to pile up.’

He shrugged helplessly.

‘No matter, it just means more to eat for a few days.’

Standing up, the terminal darkening as he left, he headed towards the library’s exit. Above him, through the dome, the stars were awakening from their slumber.

***

Sam sat on one end of the sofa, his fingers tracing the edge of an old photograph. It was one of the few things he kept from before - back when things were simpler. His eyes flicked to the window, where the dark streets of Inops stretched out beneath the faint glow of the moons above.

The attack yesterday had been too close. Sam weakly clenched his jaw.

Helena sat on the other end, staring at her hands. She flexed them, feeling the new surge of power that came with her advancement to Tier 2. But the excitement she thought she would feel was nowhere to be found. The regret for her failures wouldn’t leave her easily. Heaven forbid what her state of mind would have been if Alex did get hurt.

“Alex, that boy cursed the both of us.” Sam broke the silence with his humourless laugh. “Both of us getting in incidents with him.”

Though he spoke those words, he didn’t really mean it. Finding fault with a child was something only a monster would do. Helena didn’t speak up.

“By the way, were you not supposed to go to the forest with him today?” He finally asked the question that had been on his mind all day.

He already had an inkling of the answer, but he would rather the words came straight from her mouth.

“I just didn’t feel like it.” She said softly.

“What did Alex think?”

“He didn’t mind. It’s just for today anyway. Next week, we will go back.”

Sam gave a mildly disbelieving nod.

“Sure, you are an Ortus now anyway. A mage. I’m sure there will be nothing in the forest to challenge you with your current strength.”

She gave a quiet affirming shake. The man felt worried about her responses, it wasn’t usual for her to be so down. For the last week, she has basically avoided hunting. He had thought it would change today and thus said nothing about it, but it seemed not.

He hoped she would find that spirit soon again. The same one that drew him in the first time they met. Though she would be rough with him, in a teasing way, that was part of the woman he loved. He would help light her fire.

“On that note, did your mage application get accepted?”

In this city, that was a compulsory step once you crossed the threshold. Offenders would be heavily punished. With how tight surveillance was here, it would be an impossible task to escape notice without connections to darker places or the city’s leading figures.

“Yes, it has.”

She had forgotten to inform him yesterday, her mind too full of thoughts. Not to mention, he had experienced an incident himself that day. It was hardly the right time.

“I see.” With a heavy sigh, he looked back at the picture in his hands.

His younger self stood, dressed in armour, the hopeful gaze of youth on his face.