Donovan’s POV

Gaia held a glass tray level in front of her face. What she was looking at, I couldn’t say and I didn’t care. She was always strange. I'd learned better than to ask needless questions after an hours long lecture on the intricacies of bacterial growth.

I didn’t give a fuck then, and I still hadn’t found use for the knowledge.

As she sat the tray back on her table, her lips parted with a heavy sigh. “So, the tome—has there been any progress?”

I restrained a groan at the mention. I suspected Valentina to be quite capable and special despite her only having two spells, but the boy had no idea how to make use of such a valuable spell tome. Not only that, but… “Dexter has been frozen ever since he learned of his parents fate. It’s difficult to speak on her progress considering he hasn’t participated in a duel since the day you met him.”

Returning her focus to her task, Dr. Gaia gathered several glass jars and a dish covered in slime. Moving to a table along the left wall, she laid everything out then returned for three identical fire leaf branches.

“What are you doing with those?” The question slipped out before I realized my mistake.

She didn't speak, instead choosing to carry on with her task. She separated the leaves, placing half in each of two different bottles, the third she left empty. “Did you know that a single fire leaf contains all the minerals and nutrients necessary to sustain a human life for thirty days?”

I shook my head, not that she was looking.

“You didn’t, did you? But I’m sure you know it’s one of the most potent toxins that is guaranteed to kill any creature with flesh and blood. If you eat just a bit, you’ll die within three minutes.” She glanced over her shoulder, probably checking that I hadn’t run off yet. “Now, I bet you’re asking yourself why that is? Why would the world's healthiest plant also be its most toxic? It makes no sense right?”

“Not at all, doctor. I’m happy to take the world as it is, interpret it and share my experience. I guess that’s why I’m a teacher and you’re the researcher.”

Gaia chuckled as she lifted a leaf from the glass container and plucked it into the bottle with one hand. In the other she held a tiny brush. Scraping the brush over the plate, she took some slime, which looked like a dark purple ichor, and swirled it around with the leaves in one of the bottles. She repeated the process for the other, and then she added three drops of some fluid to each bottle.

Taking one jar in each hand, she held them out. The leaves in the bottles began to turn purple, then the jar she held to her right started to emit a hiss. In just a few seconds, the jar was empty, then the same process repeated in the jar on the left.

She placed both empty jars on the table then took a tiny cup of blue liquid, swirling it around until it glowed, before pouring it into the jar that remained untouched.

“You see, the effects of this leaf are highly similar to the symptoms of M. The only real difference is that M-genesis is silent and if you ate a fire leaf, it would only burn up all of your blood, but M consumes the whole body.”

Her smile grew and I felt a chill down my spine as her eyes widened in excitement. “Well anyway, this liquid here contains the healthy extract of a hundred fire leaves.” Holding it out towards me, she asked, “Care to drink?”

My stomach knotted at the sight and I wanted nothing to do with that drink, but I refused to let my expression give way to my emotions.

As she held out the liquid, I looked at it, but didn't move to take it from her. After a moment she just shook her head, laughing then said, “Relax, I wasn’t serious. I’ll be testing it on a glow toad later.” She placed the glass down then her expression grew dark and serious. “We still need that spell tome, even if the boy can’t move forward.”

I nodded. “I’m aware, but you know as well as I do that we can’t just take it.”

A mischievous grin spread over her face as she looked down at her empty tray. After a long silence, she looked back at me, her expression bright and hopeful, and said, “Then give him a push forward, or find another way.”

I nodded, not saying anything as she turned back to her work.

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I turned to leave, stopping by the door and glancing back. She was mixing another jar of some strange pink slime.

“Is this really necessary? I mean there must be some other way to—”

Gaia looked at me, her face placid, but her intent clear.

I swallowed hard. “I understand.”

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Dexter’s POV

The library was more active than I recalled, although no one was present. The librarian wasn’t at her desk, but myriad voices assaulted my mind.

The books whispered to each other mostly, but one of them seemed to address me, saying, “I will give you great power if you’ll take me out of this place.”

I pushed the whispers away as I reached the empty desk where the old lady should’ve been. Aside from a slip of paper, her desk was clear. I glanced over it.

‘Whether you’ve come seeking knowledge, power, or a path to peace, you have come to the wrong place.

I will provide you with nothing more than the unique spell tome you already possess.’

It couldn’t have been, but I felt as if the note was specifically for me.

“Hello.” A bell-like voice called, drawing my attention to the narrow space between two bookshelves. “Are you looking for the librarian?”

I turned to see a girl in her early twenties wearing black robes and a black scarf with silver trim that hid all of her features, save her bright starry eyes and pure white hair.

“I was, but…” my eyes dropped to the little note. “I don’t think she would help me.”

The woman moved toward me with slow steady steps that carried her closer at a smooth and even pace. The girl leaned to the side and glanced over the note as she stopped next to me. She gave a halfhearted shrug and a nonchalant chuckle.

”I guess it’s good you found me then. I can help, at least with a few things, anyway.” The girl smiled, then she moved past me.

As she disappeared around another bookshelf she called, “Dexter,” her voice ringing like bells.

I stood, staring blankly, not really sure how to respond or even if I should, but after a moment of hesitation, my feet moved on their own to follow her.

I rounded the shelf and came to a section that seemed completely unfamiliar. The gentle violet of flames floating above turned to an angry red and the towering shelves, that seemed to be innumerable, were replaced by four six foot shelves standing around a podium. These shelves weren’t covered in creeping vines like the others, but each one seemed alive.

The spell tomes on the small shelves trembled as they struggled against heavy chains. As I approached their struggle grew more fierce. Several of them called to me, “Help us! Let us be free!”

But the girl with white hair shook her head. “They have been trapped here a long time and grown bitter. If you free them, it will only lead to death,” she said.

I paused, my heart racing as a cold chill ran down my spine. It felt as if my breath were caught in my throat. Standing next to the podium the girl turned to smile at me, the silver trim on her scarf gleaming in the dark.

It looked as if the light in that room were bending around her, creating a glowing ring that formed a halo on her head.

She looked like a beautiful angel, but her words screamed warnings and raised flags that made me want to turn and run.

My feet didn’t follow logic though. With each step forward, my heart beat louder until it drowned out the sound of tomes banging in their attempts to get free.

“Place her on the podium.” The girl instructed, motioning towards Valentina on my side.

As if controlled by a puppeteer, my arms lifted her into the air, laying her open on the podium. My breath evened and I relaxed. All noise faded to silence and the thudding drum in my chest halted. The girl stepped between me and the podium, examining Valentina.

I had an inexplicable urge to snatch her, to run, but I remained frozen. The white haired girl nodded, then stepped back, tilting her head slightly as she looked at me with a smile.

When my eyes met hers, her smile widened. It wasn't a look of a sadistic, malicious intent, but of pure happiness and genuine joy. Her expression seemed almost loving and sweet.

The feeling of unease I had only increased. My heart sped and my legs ached. Every fiber of my being was screaming run! Get away! Danger! But my body didn’t obey. I tried to shout, to curse at this strange woman who seemed to control my every movement, but no sound passed my lips.

“Your tome is just fine. For my sisters and I most spells are easily recorded; however, there are some spells that require more focus. She should be back to herself soon.”

As she finished speaking, the tension squeezing my chest released. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my tome from the stand. With Valentina safe in my hand, I turned to leave, making it just past the end of a chained shelf before the girl called, “Wait.”

Against my will I paused and looked back, wondering just what the girl wanted from me.

She came to stand beside me, leaning in so close her breath tickled my ear as she whispered something that made my mind feel fuzzy, or maybe she just blew in my ear. Whatever the case it was weird and I couldn’t stay there a moment longer.

I shook my head, moving away from her and trying not to focus on whatever she said.

She remained silent as I left.