Ehrwin Bargunri moved silently like a shadow in the dead of the night, holding an unlit oil lamp tightly in one hand as he crept along the palace walls. He was well aware that his next action would be a violation, as entering the library at such a late hour was strictly prohibited.

But rules were made to be broken, he reminded himself. He would have balked at such a transgression in his past life, but his current self demanded a distinct way of navigating life.

The green moon, Chloris, shone high in the sky and illuminated the corridor with its soft glow. Its light filtered through the tall windows, casting dancing shadows along the walls. The silence was all-encompassing, broken only by the sound of Ehrwin’s own footsteps as he moved with practiced ease. It was nearing midnight, and everyone in the palace was asleep. Everyone, except for Ehrwin, that is.

Not surprising. He was an overthinker, his thoughts usually insistent, especially when he tried sleeping, but tonight they were particularly overwhelming, the result of a barbed comment from Bartrem. The man had never been kind to Ehrwin, not since he discovered that Ehrwin had no magical ability. His words this evening, however, had cut deeper than ever before. And so Ehrwin found himself slinking toward the library.

“What’s the point in sending you to the Avernium when you have no magic?” Bartrem’s words echoed through Ehrwin’s mind like the tolling of a bell, each one a blow to his already battered spirit.

As he approached the library, Ehrwin noticed something strange. A sliver of light spilled out from under the door of the custodian’s chamber, which was located next to the library, casting a warm glow in the dark hallway. This was odd, as all blue-robed servants were strictly ordered to turn off the lights and go to sleep when night fell, whether they could sleep or not.

Ehrwin frowned. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one violating the palace’s rules tonight. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then, his curiosity getting the better of him, he leaned in and pressed his ear to the door. The muffled sounds of two people conversing reached his ears—An old man and a young woman. Even servants needed a good romp once in a while. But the old leathery custodian with a young woman? Ehrwin shuddered at the thought.

“His lordship has been particularly unkind to the young master this evening. He doesn’t deserve such scorn,” said the custodian.

“Oh, Servitor, I just don’t get it. Why do you like the young master so much? He’s been nothing but a pain in your behind,” spoke a young woman.

“That may appear to be the case. Yet, I can’t help but feel for the young master. I see him day after day, year after year, immersing himself in the pursuit of knowledge within the library. In all my years, I have never seen such passion for learning in any young gentleman. What can I say, Tabitha? The boy’s dedication grew on me, and it breaks my heart to know that fate would be so cruel as to deprive him of his birthright.”

An amalgam of emotions stirred inside Ehrwin as he listened to the conversation. He had not expected the custodian, of all people, to care about him in such a way. The man had never given any indication that he held Ehrwin in such regard. And yet, here he was, speaking words of concern and affection that made Ehrwin’s heart ache with a longing that he could not quite name.

“Isn’t there any way to cure his condition?”

“If there were, his lordship would’ve discovered it by now.”

“Did they try the restricted section of the library?”

Ehrwin’s eyes widened. A restricted section in the library? How is it possible that no one has ever told me about this before?

“Hush now, we’re not supposed to talk about that place,” the custodian said. “Only his lordship and I know of its existence. You mustn’t go blabbering about the forbidden section, Tabitha, or you’ll get yourself in trouble.”

“No, Servitor! I promise, I haven’t told a soul! I’m merely expressing my curiosity to you. The books there contain decades old knowledge. I hoped that maybe somewhere in there you could find a remedy.”

Decades old knowledge? Just what sort of secrets could be so dangerous or valuable that they would be restricted to only the custodian and Bartrem?

His mind raced with possibilities. Were there ancient tomes of forgotten lore, filled with powerful magic and forbidden knowledge? Were there documents detailing long-lost secrets of the kingdom, information that could shake the very foundations of the ruling class? Or perhaps there were more personal secrets, hidden away from prying eyes, details of the lives and histories of house Bargunri and their closest allies.

Either way, he had made up his mind: he would find a way to access the restricted section of the library, no matter the cost.

“Well, they don’t, I’m afraid. His lordship had me peruse each and every text there, even hired men to decipher cryptic texts in hopes of finding such knowledge. But there’s none. A noble with no magic is unprecedented.”

For the next quarter of an hour or so, Tabitha and the Custodian droned on about the history of the library. Nothing of importance. Ehrwin was growing impatient. But just as he was about to pull away, he heard something that piqued his interest once more.

“What baffles me is that he hasn’t discovered it already, even if by accident. I mean, all you have to do to gain entrance is tuck that green book back onto the shelf,” Tabitha said.

“Hardly anyone has an interest in the contents of that dull book, not even the young master, thankfully. Besides, just tucking the book back on the shelf isn’t enough. You’ll have to push it further against the wall with considerable force. It’s not something a person would do without a good reason.”

Ehrwin’s lips curled into a smile. So that’s the trick. Curiosity washed over him as he contemplated the possibilities. He felt the library calling out to him, daring him to uncover the secrets that lay hidden within its forbidden corner.

“I can’t help but feel the house has been in a state of decay since that fateful night seventeen years ago. I still recall his face, that assassin! I should’ve known! No one can clean that thoroughly. Not even someone with years of experience, let alone someone with no prior training.”

“You can’t blame yourself for that, Servitor,” Tabitha said reassuringly. “No one could have seen that coming.”

"Oh, Tabitha," the Servitor murmured. “Distract me from my worldly worries, will you?”

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Ehrwin’s face scrunched up. The conversation had taken an intimate turn, and he was not keen on finding out what’d happen next. He quickly withdrew his ear from the door, satisfied that he had learned what he needed to know.

He crawled towards the library door, and focused his attention on the doorknob. With the copied key in hand, he inserted it into the keyhole and carefully turned it, trying to minimize any noise. He slowly opened the door and stepped inside, the familiar smell of old books and parchment wafting up his nose. A comforting smell. Here, he found respite when the burden of nobility became too tiring.

Lines of shelves towered around him, forming rows upon rows of knowledge that Ehrwin had explored extensively. But today, he had a specific goal in mind: finding that one particular green leatherbound book. There were only a few of them, and none had escaped his attention before.

Time to get to work.

If Ehrwin had to choose the most dull book out of the few with green leather covers, it would undoubtedly be... he scanned the eastward row of shelves nestled against the wall.

With careful steps, he traversed to the farthest end, lit his lamp, and began to scan the books on the second last shelf. The dull, dusty green cover of a particular volume caught his eye and he lifted it out from between its neighbors. The spine proclaimed it to be a comprehensive study of crustaceans - a book that seemed mind-numbingly dull at first glance. But Ehrwin knew that such a book could be the perfect cover for any number of secrets.

He tugged at the book and pushed it back in. Nothing happened. He tried again, pulling it out entirely and shoving it back in with more force, but still, the bookshelf remained motionless. Doubt crept into his mind. Was this the wrong book? Perhaps he had missed something crucial.

Determined to succeed, Ehrwin pulled the book out again and heaved it forward with all his strength, grunting. Nothing was happening. But he kept pushing anyway. And then, with a satisfying click, he heard something unlatch, and the bookshelf, along with the wall it was attached to, twisted slightly, revealing a hidden room.

A grin of satisfaction spread across Ehrwin’s face as he pushed the separable wall open, making enough room for him to slip inside.

The room was sparsely furnished. An antiquated rug lay on the floor, and a small study table with a rickety chair sat in the center. On the table, a quill pen, blank parchment, and ink were placed neatly. No more than three shelves lined each side of the wall, and he could see books of all kinds resting on them. In one corner, a small window allowed the moonlight to stream in, courtesy of Chloris.

Ehrwin’s hands itched to grab a book off the shelf, and he exercised no restraint in doing so.

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Words, words, words. Ehrwin had read all the titles on the spines. So he had a pretty good idea of what all the books were about.

Some were about necromancy, the kind that could get you into serious trouble. It was a dark art, one that the crown did not take kindly to.

Any noble born with the necromancer class would be sent to the King’s ethical education camp before their coming of age. There, they would be indoctrinated about the dangers of necromancy.

Even after a noble completed their education, a priest would be assigned to them to watch over them to ensure they don't delve deep into necromantic practice and use only the crown approved necromancy skills.

Aside from necromancy, he found books on monsters, alchemy, advanced skill crafting, philosophy, mind magic, forbidden magic, and alternative history.

A pile of such books was stacked, one atop another on the table. Books he’d finished skimming through.

With a sigh, Ehrwin leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting to the small window in the corner of the room. Chloris had gone down, giving way to Aurelia—the second moon of the night. It was golden in color, and was much bigger and brighter than Chloris.

With furrowed brows, Ehrwin leaned in closer to the pages. “House Luther: Rise of an Empire from a Thousand-year Blood War,” read the title. The book presented a fresh perspective on the royal family’s ascension, a perspective that struck a chord with him. It was a compelling take on the history of the kingdom, and one very relevant to his current predicament.

Nesorius closely listened to the courtiers’ fickle gossip, which often centered on Azul, the third prince of House Luther, who suddenly displayed a variety of talents in different classes of magic. In the first week, he had displayed an impressive control of fire magic, a talent that had hitherto gone unnoticed. The second week saw him demonstrating incredible strength and skills from the strength class similar to Rojole, famed weaponmaster of the court. But it was in the third week that Azul truly caught the attention of the courtiers with his rare affinity for ice magic, a day after his brother-in-law, who coincidentally also possessed ice magic, joined the court.

That didn’t sound much like a coincidence.

Week after week, Azul dazzled the court with display of powers that were of a completely different class. Such a display left the courtiers puzzled and bewildered, for it was a widely held belief that nobles could possess only one type of magic, and at most two.

Wrong. Maradin had affinity to three different classes. The only noble in history who wielded three different types of magic. He couldn’t fault the writer for not knowing that though; Maradin was born a hundred years after the writer’s death.

Then came the day when the King banished Prince Azul from the realm without any proper justification. The official statement was that Azul had been delving in dark arts, but such a proclamation did not hold up to close scrutiny. Astute men of the court surmised it had to do with Azul’s unique ability to wield multiple types of magic, a talent that was unheard of among the nobility. Esteemed minds at the time conjectured that it was no mere coincidence that Azul’s remarkable powers had emerged just after someone had joined his court who possessed the same rare magic.

The pages held his attention like a hook in a fish’s mouth, reeling him in with a strange anticipation of finding a solution to his magicless state.

Where did Azul go following his departure from the capital? No one could say for sure. But, in the year 1067, during the week of Masa, in the month Khalush, Ether of Rajoon recounted he saw a man who bore a striking resemblance to Azul among the ranks of a mysterious cult that worshiped an immortal serpent-like deity known as Eternus. This group was said to be operating from a base located at the far edge of the continent, near the western borders.

Western borders? Ehrwin rose from his chair and hurried over to a nearby shelf, retrieving a map of the entire continent. Carefully laying it out on the table, he traced his fingers across its surface until he found the location he sought: Rajoon, now known as Prasthun. From there, he followed the map westward until he arrived at the lush tropical region known as Djeles. Within this region lay a small town called Ahab, surrounded by a vast wilderness brimming with untold riches.

Pushing the map aside, Ehrwin compared the notes he had taken on the current book to those he had previously gathered on Djeles.

Beyond the small town of Ahab, Alto the adventurer discovered a peculiar tribe dwelling deep in the tropical forest. At the edge of the tribe’s territory, situated beyond a lake, was the enigmatic Murky Mire. This strange place was shrouded in a constant mist that persisted throughout the year. Local legends circulated that a witch resided there, possessing immeasurable powers, and was descended from ancient royalty. Additionally, Alto noted that a serpent-like deity known as Eternus had originated from the Murky Mire about a century ago, but the cult that worshipped it no longer existed in modern times.

Ehrwin compared the publication date of Alto the adventurer’s travel logs to the timeline of Azul’s banishment, and sure enough, he uncovered a startling connection.

The more he delved into the history of the Murky Mire, the more intrigued he became by this enigmatic location. The idea of a witch possessing powers beyond belief was too tantalizing to ignore. He wondered why there wasn’t more information available about this incredible figure.

An idea began to form in his mind, starting as a mere inkling that slowly grew into a more substantial plan. It would require a considerable amount of money, and it was not something he could execute immediately. Ehrwin was too young, too frail, and lacked the funds to embark on such a quest.

However, he imagined himself spending years meticulously planning and preparing for the journey ahead, envisioning a quest for power that would rival the most thrilling fantasy novels he had read in his past life.

A mischievous grin crept onto his face as he considered the possibilities. It would be an impossible and absurd undertaking, no doubt. The mere thought of it caused his lips to curl with a sly smile.

He looked out of the window. Aurelia was descending, and soon Ruber would emerge, the third and the final moon of the night—a blood-red moon.