“A kite without strings is not free. It is merely lost, in the wind.” – Quote.

It was five in the morning.

Darkness, empowered by winter and thickened by fog, still shrouded over Lichenwatch, clinging on before the inevitable sunrise. The city was asleep, but for a few bakeries, which had dutifully started their ovens in preparation for the day, and occasionally, the over-enthusiastic blacksmith, tinkering, over a half-heated forge.

The Arcarte Academy library was similarly silent, but for a single, female student, hard at work. The tall cavernous halls of the library echoed quietly with the student’s scribbling, pausing only, to allow for the turning of a page. One could tell that she had been studying for quite some while, as the candle beside her was already half-consumed.

Snap.

Suddenly the peaceful rhythm of pencil and page was broken.

The student groaned and slumped back into her chair. It had only been a few hours since she’d begun, but her pencil had snapped thrice already. Frustrated, she rolled her eyes and stared wistfully upon the rows of writing she had been working on, until a faint draft floated from between the shelves and gently flipped her notebook, page by page, to a close. She sighed. Written on the cover was her name in ink, ‘Alyssha’.

Pushing back a lock of hair that had fallen astray, she leaned down and rustled through her knapsack.

“Where are you, oh-dear knife…” She hummed to herself. “Mhmm… “

Suddenly, a pain-ridden gasp echoed across the halls.

Whisking her hand from the depth of her bag, she lifted and inspected her finger. As suspected, a thin but steady stream of blood was now leaking from its tip.

“Ah… crap.” She grumbled, sticking the injured finger in her mouth while she reached with her other hand to finally retrieve the sharpening knife. This time making sure not to be pricked in the process.

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As she began carefully sharpening her pencil, she heard the library door, creaking with age as it opened and closed, with a firm, weighty thud. She paused curiously and glanced back at the entrance. A figure shrouded in darkness stood in the unlit doorway.

 “Isn’t the library beautifully serene at times like this?” said the man, approaching her slowly with hands behind his back.

Or at least it seemed to be a man, as far as Alyssha could tell.

“Yes,” She replied calmly, “Rather lovely… though more so when you’re alone.”

The man laughed, coming in part, out from the shadow, and into the candlelight.

“Rather unfriendly, aren’t we?” He commented.

“Oh definitely,” Alyssha responded smartly, “And who wouldn’t be, being visited by a stranger, in the dark before dawn?”

Mockingly defeated, the man raised his hands in surrender.

“Ah! I can now see the error in my deeds!”, he nodded, a bemused look on his face, “But for the fact that this is a public library, is it not?”

Alyssha paused, then nodded, agreeing begrudgingly.

The man smiled, having put the dispute to rest, and sat down to face her. Alyssha exhaled nervously as she put her pencil and knife to rest and turned to face him. She took note that for the first time, the man’s face was now visible, in the light.

She immediately noticed the scar which ran diagonally across the man’s face. A wound which had long healed, but left a mark forever, for all to see. It covered most of his forehead, barely missing his eyes as it travelled down his face, ending at the corner of his mouth. It looked to be nothing short of a sword which had caused him such injury, or perhaps the result of some aggressive magic. Though his age seemed to be in the thirties, his eyes, a startling shade of green, still held an aura of youth and energy. Though the man should have seemed threatening, his presence was calm and undoubtedly peaceful.

“Who… are you again?” Alyssha asked, in fear, yet also, in wonder.

The man shrugged.

“It’s really not very important who I am.” He said, "But for now, you can call me Mislo.”

“Alright.” Alyssha nodded, “Mislo It is.”

“And what business does Mislo have with a young apprentress such as myself?”

Mislo chuckled at her antiques.

“Mmm…” He tilted his head, “I must admit, there is not much business directly with you per say…”

Alyssha frowned.

“Then- “

“-It’s about your brother Alyssha.” He finished, his face donning a slightly crooked smile.

“I wish to know a little bit more about him.”

Ps. Author BBB here! Hope you guys enjoyed this teaser. I haven't written in a while. Uni amongst other things... :( But it's given me time to think about whole new fantastic stories! And to my other readers, don't worry!!! I'll be back onto 'Unlucky in Love' as well, so sit tight and wait for two stories to unfold! Thought admittedly it might be a bit slow...

Thanks for reading guys! And as always, have a great day. Or night. :P