Olly Briggs
“So what does 'getting even' mean? Are you here to take him out?” Olly asked at breakfast the next morning. He was only half-joking and also wondering if his eavesdropping was ever going to stop getting him into trouble.
“Oh goodness, no. But he needs to be held accountable for what he did and for how he behaved. Did you know that his account said he did everything right? The Conductors’ Guild has protected him and insisted that they’ve done nothing wrong,” she said, scandalized.
“So what happened then?” he asked, “How did it actually go down?”
She fell silent for a moment. “My sister doesn’t talk much about it. She’s been interviewed a whole bunch of times so I’ve only overheard part of it. She said he was arrogant and thought he knew better than everyone onsite. Apparently, he fought with the Labourer foreman. The foreman was a mentor to my sister and she was devastated that he died. The foreman tried to question the Conductor but that coward knew something was up and refused to do anything about it until it was already too late,” she sneered.
It sounded awful, it truly did, but Olly recognized he was only hearing a small, third-hand account. “Okay, so what do you plan to do about it?” Olly pressed.
“I want to question him but it’s going to take time. I doubt he’d be forthcoming about his role,” she said thoughtfully.
“Of course he won’t. Not to mention, he seems like he’s under Brandon’s thumb,” Olly said in between bites of food.
“You mentioned. You also said he worked in Brandon’s lab, yes? Maybe you going there for magical research is the ‘in’ we need!” she exclaimed.
“We?” He felt his eyebrows raise.
She sighed. “Do you really want to work for an organization that covers up the actions of bad people? Because I don’t. But if you’re not with me I’ll find some other way.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’m in, but I’m not going in hot. I’ve already got a lot on my plate with this magical stuff before I start attempting clandestine operations on your behalf.”
“I’m not asking you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with, don’t worry,” she pulled back slightly, “All I’m asking you is to keep an eye out for now.”
“Yeah, yeah. I can do that.” He nervously pulled out his planner. Between his coursework, homework, and now the lab work, it had already filled up significantly. He hadn’t even finished his first week and he already wasn’t sure how he was supposed to find time for it all.
As if reading his mind she smiled warmly. “Hey, don’t worry, I’m here to help. Bowen’s here to help. We won’t let you fall behind.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. I just don’t feel like I’m at the same level as anyone here. I don’t have as much of a background on any of the academics, all I really had was intensive tutoring for the aptitude test, not what comes after it,” he said glumly.
“Why don’t you talk to your tutor? She might be able to help point you in the right direction. She helped you get in, so I’m sure she’d help you stay in,” Sarah pointed out helpfully.
He hadn’t thought of that. “True! I’ll reach out, thanks!”
They had signed up for Mythology together as an elective and walked together to their first class. Olly was busy admiring some of the mythical-themed tapestries that adorned the walls when Sarah gave his foot a nudge under the desk. He looked up to see the lecturer walking in.
It was him. Steven. The Conductor who caused the collapse.
Olly took a quick glance at Sarah’s face to try and get a read on her but she now wore a stony expression and was staring down the man at the front of the room. If Steven noticed Sarah’s glare he gave no indication. In fact, Olly noted that he scarcely made eye contact with anyone. He rounded his shoulders and mumbled through an awkward introduction.
Looking around the lecture hall, Olly could see unsure looks reflecting back at him on everyone’s faces, seemingly confused as to how the content could be delivered by such an uninspiring lecturer. This was supposed to be an exciting class, daresay even a fun class, and it was not off to a good start. The lesson, if it could be called that, was scarcely more than an overview of the curriculum and a far more boring overview of the twelve followers that Brandon had previously given him.
For the remainder of the class, he tried his best to remain engaged but it was a struggle. The rest of the class looked as listless as he felt, save for Sarah who scarcely even blinked. She kept her eyes trained on Steven as if she were afraid to miss something. Olly didn’t see anything of interest but she seemed to keep stock of his every move as if waiting for him to give something away. Knowing what he knew now just added an extra layer to his own curiosity. This man was a far cry from the picture of arrogance that Sarah had painted for him. He didn’t want to doubt her but it wasn’t adding up.
Her efforts appeared to be unfruitful; at the end of class Steven jolted at the bell and practically ran from the room. Their classmates broke out in incredulous mutterings as they collected their belongings.
Olly turned to Sarah. “That was strange!”
She shook her head. “I really don’t give a shit about the content anymore. If this gives me a chance to watch him I’m sure I’ll find something to use against him.”
He didn’t fully buy into her obsession but it was her prerogative. “Just don’t lose sight of your other classes. Remember, I need you to help me pass,” he said, half-jokingly.
They had a spare period and went to the library to meet up with Bowen to study. As they walked into the grandiose room they found he was already there. He waved them over to the table he had snagged.
“Hey guys!” he whispered excitedly as they took a seat. “How’s the first week going?”
“Ehhhhhhh, could be better, could be worse,” Olly shrugged.
“It’s our job to make sure Olly stays in school,” Sarah said, smiling.
“It’s only the first week, you can’t be that far behind. Besides, are they even allowed to kick you out after the aptitude test? You blew their scheme right out of the water!” Bowen joked.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Olly froze.
“Olly? It was just a joke. Of course, I’m here to help you!” Bowen said worriedly.
Olly shook it off. “No, no, I get it. No worries Bowen!” he forced himself into giving a very unconvincing laugh, “I just remembered I had to go meet someone. Sorry guys!”
He dashed off before they could follow. Once he had put several corridors between them he glanced back over his shoulder and was relieved that neither had followed. Sarah was distracted in her own right today, and he wouldn’t expect Bowen to know how much his off-the-cuff comment shook him.
What if the magic he performed at the aptitude test was the only reason he was here? Sure, Abigail had said that he had met the benchmark score. However, he was already falling behind his cohort and it was only the first week. His excuse to go talk to someone wasn’t exactly a lie because he had discussed it with Sarah that very morning, and soon enough he found himself outside Delilah’s office.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She answered wearing a politely confused expression on her face but brightened when she saw him.
“Hello Olly, nice to see you! What brings you here?”
“Do you have a second? Something is bothering me and I need to talk to someone I can trust,” he confided in a low voice.
“Of course. I have thirty minutes until office hours start, and I presume you have your next class around the same time, so why don’t you come inside now and we can chat until then?” She stood aside to open the door for him.
Her office was warm but slightly disorganized. Papers were strewn about and books were stacked high all around her desk. She moved a stack of books off her guest chair and gestured for him to take a seat. She always seemed so neat and tidy so it was almost endearing to him to see how she worked.
“So what’s bothering you?” she asked warmly.
He sighed. “Why am I here?” he asked weakly.
She gave him a quizzical look. “Because you scored high enough on the aptitude test and showed an ability to wield magic. Why else would you be?”
“But my magic is strange… And while the Grandmaster has offered me a lot of help in figuring it out, is it possible that I’m here because they want to keep an eye on me?” He hated the way it sounded but it was bothering him. Even before Bowen had verbalized it he was feeling ill at ease and it wasn't a feeling that was going away.
“Oh, Olly. No, we don’t do that here.” She shook her head gently, a bemused expression on her face. “Did someone suggest that we would do such a thing?”
He decided to lie about Bowen being his source. “No, not exactly. It just seems strange to me. There’s a lot of effort being spent on me when I’m probably at the bottom of my academic classes. I guess I just don’t believe it’s for my own benefit.”
She gave him a sympathetic look. “I know you don’t want or need pity, but I have spent enough time with you in your environment to get some insight. Is it fair to say that where you grew up is making you feel like you’re not worth it?”
He looked down and didn’t respond.
“If that’s what the voice in your head is telling you, please don’t believe it. You are suspicious of everyone and everything, I can see it. But you’re not in the sixteenth anymore. You don’t work in a games room. You do have the ability to succeed here. Stop worrying about wielding magic, it doesn’t come perfectly to everyone immediately. Just knowing that the ability is there is enough,” she said sternly but not unkindly.
“Alright. I trust you,” he said thickly.
She smiled. “Good! And I don’t take that lightly. I can tell it’s a big deal for you to put your trust in someone. If you ever need help with anything my office is always open. You don’t need to struggle alone.”
“I guess not,” he said somewhat timidly, “Is Brandon trustworthy?”
She dipped her head in affirmation. “He’s one of Grandmaster Abigail’s best researchers. He’s very skilled and I do believe you’re in the best hands possible. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?”
“Well… There is one more thing, but it doesn’t really have to do anything with me.”
“What is it?” she asked curiously.
“The recent tunnel collapse in Occaigh... Why is nobody talking about it? Even mention of the tunnel collapse from a few months ago is rarely talked about. It’s bizarre that we’re the people that handle tunnels but no one ever mentions how two have gone wrong within the year!”
It was her turn to sigh. “I know. It is strange but I would caution you not to discuss it openly here. We are the authority on tunnels, that’s true. But the collapses have been such a political mess that the Grandmasters have strictly tried to keep us out of it. In the Academy, at the very least, we’re researchers. Our expertise may be called upon but it’s not our job to speculate to the press.”
He frowned. “But doesn’t it impact our work? What about our purpose?”
“It might one day perhaps. But until our roles change it is for the best that we stay out of it. It’s a dangerous game to get involved in and you need to focus on yourself,” she explained somewhat gravely.
“Okay, I get it. I’ll drop it,” he agreed, “Thanks again for your help.”
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It wasn’t until after dinner that he properly caught up with Sarah again. They were doing homework together in her room.
“So if Steven works in Brandon’s lab, and you have to go to Brandon’s lab, I think you have the clearest line of sight on him,” she explained. She seemed to be repeating the idea and he was starting to get slightly annoyed.
“What exactly am I looking for?” he asked, chewing on his pen as he tried to decipher a calculus problem.
“Anything you think is helpful information!”
He sighed and looked up from his work. “I do have other reasons for being in that lab,” he reminded her.
She huffed but said nothing. He frowned and looked back down.
“I’m sorry, I know this isn’t your vendetta,” she finally said.
“Look, I’ll promise to do what I can,” he offered gently.
“I appreciate it, a lot, sorry to be pushy.”
“No worries, you’re here to help me pass after all,” he said, smiling once more, “Now can you give me the answer to question five?”
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The forest surrounded me once more. It was shrouded in an eerie silence. Pinpricks of light seemed to filter from the sky, casting an otherworldly glow upon the tangled undergrowth. This time, when I saw the air shimmer in the distance, I knew I had to run. I dashed through the forest; the wind whipped through my hair and my breaths were labored and panicked. Leaves rustled beneath my feet as I darted between gnarled trees, their branches reaching out like twisted fingers.
I heard something in a fast and relentless pursuit behind me. I dared not look behind me as a cold sensation licked at the back of my neck. I could see it catching up to me in my periphery; its form was indistinct, an ever-shifting silhouette that danced at the edge of my vision, a chilling reminder of my ensnarement the last time I was in this place.
I pressed onwards, determined to outrun it. Heart pounding, I quickened my pace, but the forest seemed to conspire against my escape. Roots snaked across the forest floor, threatening to trip me with each frenzied step. The darkness around me thickened, swallowing the faint glimmers of pinpricks of light filtering through the canopy. Every rustle, every whisper of the wind seemed to magnify the presence of the pursuing shadow, sending shivers down my spine. Desperation seized me, urging me to find refuge, yet the labyrinthine woods offered no respite.
I came up to an abrupt drop-off and skidded to a halt. My breath hitched in terror, a silent scream clawing at my throat, as I realized there was no escape from this haunting pursuit. I was forced with no option but to turn around and face the darkness that rushed to engulf me.
Olly jolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat, the lingering echoes of the forest and the relentless pursuit of the shadow dissipating into the realm of dreams. It felt like a long time before he was able to fall back asleep.