“When I agreed to our partnership, you didn’t say anything about this.”

Van came alongside Raven, frowning deeply. He shouldered a large pack Raven had handed him when they met up during the night, as they initially agreed. Then Raven took the lead in what he described would be a fascinating adventure. Five minutes later, they were out of the courtyard and winding a course through narrow passages on school grounds before he stopped at an inconspicuous gap between Tower Five and a secluded stone building. The space was no more than a few spans wide, but Van recognized it the moment Raven stopped.

The yellow glow of the Sleeping Devil could not be mistaken.

Van shivered. “This place is cursed. I don’t want anything to do with whatever plans you have stashed up those gigantic sleeves.”

“Eventually, I’m going to require that you trade in your faint heart for a stronger one,” Raven replied. “There is no curse. Anything you have heard is well-laid rumor. Let’s go.”

He moved through the small entryway, and Van reluctantly followed, trailing close behind. The tower, the stone building, and a dilapidated wall covered in thick vines together formed a small enclosure. Clumps of grass sprouted through cracks in the cobbles, and moss consumed what wasn’t mired in vines. The entire space, by reason, should have been green. But it wasn’t. Rather, a gray and portentous vision unrelated to the night filled their seeing. It was as if the evil of that place robbed the very beauty of nature.

That is, everything was drab save for her glow. At the far end of the space, the cocoon of the Sleeping Devil rested on the stump of a long-since felled tree. Raven approached the egg-shaped phenomenon in silence, eyes wide with excitement. It towered above him, twice his height, and glowed with the neon power of a million fireflies. And through the translucent surface, Raven laid eyes on her once again.

A small girl, no older than ten, lay asleep within the crystalline form. Like a creature trapped in amber, she slept upright, preserved from time and harm. Pale skin was marred by dirty smudges, and her clothes were cheap and torn, but besides that, she was beautiful. Long brown hair cascaded down her back, and her hands were outstretched in a peculiar manner, as if she had been trapped in a single moment.

“I don’t like this place,” Rue whispered.

Raven placed a hand on the cocoon. “I know.”

Van gasped. “Don’t touch it! What on earth are you doing?”

He ignored him, rubbing the smooth surface carefully. It was warm, yet hard as rock. “Do you know the true story of the Sleeping Devil?” he asked.

“Can’t we leave first? We’re not even allowed to come here.”

“Vanyard, if our work together is to be successful, you’re going to need to trust me. No harm will come from being here. Now, I asked you a question. Do you know the true story of this girl?”

“I only know the gist. A hundred years ago or something like that, this girl possessed an abnormal soul and turned into a monster, nearly destroying the city all by herself before turning on the school. But a legendary hero, Valius Shrale, sealed her up in a golden cocoon. He couldn’t kill her, and he suffered mortal wounds in the battle, but he saved the academy and city from further harm.”

“Two things I will tell you now,” Raven replied. “And I would ask that you consider them carefully before reacting. First, the story you know about the Sleeping Devil, whose real name is Sheeharu, might be false. And it is my intention to discover what really happened.”

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“And the second thing?”

Raven turned. Dangerous eyes peered from behind his hood. “I plan to wake her up.”

Van stared at him, dumbfounded. Then, to Raven’s surprise, he laughed. Not in a way that made him sound as if he thought Raven was joking, but rather, he laughed with resignation.

“Okay, what is this?” he asked. “The word is already out about your challenge to the schoolmasters and what you did to Khern. In hours, you’ve become a city-wide topic of discussion. And anyone with half a brain knows that making a name for yourself in any part of Fallowreyk is just asking for a visit from the Titan. Now you’re telling me you plan on reviving a walking curse who destroyed half the city once upon a time?” He reached up and knocked on the amber capsule. “Not to mention you’d have to break this big egg-thing that’s got her locked up, which even the Titan himself said he couldn’t destroy! I mean… level with me here! Who are you, Raven? If I hadn’t seen what you did to Khern with my own eyes, I’d have thought you were playing games to get attention.”

“But now you know better.”

“Yes, I do. But that just means I shouldn’t have anything to do with you. Am I wrong?”

In lieu of an answer, Raven began looking around, searching for something. In little time, he spotted what he was looking for and made his way over to the vine-strewn wall behind Sheeharu.

“This girl that you love,” he said, reaching into the vines. “Tell me about her.”

Van approached in curiosity, watching him search through the thick greenery. “Uh… okay. Changing the subject. Well, she’s amazing. Her name is Valentine, and she’s a new student to Nine Star, but I’ve known her for a long time. She’s incredibly smart, beautiful as a rose, and wealthier than anyone I’ve ever known.”

“So, she’s a Roespian like you?”

“No, she’s… Lamgardian. She just happens… to live here. Um, what in the world are you looking for?”

“Ah, a girl from Reyk Lamgard,” Raven said. He felt the grooves embedded in the wall and began searching for the right ones. “Adds to the mystery, I suppose?”

“I guess.”

“Well let me tell you something about Valentine. She wants to be with someone who is much better than you.”

“You know her?”

“No, but I don’t have to. I can already tell you aren’t strong enough for her. You run from challenges, even when the potential reward is great. You have intelligence and skill, yet you refuse to put them to real use, because you’re mired in fear.”

Raven found exactly what he was looking for, and he pushed his fingers into two specific grooves etched into the wall, that of a sword and a shield. There was a loud click, and a portion of the wall came away, revealing a stone staircase leading into a pitch-black tunnel driving deep underground. As Van looked on in amazement, Raven ripped vines away until the opening was wide enough to enter.

He turned back to his new companion. “You are a chicken, and an accomplished girl in a world that does not cater to women would never acknowledge you.”

Van stepped forward, looking into the tunnel. “A secret passage! How did you know about this?”

“You would be amazed what you can find in books.”

“I suppose you mean to go down there.”

“Yes, and you can follow me, or we can go our separate ways here and now. But there’s much more at stake than you know. You asked for my help in winning the affections of the girl you love, but that will require changing your heart, not hers. Now you have been presented with an opportunity to do just that. Will you willingly follow me to adventure and danger, knowing the ultimate prize? Or will you run from it, clutching to your safety? The choice is yours.”

Van stood looking into the maw of the tunnel. He finally looked at Raven. “Let me ask you one question. Where does all this end?”

Raven smirked. “That is a superb question. And I will give you an answer.” He raised a hand. “I am Raven Whitesong of Surlance, and I am going to kill the Titan.”

“Wow… okay, I did not see that coming.” Van shook his head. But then he sighed, and a shiver ran through him. He took another glance down the tunnel and smiled. “Well, I guess you need to count me in.”

“That was rather fast.”

He shrugged. “I really like her.”

And without another word, Van approached the tunnel and began to descend. Raven sniffed and made to follow, but then he stopped. Turning back, his sight again fell on the girl trapped in the amber cocoon, the one called the Sleeping Devil.

“I will set you free, little one,” he whispered. “Wait for me… just a little bit longer.”