Jeremy stepped into the academy library and immediately noticed how different it felt from the main hall. Out there, everything was loud and full of people moving around. In here, everything was calm. Row after row of digital terminals lined the room, each with holographic screens and some fancy privacy settings he’d only seen in high-tech movies. Even the shelves looked normal at first, but with a wave of a hand, they changed into holographic screens or opened up to show stacks of actual books.

He paused by a giant map near the entrance. It showed the library’s layout, each floor marked with different sections. The first floor had study materials, textbooks, and history basics, while the upper floors seemed more advanced, like Skills research and special topics. Across the map, he noticed a section labeled Academy History and Legacy. He was curious about it but decided to stick to his main goal for now.

Unsure where to start, he approached an AI kiosk—a sleek machine with a glowing screen. As he touched it, a welcome message popped up, asking how it could help. Jeremy typed in Pretenders and watched as the screen filled with search results. There were a lot of titles: Theories on the Origins of the Pretenders, Battles Against the Pretenders, even Alien Cultures: Could the Pretenders Be Among Us?

It was kind of overwhelming. Apparently, info on the Pretenders wasn’t hard to find. Actually, there was too much of it. He scrolled through, stopping here and there to read quick summaries. Most entries had words like “Speculation,” “Unknown,” or “Unconfirmed Reports.” Lots of material, but hardly any solid facts.

Curiosity pulling him in, he skimmed some entries. One theory said the Pretenders might be an alien threat, though nobody had confirmed what they even looked like. Another entry suggested they could mess with Essence, but that wasn’t certain either. Almost every article ended with a note saying nobody really knew anything for sure.

The fact that he could find so much about them but learn so little only made him more interested. How could people know this much and still have no answers?

He checked the map again, weaving through students in their pods and study stations. He reached a section labeled Advanced Archives, and glanced at labels for topics like Essence Theory, Combat Tactics, and High-Level Skills. He noted that he could come back here later to check out materials for his training, and maybe even fill out that empty bookshelf in his suite. But for now, he stayed focused on The Pretenders, and as he reached the section, he realized there was an entire area dedicated to them.

Inside, the silence felt intense. The shelves were lined with tablets displaying previews of different files, and he spotted titles like Theories on Origins, Documented Encounters, and Essence Manipulation. He picked up a tablet titled Origins and Motives and started scrolling.

As he read, he was hit by just how different all the theories were. Some entries talked about strange sightings, but most seemed more like guesses than facts. One popular theory suggested the Pretenders were expert infiltrators, able to mimic humans so well that nobody could tell them apart.

One weird thing he kept seeing: when Pretenders were confronted, they often claimed they were human, almost like they were desperate to prove it. But they always had one big giveaway—they had no Status, which was the best proof they weren’t human.

No matter how much he read, he noticed one thing: nobody really knew what the Pretenders looked like, where they were from, or what they wanted. The entries all sounded uncertain, like “maybe” and “we think.”

Jeremy moved to a tablet labeled Known Encounters, which had reports from different areas where Pretenders had supposedly been caught. One story was about a community where a few people had started acting strangely before they vanished. When questioned, they insisted they weren’t Pretenders, but still managed to disappear without a trace. It was like they’d perfected the art of hiding.

Despite all the academy’s resources, Jeremy felt like he was chasing shadows. No solid proof. Just story after story with no clear answers. It dawned on him: his parents had probably avoided talking about avenging Alicia because even they didn’t know what the Pretenders were or where to look for them.

In another section, he found theories connecting the Pretenders to humanity’s bigger conflicts with other alien species. One idea suggested the Pretenders were their own civilization, one that had figured out how to use Essence way better than any other species. It even speculated they were trying to steal humanity’s Essence.

The most common theory, though, was that the Pretenders were just another alien race, like the Borian or Aelirian, but their specialty was messing with people’s heads. Unlike other alien species, they focused on blending in, working from the inside to create chaos. That made them scarier—an invisible enemy in a war where everyone else was easy to spot.

Jeremy set down the tablet, feeling a chill. If this theory was right, the Pretenders could be the most dangerous enemy, slowly tearing society apart from within. They weren’t out to fight openly; they were all about sneaking into trusted positions, especially in places with lots of Essence or power. This way, they could break down society without anyone realizing it.

He read one last entry, which suggested something he hadn’t thought of: maybe people had the whole concept of Pretenders wrong. Instead of typical aliens or spies, they could be after something deeper. What if they were studying humanity in ways nobody understood or learning to control Essence at a level humans couldn’t imagine?

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One line lingered in his mind, sending a shiver through him: The Pretenders thrive on our mistrust, feeding on the divisions they create among us.

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Just as Jeremy finished reading another confusing theory on the Pretenders, he heard a quiet shuffle that snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw three older students standing nearby, watching him with looks that were both cautious and kind of curious.

One of them, a tall girl with sharp eyes, stepped forward. She didn’t waste any time. “You’re curious about the Pretenders, aren’t you?”

Jeremy’s grip on the tablet tightened. He hadn’t expected anyone to notice him, let alone walk over and start asking questions. After a moment, he gave a small nod. “Yeah… I guess I am.”

The girl studied him for a second, then glanced over at her two friends—a solid, quiet-looking boy and another guy with sharp, intense eyes. “We’re with the Seekers,” she said. “We’re kind of an unofficial group here at the academy. We focus on uncovering things most people are too scared to talk about. And the Pretenders? They’re at the top of that list.”

Jeremy tilted his head, curious. The name sounded bold, like they were trying to uncover things no one else dared to ask about. “What do you know about them?” Jeremy asked.

The quiet boy spoke up, matter-of-fact. “Enough to know no one else knows much of anything. Even the academy’s records are full of weird gaps. They don’t fight like everyone else in this war. They slip through cracks no one else even sees.”

“We’re not just here because we’re curious,” she added, her voice softening. “We’ve all lost someone to the Pretenders. My brother—he was swapped right before my parents even realized something was off. And during our awakening? They reported him, like they were supposed to. But it was too late. ”

Jeremy felt his stomach drop. These weren’t just rumors to them—they’d lived through it. “So… this isn’t just about finding answers,” he said carefully. “You want to stop this from happening again.”

The girl nodded in agreement. “Part of what we do is look for any families that might have… kept a kid suspected of being a Pretender. There’s a rumor that not every family went through with… you know, reporting them. But if anyone finds out, those families are killed off.”

The other boy added, his eyes intense. “That’s why it’s so hard to find any trace of them. But if one family managed to keep a child alive and talk to the Pretender, maybe we can finally out why… maybe we can stop them. Maybe there’s a truth these families learned that’s too dangerous for anyone else to know.”

Jeremy’s heart raced. He tried to keep his face neutral, not giving away too much, but his mind was already swirling with questions.

The girl’s tone softened, pulling him back. “We noticed you’ve been researching the Pretenders, and we think you might be able to help. We’re putting together everything we can find, but we need more. Do you know anything? Anything about families affected by the Pretenders?”

Jeremy paused, choosing his words carefully. “I don’t know,” he said slowly, meeting her eyes. “But I’ve got questions, too.”

The Seekers looked at each other, sharing a silent exchange. Then, the girl held out her hand. “You can join us if you want. We’ll share what we know, and maybe together, we can figure this out. There’s more at stake here than people think, and if we don’t find the answers, more families might get wiped out.”

Jeremy hesitated. The Seekers seemed sincere, but there was something about their intensity that felt risky. They weren’t just searching for answers—they were diving into mysteries that even the academy hadn’t cracked. Joining them sounded exciting, sure, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were stepping into dangerous territory. He needed to be sure about what he wanted, and right now, he wasn’t.

He shook his head. “Not right now,” he replied, catching the looks of disappointment on their faces. “I need to figure some things out on my own first.”

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After his run-in with the Seekers, Jeremy’s mind buzzed with questions, but he pushed the unease aside. He had stuff to do—like getting better at Memorization.

Determined, he made his way to the Advanced Archives, the section he’d noticed earlier filled with skill-building material. Rows of shelves stretched endlessly, each packed with books and holographic tablets. Scanning the labels, he squinted to spot anything labeled Memorization - Simple. After the day’s intense focus on the Pretenders, he was ready for something he could actually wrap his head around.

But as he searched, Jeremy realized finding beginner stuff wasn’t as easy as he thought. Most of the books were marked Advanced or higher. One book caught his eye: Memorization - Advanced: Techniques for Deep Retention and Recall. It was huge, with tiny text and chapters like Memory Palaces and Encoding Complex Patterns. He flipped through it, a mix of curiosity and intimidation creeping in. It looked... complicated. Definitely not beginner-friendly, but also really interesting.

As he looked through the shelves, he kept feeling like the Seekers might still be around, maybe even watching him. The fact they seemed so interested in him was nice—and also a bit unsettling. But he shook it off and grabbed a few more books.

After more searching, he finally found something he’d been looking for: a thinner book labeled Memorization - Simple: Basic Methods for Reliable Retention. Jeremy grinned as he pulled it off the shelf. Flipping through it, he saw techniques he recognized from class, like breaking info into chunks or using visual anchors. It wasn’t flashy, but it felt manageable—and familiar. At least now, he had something to practice on his own, even without Professor Thalis pushing him.

Stacking the books in his arms, Jeremy glanced down at his haul. The slim beginner book felt comforting, but the advanced ones? They were wildcards. He knew he was probably taking on too much, but a part of him was itching to try. Who knew—maybe the tough stuff would come in handy faster than he thought.

At the self-checkout, the machine beeped and flashed alerts for the higher-level books. Jeremy paused, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. Was he overreaching? But no one was stopping him, so he shrugged it off and let the system process his stack.

As he turned to leave, he glanced back at the library’s towering shelves. Somewhere in all this knowledge were answers—tools to sharpen his Skills and maybe even figure out bigger questions. For now, he’d focus on what was in front of him: learning, growing, and preparing for whatever came next.

With a deep breath, Jeremy adjusted the books in his arms and stepped toward the exit.