Charlie the Cherub bit his fingernails as he waited for his boss.

For all his power, Kantos was a quirky individual: both prone to whimsy and stuck in his ways. For example, he insisted on face to face meetings, and, what’s more, during those meetings everyone had to, in fact, have a face, and a body to go with it. Thus, fingernails.

Even being aware of this oddity, Charlie found himself unable to stop. Lately, he had become concerned that he only existed to deliver a seemingly endless stream of bad news to one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse, and today; today was a doozy.

Kantos arrived exactly on time. Not one moment early, and not one moment late. When Charlie had first been promoted, he had received a lengthy lecture from the man about how to uphold godly dignity. Dependability was at the top of the list.

Charlie gulped and began talking, “Hello, sir.”

Kantos smiled, “You have the look of a messenger about to get shot.”

“Well, it is one of those kinds of meetings.”

“It can’t possibly be that bad.”

“It is.”

“What was rule number 5?”

“Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“And who are you?”

“The messenger”

“So what’s the message?”

“I found out where those souls ended up.”

“That seems like good news. Anywhere is better than missing.”

“I hope you think that in a minute.”

“Spit it out already, you’re not a messenger I won’t shoot until you actually deliver a message”.

“Well… you see… they’ve all been sent to the syste-”

“Son of a Bitch!” Kantos screamed. “Please don’t tell me it’s Arcadia. Dealing with her is a colossal pain in my ass.”

“It is not Arcadia.”

“Ok.” Kantos took a breath and steadied himself. “So long as it's not Arcadia, it won’t be too bad… which system planet is it?”

“It's… uhh… well... actually… it's the… system universe…”

Kantos’ smile did not waver. It hung there, unmoving. Somehow, this seemed worse. Charlie held his breath, waiting for…

Every volcano on earth began to erupt simultaneously.

“Charlie, would you mind cleaning that up for me? I feel a headache coming on.”

******

“So, the Forgotten Library has an enchantment that causes people to lose their memory of what occurred inside when they leave it?”

“Yes,” Magum replied.

“But... why?”

“There are some books that are too dangerous for even the most well meaning scholars to-”

“Sure, but couldn’t you just just burn them?”

“In most era’s they do; however, at the time of its construction, the Sage was ascendant.”

I pointed at myself: “Deranged. Hermit.”

“Oh, right. The Sage is an archetypal trait similar to The Hero. Gaining the trait makes you smart. Very smart. Problematically smart. It’s only granted to those with an obsession with knowledge that borders on madness. No Sage would ever let those tomes go without a fight.”

“And the world didn’t think the fight was worth it.”

“No. It was built after Joshua went to sleep, so there wasn’t anyone strong enough to challenge him. This was the compromise.” Magum said with a twinkle in his eye.

“I still don’t understand. Couldn’t people just remove the books or write themselves notes?”

Magum smiled. “The magic used to make it was truly fascinating. It’s not just memory that gets wiped. It’s the entire concept of memory that gets erased. Or so I’m told: I’m an alchemist, not a mage. Regardless, do you want to hear me prattle or do you want to focus on the matter at hand?”

I refocused on the task at hand. “So tell me about your friend.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Peter is a priest of the church of knowledge. We worked together some years ago. He is a bit… overzealous, but his heart is in the right place

Lydia cut in, her voice wavering. “Peter of the church of knowledge… you don’t mean… Peter Caltrox, do you?”

Magum sighed. “Yes.”

“Peter Caltrox, The Battle Axe of Wisdom? The Spear of Truth? The Hero League’s all time leader in soul damage, who mysteriously disappeared 100 years ago? That Peter?”

“Not quite the accomplishments he should be remembered for, but yes.”

“And you traveled with him?”

“Yes.”

“… What’s your name?”

“Magum.”

“… what’s your real name?”

“Magum.”

“… any names before that?”

Magum sighed. “Magnus…”

Lydia stopped walking, frozen to the ground. “Magnus Conrad?”

“Yes.”

“Noah, is he telling the truth?”

“He is.”

“How do you know?”

“Cheating.”

Lydia’s face lit up, and her body began to tremble. “THE ALCHEMIST MAGNUS CONRAD?!”

“…yes”

“Ohmygoddess!theonewhotraveledwithjoshuawhatwashelikeyouhavetotellmeeverythingaboutitcanyouintroducemeohmygodessicantbel-”

“Lydia! Calm down.”

She blushed deeply.

“Sorry, sorry. I’ve just… I mean you’re HIM. Him! Magnus Conrad!”

“So this hobbit is important.”

“Show him some goddess damn respect! He’s saved the world more times than the number of years you’ve lived.” Lydia said in a tone so sharp that her words could have cut me.

“Easy, fan girl. How about you explain it to me?”

Lydia scowled. “Magnus Conrad-”

“I would prefer if you called me Magum, Magnus Conrad is a name I left behind.” Magum interjected.

Lydia obediently made the correction. “Magum is a master alchemist and mentor of heroes. He rose to prominence about 1000 years ago, when he rallied the human race against the dragons. Then, Magum became a legend when he joined with Joshua to put them down.

“Looks pretty good over someone over a thousand.”

“That's because he’s a genius who brewed an elixir of immortality!”

“Lydia… should I leave you two alone?”

She turned an even darker shade of crimson. “Shut up, you ass!”

Magum smiled weakly, “While I do appreciate the rave review, those days are far behind me. ”

“Of course, You’re over…” Lydia paused again, this time with a look of deep concern, “Wait, Why are you here?! Shouldn’t you be asleep?!” Lydia began to edge backwards. “Are y..y..you-”

“No. I’m not an awakened. I never went to sleep in the first place.”

Lydia eyed him suspiciously.

“I’m not done with the world. But, more relevantly, the system is not done with me. Even the other archetypes have to be careful when the system tells them no.”

Lydia looked to me. I shrugged.

“The trait Benevolent Guidance says he has to act in my best interests, and I have to imagine getting tracked down by sleepers would be decidedly against my best interests.”

Lydia’s look of awe grew more reverent. I decided to intervene before she offered to become his butler.

“A priest of knowledge can do an exorcism?” I asked.

“A priest evolution is a priest evolution. They all can do it.”

“Okay, and he’s sequestered himself in the Forgotten Library?”

“Yes, so that's where we have to go.”

“The Forgotten Library!” Lydia was practically squeaking with glee. “We’re going to the Forgotten Library! How do you plan to get us in?!”

“…I know some people.”

“So, you don’t plan on explaining?” I asked.

“No.”

I rubbed my temples. 'This is for Jesse, Don't punch him. This is for Jesse, Don't punch him. This is for Jesse, Don't punch him.'

"Fine. Lead the way."

****

We made our way to the city center, thankful it was still dark. As it was, I attracted more attention than I would have liked, but walking around with a teenager slung over your shoulder would do that.

“Are we almost there? I’d rather not have a pointed conversation with the city guard.”

“And you’re worried about that?” asked Magum.

“I do try to avoid punching law enforcement."

“So a few hours ago was…”

“The reason why I said try to avoid rather than avoid.”

Magum sighed. “Yes, we’re here.”

I looked around. We were precisely nowhere.

I said nothing. Magum looked at me. I looked back. Silence hung.

“Oh, am I supposed to react incredulously, only to be amazed by your big reveal?”

Lydia chuckled before catching herself.

Magum shook his head and produced a knife from his pocket. He gently pricked his finger, splashed the blood on the wall, and chanted in a language that I did not recognize. As I was about to ask a question, the stone tiles parted, revealing a shimmering blue portal.

“…This is how you get to the Forgotten Library?”

“It’s more of a back door.”

“Are you not allowed in the front?”

“I’m allowed wherever I want to be, but this is faster. Would you prefer to wait?”

As I opened my mouth to respond, I felt a sudden jerk on my shoulder.

“FREE ME MOR-”

I punched Jessie.

“We should probably get inside.”

Magum nodded and disappeared into the portal, leading the way.

***

I emerged from the portal into a garden, filled with impossible plants. Each pulsated an ineffable aura. A distinct essence that extended past its physical confines, intermingling with the others in the air around them. A polished white marble railing surrounded a circular opening in the center of the floor. Mesmerized, I approached it and looked down. All I could see was floor after floor, with no hint of the bottom. On each level, library stacks extended endlessly. The occasional person wandering through them only emphasized the vastness of where we were.

“This place is…” I started, but was at a loss for words.

“Incredible?” offered Lydia, her eyes wide with awe.

“I’ve always thought so.” A gentle voice cut in from behind us. “Now, what are you doing in my garden?”