The victory weighed heavily on me as we descended a mile down the Mouth—the hole in the center of the pillar leading to the base level of the academy where everyone gathered.
The surrounding faces reflected the toll of the recent fight. We had lost recruits. Eight of them. Marcus, the upperclassmen bully from earlier and co-captain of House Enlil, was dead. I never even got to confirm whether his issue with Waelid was justified. Given Waelid’s actions, I’m not so sure about anyone’s motives anymore. We in House Anu didn’t know the others who died, but we could see the sadness among the other houses.
Houses Nin and Enlil peeled off toward their dorms as we reached the bottom. They moved quietly, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls as they disappeared down the hall. Lunafreya looked back at me before turning to her fellow housemates. Our group, the House Anu recruits, Waelid and Fan, remained summoned for a debriefing with the Headmaster. I exchanged a glance with Silas, who gave me a subtle nod. Fern was silent in my head. Even he wasn’t feeling very joyous. Perhaps he was as weighed down as I was about our situation and the looming threat of Waelid.
We left the Mouth and were escorted by Assistant Master Arlo. We entered the grand hall where Headmaster Thorn stood flanked by staff members—Hopsander, Al, Laska, the Captain from the town of Ash with the curly mustache, and a few others I didn’t recognize who taught the upperclassmen. Thorn’s eyes surveyed us as we lined up. Waelid stood at the far end, wearing an innocent smile as if he had won the trial fairly.
“Recruits,” the Headmaster began, his voice resonating through the chamber. “You have faced challenges unprecedented in recent academy history.”
He paused, his gaze settling on me briefly before moving on. “A Guardian appearing on a lower floor is a matter of grave concern— many were lost. But through your teamwork and your leadership,” He nodded to Waelid, who smiled and gave a thumbs up,” You overcame the impossible. To take down a Guardian, barely more than a month into your training is a feat that stories and legends are made of. You will be sung about for years to come in this Academy. I myself will have one of our professors compose a ballad of your achievements. The kids that took down a titan. I can hear it now! You have given us a great opportunity. Master Waelid, I believe you have something, too?”
“Yes, Head Master,” Waelid walked up to Head Master Thorn and presented him the vial of Guardian blood.
“Excellent, my boy. You see, recruits? With Waelid’s great leadership, the collection of the Guardian’s blood, and your slaying of the beast, we now have a chance of a lifetime. The chance to progress through the Fourth Floor. I know the guardian wasn’t supposed to be there, and don’t worry, I will get someone on that.” The Head Master turned around.
Hopsander stepped forward. “Sir, I’ve already begun investigating how this could have occurred,” he said.
“Good,” the Headmaster replied. “We must understand why the Guardian appeared unexpectedly. But more importantly, this event brings us closer than ever to accessing Level Five.”
A spark of excitement flashed in his eyes. “Therefore, I am ordering all Cinders to return to the academy. We are preparing for a major expedition.”
I felt a mix of apprehension and curiosity. Accessing Level Five? What did that entail?
“House Anu,” he continued, his attention focusing on us. “Your performance was exemplary. As per the academy’s traditions, you have earned the right to the blood infusion.”
There was a stir among us. The blood infusion—the next step in our training. I noticed Waelid glancing my way, a sneer forming on his lips.
—Did his smile always seem so... evil? I thought.
“The reason we conduct the infusion one house at a time,” the Headmaster explained, “is due to the unpredictable nature of the procedure. Some react poorly. Your ceremony will be in one week. Use this time to prepare yourselves. The infusion requires a calm, centered mind, so take this week to practice your meditation.”
Al stepped forward with a big smile. “My friends, you did great.” He clapped his hands together. “You made House Anu proud. We couldn’t watch what happened at the moment, but when our scouts came down halfway through your trial telling us about the Guardian, I was downright terrified! Thankfully, you pulled through. Mel, your strength came in handy, tanking all those attacks to save your friends. Lucius, you did a great job protecting the twins. And Erik, you stepped up in a leadership role that I wasn’t expecting. As for the blood infusion, you may wonder why you never saw ours.” He pointed at Hopsander, Laska, and himself. “We didn’t want to overwhelm you and wanted to show you our world one drop at a time.” He gave a quick wink. “Anyway, children, think carefully about what abilities you might desire. Imagine the possibilities, and when the time comes, you can choose the closest match.”
I raised my hand. “Sir, are there limits to what we can choose?”
The Headmaster smiled a toothy grin. “Ambition is to be encouraged, young recruit Erik. Consider anything. When the time comes, we will guide you to what is attainable.”
He then bowed his head slightly. “Let us take a moment to honor those we’ve lost.”
We all lowered our heads. Images of Marcus and the others flashed through my mind. His snotty face and our fight against his blood infusion replayed in my mind. The kid with green hair, like me, was gruesomely killed by the Guardian. Their lives were snuffed out too soon.
“Their sacrifices will not be in vain,” the Headmaster said solemnly after a while. “They have contributed to a cause greater than any one of us.”
As we raised our heads, I couldn’t help but glance toward Waelid again. His eyes met mine, cold and filled with disdain.
—‘He’s going to try to kill us,’ Fern whispered.
—Let him try, I thought. I’m not afraid of him.
“That is all,” the Headmaster concluded. “Prepare yourselves for what’s to come. And go, go celebrate!”
We were dismissed, and as we turned to leave, Laska offered words of encouragement. “Well done,” she said softly. “When I take you to visit Pestil this week, we will train with that sword.” She eyed the blade that hung at my hip. “I’m not sure how you got that, but you need to train with it. Blades like that can be unwieldy.”
As we exited the hall, the weight of Waelid’s stare lingered. I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Silas.
“Don’t let him get to you,” he said quietly.
“I won’t,” I replied, forcing a small smile. “We’ve got more important things to focus on.”
He grinned. “Like choosing what superpowers we want?”
I chuckled despite myself. “Something like that.”
---
Back at House Anu’s common area, the mood had shifted dramatically. The tension of battle gave way to relief and subdued excitement. We lounged on worn sofas or gathered around wooden tables scattered with drinks and food. Our upperclassmen surrounded us, asking us to tell the story again—this time, Silas shared his perspective. Ol’ Mumm was bustling in and out of the room, knocking over tables and bringing more plates and platters of food. She snorted and laughed a deep bear laugh when Silas explained how high I flew when the Guardian hit me.
“Tried to be a little birdie, did ya? Here, take this.” She shoved a leg of meat into my mouth before I could answer.
Al and Laska entered the room, drawing everyone’s attention and causing us all to cheer at them. Al clapped at us in amazement. “Well done again, everyone,” he announced. “Taking down a Guardian! Hah! Can you believe we escorted the strongest recruits to cross this academy’s borders?” He slapped his hand on Laska’s back.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Laska rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement. “Your teamwork and courage have not gone unnoticed,” she added. “Tonight, we celebrate your victory and survival. To the House Anu recruits! They won the Practical and took down a burning Guardian!” She raised a cup of spiced cider.
A cheer rose from the group. Ol’ Mumm brought more plates of food, and mugs of the sweet, spiced cider were passed around. I found myself seated between Silas and Rinka, who were debating the best tactics against Scrollguards with their newfound experience.
Al raised his hand for silence. “I have more news,” he said, his voice cutting through the chatter. “As you know, for your performance and winning the Practical, you will receive your first blood infusions first. To help you choose, I’ve compiled a booklet with Laska here on all the known blood infusions the academy has to offer as of this week. It’s 100 pages long, so do take your time.”
Excited whispers spread like wildfire. I felt a surge of anticipation. The blood infusion—a huge step toward becoming a true warrior of the academy. Huge progress in my power.
“Begin thinking about what abilities you might desire,” Laska advised. “Consider your strengths and how you wish to enhance them.”
Al tossed a small red booklet on the table in front of us titled:
Blood Infusions at the Academy: Year of Alexander 801
Silas snagged the book first and began thumbing through it. Everyone tried to crowd him to look at it. I figured I had time to read it later and try to decide what infusion I wanted.
The celebration continued, but my thoughts drifted. Amid the laughter and storytelling, images of the Guardian flashed in my mind—the human figure within it, the cryptic words it had uttered.
—‘We need answers,’ Fern said.
—Agreed. The library must hold some clues.
“Earth to Erik,” Rinka said, waving a hand in front of my face. “You look a million miles away.”
“Just thinking,” I replied with a faint smile. “A lot happened today.”
She nodded sympathetically. “Tell me about it. I don’t know what I was expecting, but…that wasn’t it. My mom always said when death happens, it’s best to keep living your life. But, I am not sure how to feel about the death of students like me but ones that I didn’t know.” She sighed and offered me space to look at the booklet to read, but I shook my head. Rinka shrugged and started to read it, with Sora leaning over to join her.
I appreciated Rinka’s concern, but my thoughts were elsewhere. There were too many things left unanswered, and I couldn’t sit by when I could be doing something. As the evening wore on, I slipped away from the group. I headed toward the dorm exit, intending to plan my visit to the library.
Turning a corner, I nearly collided with Waelid. His eyes locked onto mine, dark and unreadable.
“Erik,” he said, his normal smile was gone. Replaced with a cold, stern face. “Just the person I wanted to see.”
I tensed up. “What do you want?”
He stepped closer, and a thin smile grew on his lips. “I wanted to have a little ‘chat’ about that accusation you threw at me.”
“I’ve only spoken the truth,” I replied, meeting his gaze. I started to pick the skin on my thumb.
His smile faded. “Truth can be a dangerous thing in the wrong hands,” he said quietly. “I suggest you keep your observations to yourself.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Consider it... friendly advice.” He glanced around the empty hallway. “Accidents happen all the time, especially to those who don’t know their place.”
Anger flared within me, but I kept my voice steady. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Waelid chuckled softly. “Perhaps you should be.” He leaned in slightly. “Stay out of my way, and we’ll have no problems. Besides, it’s not like the Headmaster would do anything to me. I’m too valuable. However, I don’t like my name being badmouthed. So, stop it.”
With that, he brushed past me, his footsteps echoing as he disappeared down the corridor.
—He’s hiding something. More reason to find out what.
—‘You think he is?’ Fern asked.
—Of course. Why is he so strong? Why didn’t he use his blood infusion form? Does he not have one? And what did he do with that Guardian blood?
I felt Fern agree with me as if I could see his nod. The habit I had developed, where I felt like I could see Fern next to me as if his own image of himself was projected around me, was getting stronger each day. I knew it was my imagination, but I was still happy to feel like I was talking with a separate entity.
I resumed my path out the dorm. The library awaited.
—
As I made my way toward the library, my mind raced about what I was going to research first. The trip to the First Floor prodded me with hundreds of questions. Who was Dog? What is behind Floor Four, and what were the Guardians guarding? Of course, I was also curious about the blood infusions and my twin-soul with Fern. Too many questions and no time to look for answers to all of them.
Shadows danced along the walls in the lamplight. I passed by several students—most were upperclassmen, some from House Anu, who gave me a nod, and others from the other two houses who sneered at me. I passed painting after painting as I walked quickly through the halls. I stopped to take a look at one of them. It was a painting of a golden kingdom under siege by an army in black armor. The map was surrounded by clouds, and rainbow bridges extended off either side of the kingdom, leading off the painting. In the center of the kingdom was a circular pool of glowing teal water. A man wearing a white robe and green shoulders stood next to a bear. He was holding out his hand toward the oncoming enemy. I noted the name of the painting in the lower left corner before continuing.
The Assault on the Kingdom Over Erd and the Judgment of Soul’s Fate
—What an incredibly long title, I thought, chuckling to myself. Probably something to do with some religion. I’ll have to check that out later, too.
I came to the floor with the library and walked past upperclassmen in the study area outside of it. When I opened the door, Mrs. Brindle looked up from the large desk at the entrance. The stout librarian gave me a warm smile and waved me over.
“Hello, young man. Planning to do some late-night reading?” she asked.
“Hello again, Mrs. Brindle. Yes, I am. I was wondering something. Do you have a sort of special collection of books, like a restricted area?”
She raised her eyebrows at me, her glasses sliding down her nose. “Now, young man, what would you be wanting to find in a place like that?”
“Well... we just went through our Practical on the First Floor.” I pointed up. “And some things I saw there seemed... suspicious.”
“Hmm, yes, I see it now. You did go through the Practical. Now you see the trials and sometimes horrors that being a Cinder brings.” She sighed. “How many were lost?”
I bowed my head. “One upperclassman, Marcus from House Enlil, and three recruits from his house, and five recruits from House Nin.”
Mrs. Brindle bowed her head as well, touched her necklace—a circle with an X through it—and mumbled something.
She was silent for a while, then raised her head. “Poor Marcus. He was in here frequently as well, like you. Always tried to gain access, too, but he lost that chance. Yes, young man, we have a restricted area. But you don’t have access to it either.”
—‘Poor Marcus? He was a jerk!’ Fern said.
—Maybe she knew another side of him. What was he trying to look for in the restricted area? That’s what I’m curious about now.
“And how would one get access to it? What are the requirements?” I asked.
Mrs. Brindle looked up at me. “Only Chapter Masters and teachers have access to it.”
“So Marcus couldn’t get into it because Jiho is the Chapter Master.”
Mrs. Brindle nodded.
“And Waelid and the current Chapter Masters can get in now,” I mumbled, rubbing my hand against my chin.
“Yes, in fact, your Master Waelid comes in almost every night just after you do to go into the restricted area.”
I felt my heart drop. Was he close by? My heart beat faster.
—I’m not scared of him, I lied to myself. Fern didn’t say anything.
“Oh, I see. Well, I should get back to finding books for class.” I started to walk away when Mrs. Brindle grabbed my arm.
—Shit, does she know something? I thought, turning my head quickly to her.
“One more thing before you go, young Master Erik?” She pulled out two envelopes. Both just said “Erik” on them. “I believe these are for you.”
“Oh wow, I have mail? Do you run that department as well?” I asked.
Mrs. Brindle shook her head. “No, but my husband does. We hardly get letters for students at all, so when these came in, and we knew they weren’t for any of the staff, I saw your name and grabbed them. Came in this morning.”
I grabbed the letters, thanked her, and ran to an isolated table far in the Runic Applications section.
I opened the first one, which had less writing.
—‘Who sent it? It’s Lotrick, right? It has to be. It’s him!’ Fern said excitedly.
I chuckled to myself and opened up the first one.
----------------------------------------
*To the green-haired boys,
I forgot to tell you that the sword you have may or may not be cursed. If you want to know more, you’ll have to come find me on the Second Floor. I decided to hang my jar up around here for a few days. I won’t be here long, so you better not delay! Have fun!
Dog*
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—Huh? Dog? The crazy, magical old man?
—‘I knew this special sword would be too good to be true,’ Fern sighed.
—I guess this means we have to go up to the Second Floor ASAP, I said to him.
—‘ASAP?’ Fern asked.
—As soon as possible. I forgot all the slang was lost in translation to Fern.
—‘Ah, yes, like tomorrow. We need to, Erik. I don’t need more curses in my life.’
—Glad to hear that’s how you think of me, I laughed.
I pulled up the other letter and opened it. It was from Fern’s brother Lotrick.
—‘Yes! That’s my little brother. I bet he found a way to fix us,’ Fern said.
—Well, you certainly think of him more positively now that you are away from him. I guess distance does make the heart grow fonder.
—‘Will you just read the letter and stop looking away?’
I looked down at the letter and read.
----------------------------------------
*Dear Erik,
Give my regards to my little brother. I sure hope you are taking care of him, and if I do not receive word from you shortly after you receive this, I will assume you have either never made it to Ash, got thrown into prison of some sort, or just died. Either way, my condolences. However, if you do receive the letter, I want you to respond with your name penned as Fern. After this first letter, we’ll have to be careful about the information we divulge. I have discovered several secrets that the Royal Mages and their military have kept from the world.
First, as I am hoping you have discovered too—or I would have called you an imbecile for not doing so yet—you are what the magebloods call a “Twin-Soul.” How it happened does not matter. What matters is that, according to you, if you are telling the truth, Fern is still conscious within your consciousness. That has never happened before in known Twin-Souls of the past. In every case, one personality or the other takes over and kills the other soul to gain its strength. Your exception makes you and Fern a unique case. Whether this means for the better or not remains to be seen. However, because one soul is destroyed in all the other processes, no one has ever attempted to re-separate the bodies and souls back to their original state. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible; it just means that it’s never been done. I will experiment with this. When you send this letter, include strands of your hair and fingernails.
Secondly, there is a spy in the academy. Destroy this letter when you are finished with it so there is no mention that you know this. The spy is not a student apparently, but either a staff member, an adult in the town of Ash, or someone who frequents coming to the academy. Be on the lookout and trust no one. They are a voidblood working with the Royal Family themselves. There is something about the pillar the Cinders are trying to climb that the Royal Family wants. Yes, I know about the pillar. It was the first thing that was mentioned in my studies of the Cinders and the Academy of Ash. I told you, Erik, I would act with haste. I am excelling at the top of my classes, as expected, and am learning under the tutelage of the High Prince Magelord himself—your brother.
Which brings me to my third point. Erik, your brother is a twin-soul. I am not sure whether Noah is the one in control or the second soul who is empowering him. But I do not think you can trust your brother either. For now, I am on his good side, and like a snake, I know how to play my politics. But the plans he has for this country... for this world, will cost millions of lives. I don’t know how much help you can be to me, but what I do know is that the key to Noah’s plan is somewhere within the pillar you guard and the twelve other pillars around the planet. Find the spy, trust no one, and send me what I asked so I can learn more about the Twin-Souls. Maybe I can find a way to stop your brother or the second soul inside of him.
Get stronger—no matter what, get stronger.
Lotrick Landaluce*
----------------------------------------
I looked up from the paper, too stunned for words. I felt my nerves shoot up from my feet to my heart when Waelid walked out from a bookshelf in front of me.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favorite recruit,” he said. “Fancy yourself a man of the books, too, I see. Hey, what’s that letter?”