The three of us stand silently in the empty library. This can't be right. I know these shelves were filled. I crane my neck at the towering, endless bookshelves, the tops disappearing into the darkness.

Bell rubs a finger on one of the tables, "This was done recently; there is no trace of dust, and a library would accumulate that naturally, even in a cave like this. Someone was here and knew we would come looking."

Someone...yes, someone was here. When I first stepped foot in this place. But who? I close my eyes, trying as hard as I can to remember. "John." Pain courses through my skull. Like someone is splitting it open with a knife. I feel myself writhe, but nothing else registers. I scream as if nothing else eases the pain.

I don't know how long I was out, but when I wake, the rest of the team was already here. They've set up a small camp just outside the entrance, in the circular room where the door is. A small fire crackles in the middle, staving off the cool air. I sit up on my cot, holding my head. It pounds relentlessly. John. That's all I can remember.

"I see you have finally awoken," Julie sits by my side, her bodysuit shining in the firelight.

"What do you want?"

She scoffs, "How about you start with a thank you? I am one of the few here with actual medical experience. If it was not for me, you would still be convulsing on the ground."

I doubt that. Hearon told me Azu has one of the most extensive medical backgrounds in the entire city. She's fishing for points. I shake my head, standing, "You'll get a thanks from me when you stop lying." Julie's eyes shine with anger, and she stomps off. I've heard the rumors. She'll say or do anything to get on powerful peoples good side, even if it means taking credit for others work. People like that don't deserve my respect.

I walk out of the camp into the library, where the majority of the people are. Many of them have splintered off, exploring the endless halls, but I can see their floodlights through the darkness. Azu, Bell, and a few others sit at the first table, screens floating in the center as they talk. I stand behind Azu, leaning down to whisper, "Thanks."

"You are welcome," She whispers back. I knew she was the one who helped me.

"Where's Hearon?"

Azu lets out a tiny laugh, "He was too big to fit in the tunnels, so he went back with most of Julie's team to keep watch over the airship." Ah. Well, now I'm glad it wasn't just me and him. I don't think I could be here by myself.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Bell notices me and waves the others away, motioning me to sit, "How are you feeling?"

I shrug, "My head feels like someone took a hammer to it."

He looks at Azu. She then looks at me, "I cannot give you a concrete diagnosis, but most likely, it is memory-related. I already suspected something along those lines back in the Glittering City, but now I am sure. It is trauma-induced, and you have forced yourself to forget it—a common case among divers."

She twirls her hair, her tired eyes wandering around the library, "The fact you can remember places but not events means this is most likely C-PTSD. A form of PTSD that omits specific details, not memories altogether. Forcing yourself to remember can do more harm than good and, in some cases, can permanently damage your mind. It is also possible your memories have been tampered with, but I have no way of checking."

I lean back in my canvas chair, "John." I wince as my head hurts even at the mention of that name. "That's all I can remember. The person who lived here, that's what they called themselves."

Bell mummers to himself, "That name does not show up in any records mentioning this place. And if what you say is true, then they must be thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of years old. More myth than man."

The picture of Silo floats by my head. Silo. Now that I think about it, Silo is dead. Could John be posing as him? "I think Silo is John." Neither of them say anything, "I mean, think about it. Silo is dead. I buried him myself. The picture you guys took also shows Silo in the exact same outfit he had when we came here. Whoever this John guy is would be the only one alive besides me who saw him that day."

"That does make sense, but that would mean we are dealing with a shapeshifter. That sounds more like magic than the ability of a core."

"What if it's a black core?" Azu and Bell look at each other. Something passes between them I can't understand.

Bell rubs his chin. "That is possible. Black cores are still a mystery to us, so who is to say they could not grant long life or the ability to shapeshift?" I rub my black veins. If my own can completely stop core poisoning and even keep me alive while half my body is dead, what's preventing one from making someone immortal?

We remained silent for several moments until a scout ran up to our table, out of breath. "Sir Bell, we found something."

Bell jumps up, startling Azu. "Show me." We follow as we jog through the endless bookcases. Glowing spray paint marks a path until we break from the maze. In front of us stands a massive mural depicting the same tower in the treehouse ruins. The mural is made of white marble that towers a dozen feet over us. The tower is engraved in gold, as plain and undetailed as before.

To the side, a few tools are strewn on the floor. A pickaxe with a bright yellow core in the center, some kind of drill as big as me with three cores embedded in the top.

Bell traces a hand over the mural. "This is a door, yes?" The scout nods in confirmation. He pushes against it, but it doesn't budge. He picks up the nearby pickaxe and slams it on the door. An explosion of red emerges onto the stone from the initial hit before exploding. When the smoke clears, the door remains unscathed.

Bell tosses the pickaxe to the side with a sigh, "Implosion cores do not work. I assume the drill will also have no effect." The scout nods. With a defeated sigh, Bell waves the scout away, "Take us back." We trudge back in silence. Seems this place is made of a special stone. Not surprised. I guess that door will remain a mystery. What a pain.