Mum and Dad,

I don't think I was prepared for what was down there. I wish I could say I handled my first mission well, but I didn't. Everyone says I shouldn't hold myself to that big of a standard, that of course I would be making mistakes. I don't believe that. I nearly got them killed. I discovered something terrible, something that should have stayed buried.

But now the only thing I can do is take responsibility for it, and make sure no one else suffers from my mistake.

Lyra inhaled sharply as consciousness returned, feeling the stuffy air catch in her mouth and coughing. Her whole body ached, and she worried for a minute she was dead.

Don't be stupid Lyra, the dead don't hurt. She sat up tentatively, remembering her training and checking herself. She counted bruise after bruise, and while she felt nothing broken, her tailbone ached tremendously. She began to stand slowly, taking it step by step as she rose to her knees. Bruises on her elbows and knees, some on her shoulders and only a few dotting her back, chest and stomach. Then there were the scrapes to her limbs and face, as well as some tears in her clothing.

As she had sat up, memories began to flood back in. The monster, the stone crumbling beneath her, and her hitting some slanted piece of stone and rolling down. She only survived because the stone she fell onto had a sharp curve. She looked up to see how high the hole was but found only inky blackness above her. That darkness was everywhere, save for the stone beneath her feet. It was similar to the stone outside, cut smoothly into a narrow pathway that extended far away into the darkness. It was to her left, and as she put her feet under her and stood, she was met with a strange sensation. She was used to being in the dark, of staying up late past curfew at the academy, waiting to light a candle so she could continue to read. But while she was in darkness, she knew what it felt like to be closed in by walls.

Here, the darkness did not box her in. It felt massive and open.

She reached for her bag, rummaging through it to find the emergency flash sticks that they brought with them. They were made of a type of wood that burned brightly and slowly but were notorious for their difficulty to light. As her hand touched her bag, however, she felt a hole in the side. Removing it quickly she looked over it and sure enough, some of her things had fallen out. The only things that she still had inside were her parchments and quill, which she had kept tied to the parchments.

She looked around, her mind racing to gather the details. She was hurt but ok, her supplies limited, and she did not know how long she had been unconscious for.

For all she knew, she was alone right now. Hurt and stuck. Lyra sighed, hoping her new team wouldn't report this to Dao. What a perfect way to start your life on the surface, she thought to herself.

Gingerly, she took a few steps forward, and felt chills down her spine as the darkness seemed to follow her. She couldn't navigate like this. With the way she fell, she couldn't be sure whether she'd fall into another hole. She desperately wished for something to guide her way.

Suddenly, a noise pierced the space. Lyra wasn't sure what it was or where it had come from, and for a moment could not decipher its location as echoes sounded, only serving to open the chamber further in her mind. What felt like a small cavern to her had changed as she realized how far the echoes bounced to. Her legs shook, and she let herself kneel down, just as her foot scraped something on the ground. She reached down, and felt something solid and cool to the touch. It was circular and fit in her hand. She picked it up, and as she did, faint silver light reached out from it. The light seemed to bend around the object, luminating an intricate design filled with various rings and needle-like pieces, bordered by a single intricate loop. It was cool to the touch, and the rings and needles twirled faster and faster, creaking and ticking as it rose and fell in pitch. Lyra nearly threw the strange object away, but realized it was her only light source.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Hello Lyr-"

Without thinking she threw the device, yelping. The voice ended abruptly as the device clattered and began rolling away from her, towards the edge. Lyra caught it just in time, her head swiveling back and forth searching for the owner of the voice.

"Remain calm. I am here to assist." Lyra felt the hum from the device, and realized the voice had come from it.

"What in the Mother?"

"I am no mother, merely a tool. You have asked for aid, and I come bearing it."

Lyra shook her head, frozen and not comprehending. She was stuck in a massive structure, with no visible way out, and now she was hearing voices from shiny objects.

"Nisi, if you would?"

Suddenly, lights began to appear on the sides of the pathway she was on, illuminating it slightly through the darkness. It was a short distance to what looked like a round set of lights, a half sphere jutting from a circular foundation in the ground. However, it was not something Lyra was preoccupied with, as something even more otherworldly caught her eye.

Standing behind the sphere sat a strange, faceless creature, resembling a human form, save for the extra pair of limbs beneath its arms. Its skin was silvery and tight, the creature seeming to be starved thin.

Lyra couldn't take her eyes off it. It seemed to be an object, like a statue, yet moved as if it were flesh.

"Please, do not be afraid.”

“Afraid? Oh, why would I be afraid?” Some sarcasm leaked out of Lyra as she stared. “I just ended up in a dark hole, probably concussed! After all, why else would I hear voices from statues and

“I understand you are scared, but I mean you no harm." The figure, named Nisi by the device in Lyra's hands, held out an open hand to her. As Lyra approached, the device's glow softened, and Lyra stood cautiously to approach.

"What are you?" Lyra whispered, and flinched inwardly when she heard the figure respond.

"I am the Custodian of this facility. Welcome," She said as she raised her arms, "To the Preservatory."

The last word echoed out into the vast chamber, causing Lyra to shudder.

"This is a sacred place, one you and your kind have been prevented from seeing. As Custodian, I was to follow this rule for the millennia that have passed. Yet there are forces at play that lead me to believe such laws must be ignored if we have any hope of success in the future. You are still a primitive species, I cannot imagine you are able to face what comes alone."

“A threat?” Lyra's stomach tied in a knot. Had she gone insane? Hit her head as she fell? Or was she dead and this was the afterlife?

“Yes. You are from one of our shelter outposts. Your floating island?” Lyra gulped and nodded, afraid of where Nisi was heading towards.

“Child, your island, and many other like it, will soon fall.”

The full extent of the implications didn’t hit Lyra at first. Her first thought was­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ wondering about what “other” islands there would be, and what they must be like. It was only when she considered what Nisi actually said.

“Wait. Do you mean actually fall? Like from the sky?”

“Yes. There is not enough time to fully explain. I am aware the situation is outlandish, but I need you to trust me, so I will show you some good faith. I will also ask you to forgive the Guardian for its onslaught. It is damaged, and only seeks to fulfill a shell of its old purpose. I have managed to deactivate it, but only temporarily."

"The Guardian? Oh, the giant monster."

"Merely a construct, a tool for my creators' use. But what's important now is in your hand."

Lyra realized she had been clutching the object. She looked at it only to find a different tool in her hand, this time a rod of the same silver sheen.

"I am sure you are quite confused. I wish I could answer your questions but we do not have the time. I seek your aid."

"My aid?"

"Yes. Take this tool, and let it serve you. There is one you must meet and help if you and your kind are to survive.”

"Who?

"Someone who has just been found of great importance. I believe he will need you to help him in his journey.”

"But wait, why would-“

“And in turn, I will take you to your parents.”

That stunned Lyra, and she stared at the creature, her hands beginning to tremble.

“You know where they are?”

"My time has run out. This must be quite a shock, and though you do not know me I am asking you to trust me. For now use this instrument, it will tell you all you need to know. Hurry, for the Guardian is awakening. Go now, or everything you and your kind have built will fall into ruin."

The darkness around them both seemed to grow, and Lyra felt her body weaken as she fell asleep. Lyra was unsure, but she thought she could hear Nisi say something, as if to someone else who had been in the chamber with them.