I stepped into the dorm common area, pushing the heavy wooden door open, shoulders aching and mind buzzing with all I’d just learned. I kept asking myself questions the entire way back from the Academy.

Will the training with Captain Phillip give me the boost I needed? Or was it just a ploy to get me away from the academy? What about this damned cursed sword? Could I find Dog on the second floor during the training?

I walked inside and headed down the corridor. It was quiet. The doorway to the common room on my left was emitting a faint lantern light from within. Did Silas and Ruriel stay up waiting for me?

Turns out, they were, and so was every other one of my classmates—the Veilbreakers.

They were all here. Every single one. They’d arranged themselves in a rough semicircle around the low wooden tables, arms folded, jaws set like it was some intervention. Silas and Ruriel were seated near the center, looking uneasy and almost…apologetic. The others—Mel, Lucius, Zenobia, Sora, Rinka, Tevin, Vahim, Habr, Amani—well, they looked either suspicious, irritated, or both. I noticed Ol’ Mumm by the kitchen door, quietly wiping her paws on her apron. She walked over and set down a plate of freshly baked treats on a table next to Tevin. The bear-woman walked back inside the kitchen, but I could see her watching us through the small diner-like window. She said nothing, but it seemed like she wanted to eavesdrop.

I stepped into the room. “What’s…going on?” I asked. I looked at an empty chair near the hallway and grabbed it, moved next to Silas, and sat down.

“Erik,” Mel said, voice firm. She stood up from where she’d been leaning against the wall. Her red hair glowed in the lamplight. “We need to talk.”

I glanced toward Silas and Ruriel. They looked caught, like they’d tried to defend me before I arrived and maybe failed.

Silas shook his head, “Tried to throw ‘em off the scent.”

Ruriel just raised an eyebrow as if to say, ‘This was inevitable.’

“All right,” I said, trying to keep as calm as possible. “What’s going on?”

Zenobia crossed her arms, chin lifting. “You tell us,” she said. “You vanish at odd hours every night, you get pulled out of class for special reasons and are always talking to the professors, you whisper with Silas and Ruriel alone at lunch, and we see you slipping out after curfew. Then you come back acting strange. We’re not blind, Erik.”

Sora nodded, her blue hair bobbing. “We said we were going to be ‘the Veilbreakers’, right?” she said. “That means no more secrets among us, especially after surviving what we have. If we can trust each other in battle, we should trust each other here.”

Rinka tapped a foot against the wooden floor. “We’re a team,” she added. “We lost no one in that guardian attack. We survived two of those horrors, and we owe it to each other to share what we know. Yet you’re holding something back.”

Tevin’s thick arms were folded over his chest. “Erik, we’ve all noticed your strange behavior,” he said. “If you’re in trouble, we can help. If you’ve got secrets that affect us, we need to know.”

Vahim, Habr, and Amani nodded in unison. The three had all a fresh addition to their hair. They had tied three golden beads on a small hair braid over their left eye. I assumed it was some sort of symbol of unity amongst them.

I sighed and looked at Silas. He leaned over. “You don’t have to tell ‘em everything, just tweak the truth,” He whispered.

Ruriel spoke up, “We said it’s better if you don’t know—safer for you,” he said quietly. “But it looks like that ship has sailed.”

Mel snorted. “Safety? We stared down Guardians,” she said. “We’re not cowards. We brought our secrets up in the Pillar. And we will continue to bear more truths for each other here. That’s…what we do now. Right?”

I tilted my head at seeing Mel…soften up a little.

She shook her head and then pointed aggressively at me.

“Just tell us the truth, bastard!”

Fern stirred as Mel resorted back to her aggressive ways.

—‘Go on, tell them,’ he said. Surprisingly encouraging this time. ‘I’m tired. I’m tired Erik of the secrets. I’m tired of the danger. You were right. We need help. We got some. Now let’s bring my friends, our friends, in. They’ve survived so much—they deserve the truth.’

—I was already going to do so. I smiled. Let’s see how they react to my planet-hopping adventure.

“All right,” I began, voice steadier than I expected. “You’re right. I’ve been hiding things. Not because I wanted to lie, but because I thought it’d keep you safe. Because I thought you didn’t need to know. And if I’m being truly honest, I didn’t want to be treated differently. We’re in dangerous times, and I didn’t want to drag you into a mess that might get you killed.”

Zenobia’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing.

“I’ll start from the beginning,” I said, “First… I’m not from Stylos. Not even from this world of Mourne. I come from another world—one without magic. We call it Earth.”

A dozen eyebrows shot up. Lucius gave a half-laugh of disbelief, and Amani’s eyes widened. Sora actually covered her mouth with her hand. I then told them everything, just like I did with Ruriel and Silas.

A slow silence stretched after my explanation ended. I reached for a pastry, biting into it just to ground myself. The sweet warmth filled my mouth, calming my nerves.

Finally, Mel broke the silence. “You’re telling me you’re some…old guy from another world, sharing a body with the original kid inside, and we have a spy problem on top of that?” She snorted. “Honestly, that’s so insane it might as well be true.”

I included what we know about the spy so far, how we are allied with Waelid temporarily, and finally that I was to leave the academy to go train.

At the mention of Waelid, some faces hardened. They all knew about Waelid’s methods. I raised a hand. “I know. I have issues with him, too. I even challenged him to a duel. I will get justice. But right now, he’s part of this plan. Tomorrow, I will go with him to the upper floors. The idea is to remove me—the spy’s target—from the Academy, so the spy slips up here for Hopsander to catch.”

Habr spoke softly, “You’re leaving us?

“For a few weeks,” I said. “So I can train, grow stronger, and supposedly find out how to use the Twin-Soul even more. Meanwhile, Silas and Ruriel will lead efforts with Fan to research the records we took. And you—” I looked at each of them, “I guess you are now involved too. Huh?”

“You bet we are,” Rinka said, raising a fist softy.

I smiled, “Watch for strange behavior, and inconsistencies from the professors. If the spy thinks I’m gone, they might get sloppy.”

Mel stepped up. “What about your Blood Infusion?”

“I—”

—Shit, she’s right. What the hell, I need that power up! Before I go!

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“I need to find that out!” I stood up.

“Sit back down recruit,” I turned around, and standing in the doorway were Waelid and Fan. Fan held a small brown chest. “We are gonna have you pick an infusion now.”

“All of us?!” Mel shouted, amped to get her power.

“No, not all of you. You will go through the ceremony as normal. Erik, you’ll have to wait and see what their infusions are. Now, it’s unceremonious, but time is of the essence. You choose one of these.

“Wait, that’s not fair. I didn’t even have time to look at the booklet. I still need time to-”

“That doesn’t matter,” Fan cut me off. “These three are the ones the headmaster has approved for you to choose from.”

“I need permission? Seriously? I don’t really get much of a choice, huh?”

“Recruit,” Waelid sneered down at me. The rest of my classmates behind me went quiet. “You should count yourself lucky you even get to have an infusion.” He clicked his teeth. “Tch, I am against it. A Twin-Soul, with an infusion? They are just pouring oil onto a fire.”

Fan looked between us and then opened the small chest. Inside were three small glass vials with a black stopped plugged into the top of each one. Each tube had a small tab of white paper painted with a unique creature drawn in extreme detail. Below the figure was the word for the creature.

A lion with the back paws of a goat, large black wings, and a snake for a tail.

Chimera.

A two-headed dog, with smoke trailing its paws and mouth.

Orthus.

A large horse-like creature with scaley skin, webbed feet, and seven heads, each twisting around each other like a group of serpents.

Hydra.

“On second thought,” I said, a smile growing on my face. “I think these will be just fine options.”

----------------------------------------

We moved through the academy’s dim corridors. Waelid led the way, his boots thudding softly against the stone floors. The chill of dawn crept through the narrow windows, painting our path with pale winter morning light.

—‘So, was that it? We just drank it and…now what?’ Fern asked.

—I’m not sure. To be honest, I thought it would cause us to be in pain or something. Maybe it’s a delayed effect? Waelid didn’t even tell us how to use it.

We approached the Mouth, that central hollow chamber of Baldred’s Pillar that connected all floors. Its cavernous space loomed above us, lit by hanging crystal lanterns. Like before, I could see up to the first floor, but a mist obscured the second floor.

The silence here was different. As if the stone pillars held their breath. I spotted a handful of upperclassmen in the distance on the far side of the Mouth platform. They were groggy and yawning, probably heading off to their own training drills within the Pillar.

None approach us. Even the older 4th years of House Anu just stared at us, and only one gave a nod. The tension radiating from Waelid’s stiff back must have been enough to keep them away.

Fern whispered in my head.

—‘Nervous?’

—A bit, I answered silently. For three weeks, I’m stuck with Waelid. Can’t say I’m thrilled. I don’t know how I will stop myself from wringing his neck. I clenched my fists.

Fern’s chuckle was a dry rasp.

—‘You were never one to shy from a challenge. Just… watch him. And watch yourself.’

At last, we stepped into the Mouth’s vast openness. The hollow column stretched upward, so high that the top was lost in dim shadows.

The first floor—the Cavernous Canopy—lay a mile above, and from there, another mile to the second floor. I knew we were headed to a new world hidden above. I tried to imagine what the second floor looked like, but my mind produced only half-formed images of a winding mineral mine. That was the floor where they mined Pillardust, right? It’s probably dull and full of winding passages.

“Hey, who does the mining?” I asked Waelid.

“Them.” he nodded his head behind me. I turned around and a group of 12 men, fatter and less chiseled than the adults I had seen in the academy, but they looked…happy. The twelve men all wore a white t-shirt, a hard white plastic helmet, and black pants. Most of them had thick long beards and carried a small duffle bag on their shoulder. They held long pickaxes in their hands.

“If it isn’t youngster Waelid!” One of the taller men said, waving over to the Chapter Master. “Hopsander said we’d have a special escort up. Can I assume it’s you?” the men got closer and the man who had shouted out to Waelid clapped Waelid’s shoulder. The new, true, darker side of Waelid vanished, reverting to his old charming self. I cursed at how easily he could change his personality.

“Coren! It’s good to see you, old man! Is Luci doing alright? How’d that medicine work out?”

“Oh, young Waelid, thank you so much for asking. My little Luci is doing much better. Her mother has been so happy hearing our little girl sing now that sickness has passed.”

“Ah, that’s good, well gentlemen, shall we be on our way?” Waelid said.

—’Oh so he’s a good guy to some people…I see.’

Waelid turned and led us across the mouth to a long wooden platform hanging down from the center of the pillar. A wooden contraption, something like a large cargo elevator, waited there, suspended by thick ropes anchored somewhere far above. I frowned. Last time, we climbed using our grappling against the sheer cliff face of the Pillar’s interior tube. Now, we had a lift? Part of me was jealous and upset about what we had to go through, but the other was relieved I didn’t have to grapple up 2 miles high.

Waelid stepped onto the wooden platform first, testing it with his boot. “Captain Philip’s crew rigged this,” he said over his shoulder. He offered no comfort, no reassurance that it was safe. Just a statement.

I followed, gripping the side railing. The wood creaked under my weight. A pulley system with iron gears and a hand crank was attached at one end. A pair of muscular upperclassmen—Cinders, by their uniforms—stood ready to operate it, giving us a curt nod. The rest of the twelve miners joined us, seemingly unafraid of the elevator.

Before I could ask questions, Waelid gave a slight nod to the operators. One upperclassman inspected the gears before giving a thumbs up. The other pulled the lever. The elevator lurched, and my stomach dropped as we ascended. The rough wooden boards trembled beneath my feet, each turn of the gears echoing through the hollow chamber.

—‘I hope they tied those ropes well.’ Fern said.

—Me too, I replied grimly, knuckles whitening as I gripped the railing.

As we rose, the academy’s stone architecture slipped away below us. The Pillar’s interior walls were rough and dark, lit intermittently by lanterns fixed at intervals. Shadows danced with the sway of our ascent. The wind whistled softly, carrying the scent of damp earth and moss. The air grew colder, sharper. After a few minutes, we passed the First Floor. The giant rainforest floor where we battled the Guardian and Scrollguards flew past in a moment and soon we were back in the middle of the stone.

Then the rushing of distant water reached my ears and a spray of mist rained down on the elevator. Like a sudden rainstorm, water rushed around, coming down on all sides. Coren, the miner who had spoken with Waelid, nudged me.

“Hold on tight kid, wouldn’t wanna fall now.” He gave a wink, and I took his advice, although I wasn't sure how much more tightly I could grip the rope.

The rushing water flew below us as we climbed higher until the platform jerked to a stop. The ropes groaned and the metal gears and hinges clicked together. My heart drummed as I stepped off the elevator. The massive rolling of water echoed around me. The two Cinders operating the lift saluted Waelid curtly, waited for twelve miners to exit with us, and then descended.

We stood on a simple stone platform, water rushed past us on either side. The once pale dawn light from the sun was completely blacked out. We were in some huge, unnatural cave. Dim teal light filtered out from hanging giant crystals above us several thousand feet high. A distant roar of waterfalls—no, more like sewer grates—echoed around us. It took me a moment for my eyes to adjust to the new dark, but when they did, I had to hold myself against a railing. We were in a huge, underground like ruined city.

Waelid looked at me, laughed at my open jaw, and finally broke his silence. “This is the second floor. The Sunken Sewer City of Dust.” His tone was matter-of-fact, but I caught the hint of pride. He knew this place well, it seemed.

I stepped forward down the stone platform, walking a narrow path between canals. The second floor was like an ancient decaying city in water. Like Venice if it was lost to time, thrown in an underground cave and lit up with giant teal and purple crystals.

I saw a landscape of broken stone buildings emerging from shallow waters. Narrow canals looked like glowing blue green waterways. Four enormous grates spilled hundreds of gallons of water into these canals, their rush like distant applause. The city ruins were old and scattered, archways and toppled columns hinting at a lost civilization. A giant ruined cathedral like building stood in the center like a multi tiered cake. Everything glimmered faintly with crystal dust, giving an eerie glow, like this city was filled with ghosts.

Waelid set his jaw. “We’ll meet Captain Philip’s team deeper inside.” He pointed to a large dome-like structure rising in the distance below the enormous cathedral like building. “That’s where they’ve established their base camp. He’s waiting.”

I nodded, adjusting my pack. I could handle this. After all, I had fought Guardians, survived the spy’s ambush in the archives, and forged alliances from necessity. A sunken sewer city? Just another stage. Another level. And, I just got a new power boost. If something happens, I’ll be ready.

—‘Easier said than done. This place looks like a haunted deathtrap,’ Fern muttered. ‘But… also kind of pretty. In a broken way.’

I smiled slightly. It seemed like Fern was in a better mood. Maybe he wasn’t as mad as I thought he was.

We picked our way through the uneven stone pathway leading into the city’s heart. The sound of flowing water rushed around us as we climbed small bridges between alleys over canals, and as we walked alongside the rushing water that was headed towards the center of the second floor. Aside from the water and the quiet stomping of the miners following us, I also heard hushed murmurs of voices ahead. The glow of crystals above heightened as we moved deeper. I spotted flickering torchlight around a bend.

Rounding a corner, we emerged into a small plaza. Broken statues stood guard in front of a massive dome shaped building. Waist-high water lapped at the edges of of the building, the water cut through the city like veins. In the center of the plaza, several figures stood waiting.

As we approached, I recognized them—Laska’s slender form, arms folded and posture straight. Al’s broad shape, black bushy beard, and sporting some new eyewear, the glint of his goggles caught the light and beamed at us, along with his bright smile. There was another man with them. Shorter, wider, and bald. He had an eyepatch and was leaning against a thick pole.

As we got closer, my eyes widened. Goro, the giant titan beetle companion of Al, stood proudly, his carapace reflecting teal glimmers. Around Goro, swarming or clustering, were about twenty small beetles, each the size of a large dog. They scuttled around, clicking quietly, their antennae waving as if greeting us. Some were sticking up against walls, but all of them were standing near the warm fire.

“I can’t believe it…are those Goro and Gora’s kids?” I whispered. Tevin would have flipped out to see this.

Laska stepped forward, a cool smile touching her lips. “There you are,” she said. “Welcome to the second floor, Erik. Waelid.” She swept an arm, showing the beetles. “I hope you don’t mind the welcoming committee. Goro insisted on bringing some of his children. They’ll be assisting us.”

My mouth widened into a grin. Twenty baby beetles. This was not what I expected. The small creatures chirped softly, a strange chorus in the gloomy ruins of a plaza. I couldn’t help but think of the journey to Ash and seeing all these little babies as small pearl like eggs.

Al gave a hearty chuckle, patting Goro’s side. “We’ve been busy raisin the youngins,” he said.

“When…? Did this happen?”

“While you were in the first trial!” Al said, smiling. He raised his googles to show his proud eyes.

“And they have grown this fast?” I asked.

“Titan-beetles are unique. I’m sure you’ll learn more when you get back to class after this little…field

“So, what’s the plan?” I asked softly, looking from Laska to Al, and then at the beetles. “Is Captain Philip here?”

Laska’s smile faded slightly as she nodded over my shoulder. I turned to see a tall, muscular figure approaching from beyond a broken archway, the sound of heavy footsteps on wet stone. The figure paused, torchlight flickering over a face I couldn’t yet see, but I sensed a powerful presence.

Then Laska’s voice, now quiet, carried over the watery hush: “Yes, he’s here. And he’s eager to begin.”

The muscly man stopped and stared at us. His face was hidden by shadow. Then he charged at us, arms outstretched.

“Erik!!! Waelid!!!” He picked us both up in both his arms and squeezed so hard I thought my bruised ribs would bend and snap.

“Boys! It’s good to have you with us!”

“C-c-captain!” I tapped his massive arm. “P-please ch-choking us!”

He let us drop, and we coughed, rubbing our throats.

“That’s Major to you son!” Major Philip said. “Oh yes, that’s tight! Major Phillip Louis Willard fulfilling the familial duty to RISE through the ranks! Are you ready for my special brand of training?” He smiled behind his enormous mustache that was expertly groomed to twirl up on either end.

Fern whispered in my head.

—‘This is going to be interesting…’

I couldn’t agree more.