Freki returned to my shadow, and I stretched. "So yeah. That's everything that happened so far."

Astra's chains retracted and returned the quills to their ink well. Throughout the story time, she had recorded down everything that happened on three different parchments. It was a fantastic feat of mental prowess and fine control of her skill.

The parchments were set to the side to join the stacks of paper she had gone through. It looked more than enough to make three books worth.

She smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. It wasn't the first time I saw that look; it had popped up multiple times during the retelling.

"I'm glad you found revenge for those lost souls. They deserved rest," she said.

Unwelcomed memories flashed of the golden thread and the underground lab. My fists tightened as I stilled the growl threatening to release.

"Yeah. I am, too."

Astra raised her hand, and the silver chains lifted into the air, unspooling from around her arm. They danced in intricate lines before forming crude figures.

"Mana is beautiful. Magic, sorcery, rituals—they can be beautiful. But like most things, they can be turned into something more."

The chains lashed at the air at blinding speeds, creating a shallow wind. My cloak secured itself more firmly around my body. Astra lowered her arm, and the chains froze. She stared at the links and ran her fingers along the nearest ones.

"We can't complain. We're Grimms. Weaponizing that beauty is how we stay alive. But the experiments in that lab… Those poor children…" her voice growled deep and echoed through the room. "We don't stoop to such depravity."

The silver took on a dark-purple haze that blurred the edges of the metal. But as Astra sighed, the chains returned to normal and wound around her arm.

"What will you do with the journals?" Alice asked.

Astra frowned. "The journals will be locked away. But the witch's grimoire is safe. If any Grimm wishes to study blood alchemy, they can; it's not forbidden."

"Wait," I interrupted. "Is there a secret archive? I don't see any chained-up shelves."

"There is. It's only accessed through the Whisper Tunnels."

Huh. Makes sense.

"So, speaking of beautiful magic, I wanted to thank you. The incantation you wrote down saved our lives."

Alice nodded. "It took a while, but I'm happy I learned it."

"Good," Astra smiled. "And I'm not surprised the barrier incantation was hard. It's more complex and can be difficult for Grimms, who are used to attacking rather than defending. We tend to be aggressive, to say the least."

"Want to see it?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded.

Instead of going first, I pointed to Alice. "You first. You figured it out before me."

Alice extended her arm and exhaled. The panels popped into existence, locking together to form a shield about as wide as her chest. As the barrier hovered, the air around it began to cool, though the room was already pleasantly cold.

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Astra poked the panel and then knocked in several places. "Interesting. Your mana corrupted the incantation. Did you change your mental image?"

"Yes. Because Cain struggled with his mana, I realized it was easier to picture ice in my mind," Alice explained.

"Fascinating. Wordless casting and decent speed. Mind if I test its strength?"

Alice nodded, and Astra backed up. When she attacked, I easily tracked her movements, but I was still impressed.

She was fast, far faster than I expected, considering her lore strain. From what Devon explained, yellow eyes meant the Grimm was a caster type, and their stats were usually distributed into Intelligence and Wisdom.

The barrier cracked, but only that. Astra retracted her fist and inspected the damage before nodding.

"Good. I'll attack for real now. Ready?"

"Ready."

This time, I could barely see it. The barrier shattered, and Alice winced as her muscles spasmed. Astra's chain returned to its position, and she grinned.

"Good strength. Even with a crack, it bled away most of the momentum. If you channel more mana, it should withhold against most beasts."

"You're strong," Alice growled.

"Just because I hide with my books and papers doesn't mean I'm weak, pup," Astra teased. She turned to me. "What about you? You mentioned the incantation clicking at the very end, correct? Show me."

I shrugged. "Uh, mine's pretty different. And I'm not entirely sure if it's safe."

Instead of backing down, Astra had a gleam in her eye.

She looks hungry. Scary.

"Show me."

I extended my arm and imagined my core. The two energies were calm, two seas that comingled without exploding. But I knew it was a lie. My mana wanted to be used, and as soon as I broadcasted my intentions, it stirred.

But instead of pulling from the lava that burned inside my chest, I tapped into the void on the other side.

I exhaled and pictured the shield, remembering the swirling vortex that consumed all, including light itself.

As the wall of shadows appeared, Astra backed up and growled. It wasn't friendly; her eyes were bright yellow. But within seconds, that too faded away, and the world became a grey screen in front of me.

Unlike Alice's panels, mine was a formless cloud swirling in the center. This made looking into it difficult, but I was used to the void and knew I was safe.

"Cain. I'm attacking now," she growled.

I blinked and braced myself. Beyond the one time I used it, I wasn't sure what would happen, but I-

My mana stuttered and retreated as the mental image shattered. I pulled back my hand and rubbed at the sore fingers while reality bled color back into the world.

Astra was silent, but her eyes were furious.

Slowly, the mana dissipated and revealed the problem. Her silver chain that had smashed my barrier was corroded and bent. The metal looked frosty, radiating a deep cold, while the pointed tip that was supposed to be at the end of the links was entirely missing.

She waved her hand, and the links split, removing about a foot of metal that continued to float as her chain retracted. Using another chain, she lifted a small wooden crate out of one of the alcoves, and the separate chain dropped inside before she placed it on the table.

"That's a dangerous incantation," she muttered.

"Did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head and sat down while staring at the crate. "No. It's good that you have something so powerful, but I dislike the misunderstanding."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The original incantation," she started. Her palm flattened, and bright silver panels sprang into existence. They were wider than her and just as tall. "It's a shield—protection—a barrier to keep one from harm."

She stayed silent as I thought through things. Her barrier was brighter and less transparent. It felt sturdier, too, but I wasn't sure why, considering I hadn't even touched it. But to my senses, I knew it was tough, and I would struggle to break through.

"Are you saying my incantation isn't the same?"

She nodded. "When you picture the incantation, what are your intentions?"

That was an easy answer.

"To protect. I used it to protect myself."

Alice shook her head. "You don't think of it as a shield. It's like when you split your vision with Freki's. You imagine a vortex that drags you in."

"What do you mean?" I said as I crossed my arms. "It's obviously a barrier, it's protecting me, like with the lightning."

"But it's not a shield."

I frowned. Of course, it was a shield. It separated me from danger.

But wait. Could that be a difference? Alice viewed hers as a piece of ice to shield herself. Did I think the same?

"Cain, your mana has warped the original image. Shadow isn't unknown. Plenty of Grimms use the element. Garrett is the easiest example. Many creatures we kill use shadows to hide or spy on prey. So again, it's not uncommon. But do you know why your barrier is different?" Astra asked.

"Is it because I imagine it sucking things in?" I said, giving it a shot.

She smiled. "What you made isn't a shield. It's not even a barrier anymore."

"Then what is it?"

She pointed to my shadow. "It's a portal."