image [https://i.imgur.com/kmLnZGr.jpeg]

The polished concrete floor felt like clouds beneath Robb’s feet. Professor Arcturus’ personal library was as big as the tavern hall of the Hidden Scabbards’. But instead of a maze of tables and chairs, it was a labyrinth of tall wooden shelves that reached up to the ceiling. Each laden with tomes collected and cataloged throughout the years.

Robb started walking along a narrow walkway flanked by heavy bookshelves. He spread out his arms wide, letting his fingertips touch the spines of every book he could reach. He strode along until he reached the end and turned to move to the next.

The air was filled with the scent of old paper. Like a heady perfume, it invited the young boy to dive deeper and inward until he reached the center of the hall. There nestled a large statue of Grandlegate Soliton, probably the most famous wizard in history, and the namesake of the Port City they were in.

It was standing guard behind a round table. Robb stepped closer and he realized that a bas-relief map of the continent carved on top of it. He leaned on its edge and studied the names of castles and cities marked across the facsimile impression.

In his enamored state, Robb didn’t notice Rei stepping near behind him. The masked warrior simply placed his hand over the boy’s shoulder, and he looked up at him with an ecstatic grin.

Robb could only see Rei’s eyes, but he was sure he was smiling at him underneath. He followed it with a motion of his head hinting that they should leave the room.

“Okay,” nodded the little Robin. He turned around and trudged back towards the entrance. “One day, I’m gonna return here, and read all these books,” he added.

The two stepped out of the library and back to the elliptical corridor of the legate floor. They had already entered the other three rooms surrounding this hall, with only one left remaining. Robb stood in front of the last one and touched its knob to check that it wasn’t locked.

After much consideration, he opened it and took a tiny step in. The size of the room took him by surprise. It was the smallest room they had seen with barely an arms-length wide across. It had a single candle hanging on a sconce and a tall mirror on the opposite wall, which only added to its peculiarity.

“Is that it?” asked Robb. He stepped in fully and turned his head to the left and right. Rei could barely fit it as he tried to follow the young boy.

“Huh?” sounded the foreigner, as he found himself face to face with his own reflection.

“There’s this book that I read, and there was a magical mirror in it... Looks like this actually. It said that when you look at it, you would see your heart’s greatest desire,” answered Robb.

Rei fixed his gaze at his own visage. His own eyes looked different, and he also noticed that he had gained significant muscle mass during the past few days, despite being mostly bedridden.

He looked down on Robb’s reflection. His eyes were looking longingly into the mirror, stirring left and right in their sockets. There was a twinkle on his cheeks and in his smile, forming a facade that tried to mask away his anxiety.

“I see myself, back in our temple,” Rei lied. Or tried to lie, at least. He recalled Minos doing the same for the young boy, and even though it betrayed every fiber of his being, he realized now that sometimes falsehood can be necessary.

“I return from my pilgrimage and face our elders. I tell them I accomplished my task, and that I am ready to ascend…” Rei continued. “And you? What do you see?”

“I see my parents,” Robb lied as well. “They’re looking back at me, telling me how excited they are to see me again.”

“Your reflection could talk?” Rei asked, as he gently held the young boy’s jaws between his fingers.

“Yeah, yours couldn’t?” Robb quipped back and the two of them laughed.

“We should stop hanging out with Minos,” Rei commented with a sigh. A remark that Robb did not expect to hear. The foreigner found himself inexplicably rubbing the little boy’s shaved head, which further reinforced his statement.

“I’ll head back inside,” he added, before stepping out of the cramped room, he reached out his hand as if asking the boy if he was coming with him.

“I think I’ll just stay here for a moment…” Robb murmured. He felt a bead of tear wetting his cheeks and he wiped them dry before Rei could notice. I should stop hanging out with Cassana. He noted to himself after catching himself copying her habit.

Rei nodded and closed the door leaving Robb alone inside.

There and then, the fire on the candlestick was snuffed out and Robb turned his head up to look at it. Regardless, the room remained bright, as if the candle was still lit. His eyes slowly moved back to the mirror, and he could see the reflection of the candle on the sconce. It was still burning.

When his eyes returned straight forward, he saw that his reflection was now gone, along with the reflection of the door behind him. The visage he now beheld was that of a wide room with scattered columns and multiple long tables arranged haphazardly.

Robb turned around to check, but he was still in the room. The door was closed, and the candle was still dead. Moreover, he could feel a breeze blowing from the mirror.

The young boy turned around again. He reached his hand out, trying to press the smooth surface of the mirror, but his skin only met a cold and slick void. A ripple waved from where he touched, and it was as if he dipped a finger over the clear water of a lagoon.

Curiosity took the better of him and he pushed his palm further forward, slipping through what was meant to be solid glass and into the other side. He could see his hand behind the veil as he moved and wriggled it around. Getting a sense of credence, he pushed his whole body forward, beginning with his foot and knee, up to his torso, and finally his head. He felt a dull sensation in his ear and in a blink of an eye, he was no longer in the cramped room.

He was in the large chamber he saw in the mirror. He looked behind, and there stood the same tall mirror, throwing back his reflection. He found his mouth and eyes wide with wonder and excitement.

Suddenly, he heard the sounds of footsteps growing louder, followed by the clinker of metallic tools and ceramic containers. Robb took a dive behind one of the tables, poking his head out to see what was approaching.

He saw Professor Arcturus standing at the opposite end of the chamber, his back towards him, still wearing his conical hat and flowy robe. Robb still couldn’t believe that he had finally met a real wizard. Cassana may have sometimes claimed herself to be a wizard in front of other people, but she also constantly reminded him about the difference between an actual one and a one in training.

As the young boy moved quietly about, he noticed the gurney beside the Professor. It carried the creature they fought the night before, the one Lira referred to as a fetch. She was lying unconscious on the bed, still wearing the face of his mother, the very sight of which sent chills down his spine.

The old man was tinkering with his things on top of a wide granite table. A complex number of instruments scattered was on its surface, from the retorts and crucibles of various sizes, their glass surfaces cloudy with residue, to the various sets of mortar and pestle, some made in iron, others stone. He could also see a tangle of iron tongs and pincers. He recognized all this equipment from the pictures in some of his father’s books.

The professor quickly turned around, and Robb ducked down, trying to keep away from his sight. He heard the old wizard utter an incantation, and the young boy’s curiosity pushed him to take another peek. From afar, he saw a set of yellow spectral binders wrapping around the body of the creature. It looked similar to the binding spell that Cassana used to cast.

As he finished, Robb noticed the creature moved, followed by the sound of her mother’s voice. “You…” she rasped.

“Good even, you poor thing!” Arcturus greeted the creature with a benevolent smile. “Bestirred be not, this will only be cursory,” he added as the fetch squirmed and twisted its body out of its restraints.

“Do not touch me! Don’t you dare!” screamed the creature. It was beginning to lose Nissa’s voice, with every syllable becoming rougher and coarser. It then eventually turned into words that sounded more like gibberish to the young boy. It took him a moment to realize she was now speaking in a different language.

The professor replied, but not in the words that Robb could comprehend as well. Though he did recognize the next thing he spoke; it was an incantation for a spell. He followed it with a flick of his wrist and the gurney abruptly turned upward, raising the body of the monster up to face the old wizard. He then concluded with a spell that silenced the fetch altogether.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

After the bed was reoriented, Robb could no longer see the creature lying on it. He took a cursory step to the side of the table he was hiding from to get a better view of what the professor was doing to it.

It was not that he was afraid to be seen, nor was he worried that the professor would accost for being in a place he wasn’t supposed to be. Robb was more concerned that if the old wizard found him, he would force him out of his laboratory, and he would miss out on some interesting activity.

Distracted by his misgivings, he took a heedless step and bumped into a rack holding some medical apparatus. The clanking of metal called the old wizard’s attention, and he stopped what he was doing and stared in the direction of the noise.

Robb held his breath and hugged the floor as his heartbeat matched the loud footsteps of Arcturus’ leather boots. Suddenly, the chamber went silent, and the young boy felt something warm enveloping his entire body. His chest was lifted from the cold hard tiles, while his arms and legs dangled forth. He felt a force push him across until he found himself six feet up in the air and facing the old wizard,

“What a curious little mouse!” he said calmly.

“I’m sorry!” cried the little Robin. He repeated it over and over trying to shield his body with his arms.

“Cease the murmuring, you are in peril nay.” The old wizard flicked his wrist, dissipating the magical glow around Robb’s body. He gently landed down on the floor.

“I didn’t mean to sneak around; I was just curious…”

“Hush, hush, one should not excuse himself for acting out of curiosity. Inquisitiveness is the prerequisite of learning.”

Robb nodded his head in relief.

“Why do Myself have this notion that we have already met?” asked the old wizard.

“We did, I was with Cassana earlier.”

“Ah, of course!” The old wizard motioned for the young boy to turn around and head towards the door.”

“Wait… Can I watch?” he asked.

“Nay,” answered the old wizard.

“But… I’m curious… see? I wanna learn…” Robb flashed an affable smile, hoping to sway the professor’s decision.

“And Myself prefer not to be badgered by curious minds at this moment. There will be time enough for learning, for now, off you go.” Professor Arcturus managed to push Robb out of his laboratory before shutting the door.

The young lad turned around one last time before letting out a sigh. After a moment, he walked towards the stairs leading up and started climbing.

He overheard a familiar voice after reaching the floor of the Legate’s office, so he stopped and stood aside before continuing. He looked over and the door to the room was open, and there was a person standing outside, wearing a dark cloak. The hooded figure made a perfunctory turn and Robb pulled his head back behind the cover. He recognized who it was, but he wasn’t sure.

He tried to peek again, and the person outside was met by another person stepping out of the Legate’s office. Another face that he knew, and it was all Robb needed to dispel his doubt. He quickly felt his blood boil, and he felt his heartbeat racing. Before the two figures could see him, he ducked away from view again and started stepping backwards.

Robb turned around and quietly made for the other side of the tower’s elliptical corridor. Once he heard the two men climbing down the steps, he hurried towards the Legate office and threw himself inside, making sure to lock the door behind him. The young boy was dripping with cold sweat, as Rei noticed him come in.

“What’s the matter?” asked the foreigner.

“They’re here!” fretted Robb.

“Who’s here?”

“The people who took me and Minos. The horned guy and the thin guy…”

“What are you talking about?”

“They just stepped out; I saw them. Were they looking for me?”

“You mean Dominic? He works for the wizard.”

“What?” Robb gasped. “But he was with them! I saw him, he was hiding behind, far away, but I saw him, he was there when they did those things to Lisa!”

“Lisa?”

“The other girl in the cistern, with the magic things and the ugly monster, that place where my father is!” Robb’s felt himself starting to panic, and Rei could see the small objects in the room starting to move and shake.

“Calm down, Robb, you’re not making sense,” entreated the foreigner, trying to placate the boy’s feelings. “They weren’t looking for you, they were looking for the professor.”

“What?” Robb’s mind raced, sprinting across various questions and what-ifs. He began painting a clear picture in his head, as lines began to connect the sparsely spread dots representing the latest events in his life.

They were working for the Professor? He didn’t want to speak it out loud, afraid that making so would make it real. But as he thought hard about it, it became more undeniable.

“What did you tell him?” he asked Rei, partly to keep himself from further thinking too much about the possibly painful truth.

“I told him he was at his laboratory. I do not know where that is though.”

“It’s below…” added Robb, “but I know a quick way.”

He quickly ran out of the room and back into the elliptical corridor. He went towards the door to the cramped room with a mirror and opened it. Rei was following him behind. Robb pulled the foreigner inside and closed the door, but the candle on the sconce remained aflame. He stared at the mirror and pushed his palm towards it but was met with a smooth, solid surface.

“What? Wait…” he uttered, confused. He tried it again two more times, making Rei feel slightly impatient.

“Why? What was supposed to happen?” he asked the young boy.

“Maybe if…” Robb answered. He stepped inside alone, closing the door behind and leaving the foreigner outside. The occurrences that transpired moments ago happened again. He looked through the looking glass and he could see the wizard’s laboratory again, with Arcturus standing plainly in view from the other end. He was now also accompanied by the man Rei dubbed as Dominic.

The two seemed to be in the middle of the conversation, but Robb couldn’t hear. His curiosity once again urged him to step into the mirror and back to the laboratory, and as he hid from the view of the two men, he started to hear what they were talking about.

“.. you didn’t even recognize me. I was under your nose the whole time,” said Dominic.

“Mine memory has no place for unremarkable men,” Arcturus spat. He stood calm and collected, in-control, while the other man was seething by his teeth.

“You have no idea… all the things I did just to get you back here…” Dominic bragged.

“Which is brilliant, I accede to that. As per The Tower’s regulations, when a wizard is suddenly unable to perform their duties as Legate, they will be temporarily replaced by the one that preceded them. So, when Hugo met an untimely demise, Myself was called upon to replace him. As Myself happened to be on-leave from the Academic duties, I was prompted to acquiesce.”

Dominic grunted. His annoyance apparent.

“Aye, Myself had unveiled your whole plot the moment that redhead explained everything to me. What Myself is finding hard to comprehend was how you were able to best Hugo. He was a fine wizard, capable and competent.”

“You’ll see…” taunted Dominic.

“Myself would appreciate the answer now,” as the Arcturus finished his sentence, he waved his hand and quickly recited an incantation. What happened next took him completely by surprise.

Dominic should have been affected by the spell he cast, but he wasn’t. He remained standing free in front of him with a smirk on his lips. The old wizard tried it again, but nothing happened still.

“How are you doing that?” he asked.

“Throughout my time away from this wretched city, I have met some curious individuals. I made friends, you see? All peculiar abilities, some are magical, others gifted by nature. And we’ve all gathered together, motivated by a sole purpose. Justice.

“You wizards think you’re the cure, but in truth, you are the disease. You and your pompous ilk of reprobates. Ruining the lives of many, all just to satiate your thirst for power and control.

“Tell me, Professor. How does it feel to lose your grasp on your precious magic?”

Fear started to dawn on the old wizard’s face as another figure showed himself. It was the horned man. He stepped well into view and pulled down his hood, revealing the twin set of spikes protruding from his head.

“This is Thevyr, one of those friends I mentioned. He likes to call himself Despair, like his father,” Dominic explained.

Something occurred to Arcturus soon as he heard the name. “It cannot be…” he uttered.

“Him and I are the same, both of us forsaken by our fathers. Both of us products of the wizards’ arrogance.

“Yet, while you took away my forebearer’s gift, Thevyr still carried his. And as long his eyes gaze on you, you are nothing but a weak, old man, clinging onto power you did not deserve.”

Dominic brandished a small hammer hanging from his belt aimed it at the old man. “I had long dreamt of this moment, where I snuff your life with my magic. The very magic you stole away from me. But I couldn’t wait any longer, no. And what better way for Arcturus The Great to die, than from something so mundane and unremarkable.”

Thevyr walked beside him, and the two of them flanked the old wizard who was squirming helplessly at the far end of the room. Without a second to lose, he smashed his weapon straight at Arcturus’ head.

That wasn’t enough for him, however. He swung it again over and over until he lost count. The sound of the blunt metal pounding over hard skull echoed across the room, until the sound turned to metal hitting stone.

All the while, Robb clung to his hidden corner at the far side. He covered his mouth with his palm, willing himself to stay put and keep quiet. But as he heard the old man’s grunts silenced, something came over him that he didn’t think he had.

Blinded by grief, he stood up and cried for Dominic to stop. He then unknowingly released a wave of magic powered only by his raw energy, pushing back the assaulting men.

“Leave him alone!” he screamed, as he stood up in the middle of the room. Professor Arcturus’ body was dangling at the edge of his granite table.

“There you are my dear nephew…” Dominic gibed.

Robb pushed his arm forward, but nothing happened. One second ago, he could feel his magical energy simmering from under him, waiting to be released. Now, there was nothing but anger and sadness. “What…?” he muttered, confused. He turned his face up and found Thevyr, the horned man, staring at him profusely.

As far back as Robb could remember, he could feel his own magic. He couldn’t explain how, he just knew it was there, like a wooden splinter in his fingertips that he grew accustomed to. Through time, he learned how to dismiss it, to forget it, like forgetting you have nose or that your tongue touches the roof of your mouth.

Now however, as the horned man gazed at him, Robb could no longer feel it entirely. It was unnerving enough to freeze his whole body.

Dominic sauntered towards Robb, passing by a long table. He noticed a spherical glass sitting on a metal clasp, and quickly recognized what it contained and smiled. “What luck to find you here, my dear friend,” he whispered before grabbing it and quickly tossing it on the floor. The container shattered, breaking free the shadow creature that Lira captured.

“Come, we still have a ritual to finish.” The gaunt man stepped behind the boy and gave one last look at the old wizard. “Thank you for finding my nephew…” he taunted.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sharp stabbing pain hit him at the back of his chest. Dominic glanced down to find a sharp metallic device pierced through his shoulder. It was a round-shaped projectile bearing iron claws that grip on the flesh of his upper torso. He felt a strong pull and he was yanked backwards, tossing across the room.

Befuddled, Robb turned around to find Rei standing by the door of the laboratory. He held a length of chain in his hands, with the other end tethered to Dominic.

“Run!” Rei roared towards Robb.