Houses Nin and Enlil peeled off toward their dorms as we all reached the bottom of the pillar in the heart of the academy. Thankfully, the descent was less chaotic and dangerous than the climb. The other houses moved quietly, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls as they disappeared down the hall. The House Anu recruits and leaders remained, having been summoned for a debriefing with the headmaster. Fern was silent in my head. He wasn’t feeling very joyous due to the stress about the looming threat of Waelid.

  We left the Mouth and were escorted by a staff member who led us to Headmaster Thorn’s office, where he stood flanked by some academy leaders—Hopsander, Al, Laska, Captain Philip, and a few other professors 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 an unprecedented challenge and come out victorious.”

  He paused, his gaze settling on me briefly before moving on. “A Guardian appearing on a lower floor is a matter of grave concern—five young recruits and one of our esteemed coleaders 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 not even a year into your training AND with sticks at that . . . Well, recruits, you may just be the stuff of legends. You will be talked about for years to come in this academy. I will have one of our professors compose a ballad about the achievement that took place today. The recruits that took down a titan. I can hear it now! Ah, again, I must thank you all. You have given us a great opportunity. Master Waelid, I believe you have something for me?”

  “Yes, Headmaster.” Waelid walked up to 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 headmaster 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 the fifth floor.”

  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. The fifth floor? What lay beyond what the Guardians guarded?

  “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 meditations.”

  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 in 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; blocking all those attacks to save your friends was inspiring. Sora, you literally gave up an eye for your friend; you are a genuine Cinder with that sort of sacrifice. And Erik, you stepped up in a leadership role that I wasn’t expecting. Good job rousing the spirits of your fellow housemates. 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. Think about what elements feel true to you. 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 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. Not with this sword and not with our synergy to help us.

  “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 to me. “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. Either with me or with Hopsander. Blades can be unwieldy.”

  As we exited the hall, Waelid’s stare lingered. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped. 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 powers 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. We were scattered around the lounge, sharing jokes, drinks, and food. We sat on sofas and thick leather chairs, and 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.

  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!” She raised a cup of spiced cider.

  A cheer rose from the group. Ol’ Mumm brought more plates of food, while mugs of the sweet, spiced cider were passed around. I found myself seated between Silas and Mel, 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 trial, 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 about thirty pages long, so do take your time.”

  Excited whispers spread like wildfire.

  “Remember what Al said, begin thinking about what abilities you might desire,” Laska advised. “Consider your strengths and how you wish to enhance them.”

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Al tossed a small red booklet on the table in front of us titled: Blood Infusions at the Academy: Year of Alexandrite 801.

  Silas snagged the book first and began thumbing through it. The rest of the recruits 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, so I let everyone else scramble for it first.

  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.

  “Hello, Erik?” Sora 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 that when death happens, it’s best to keep living your life. But I am not sure how to feel about this victory when other students like me lost their lives, even if I didn’t know them. I feel . . . guilty?” She sighed and offered me space to look at the booklet, but I shook my head. Sora shrugged and started to read it, with Luna leaning over to join her.

  I appreciated Sora’s empathy. This world, any world, always needed more people like her. Thankfully, she didn’t see the horror of what Waelid did.

  My thoughts drifted elsewhere throughout the celebration. There were too many things left unanswered, and I couldn’t sit by when I could be doing something. After everyone headed off to bed, I slipped away and 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 said the facts,” I replied, meeting his gaze. I started to pick at the skin on my thumb.

  His smile faded. “Facts can be dangerous in the wrong hands, they can get . . . twisted,” 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. But I don’t like my name being bad-mouthed. So stop it.”

  With that, he brushed past me, his footsteps echoing as he disappeared down the corridor.

  Wow, could he be MORE suspicious? I thought.

  ‘You think he is?’ Fern asked.

  Of course. Why is he so strong? Why didn’t he use his blood infusion form like Piqah? What is his goal? Wouldn’t he want to keep voidbloods safe?

  Fern nodded in agreement. I had slowly developed a habit where it was as if I could see him next to me, making different expressions. I knew it was my imagination, but I was still happy to feel like I was actually talking with a separate entity.

  I continued out the dorm, and my pace increased as I got excited. The library awaited.

  I passed painting after painting as I walked quickly through the halls, and I stopped to look at one of them.

  It was a painting of a golden city under siege by an army in black armor. The kingdom was surrounded by clouds, and rainbow bridges extended off either side. In the center of the kingdom was a circular pool of glowing teal water. A man wearing a white robe with 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. It probably has something to do with religion. I’ll have to check that out later too. Seems interesting.

  When I opened the library 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 just a few hours before sunrise?” 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 trial on the first floor.” I pointed up. “And some things I saw there, well . . . I have questions that I think may have answers locked up. Just a hunch.”

  “Hmm, yes, I see.” She sighed. “How many were lost?”

  I bowed my head. “One upperclassman, Marcus from House Enlil, three recruits from his house, and two recruits from House Nin.”

  Mrs. Brindle bowed her head as well, touched her necklace—a small pink crystal with a silver wire wrapped around 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? Yeah, it’s a shame he died, but 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 house leaders and teachers have access to it.”

  “So Marcus couldn’t get into it because Jiho is the leader of House Enlil?”

  Mrs. Brindle nodded.

  “And Waelid, my house leader, can get in too,” I mumbled, rubbing my hand against my chin.

  “Yes, in fact, 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 right now? 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, 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 recruits at all, so when these came in, I saw your name and grabbed them. Came in just this morning.”

  I grabbed the letters, thanked her, and ran to an isolated table far in the history 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 of the pillar. I decided to lay my tub down around here for a few days. I won’t be here long, so you better not delay! Have fun! And remember, just follow the song.

  Dog

  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 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 older 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 monarchy has kept from the world.

  First, as I am hoping you have discovered too, you are what we call a twin soul. How it happened does not matter. What matters is that, according to you, Fern is still conscious within you. That has never happened before in the known history of twin souls. In every case, one soul takes over and kills the other 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 cases, no one has ever attempted to reseparate the 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 reply to this letter, include strands of your hair and fingernails.

  Secondly, I have reason to believe 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 could be a student, a staff member, or someone who frequents the academy. What we do know is that they have been here longer than a year. So they are not a first-year recruit. Be on the lookout and trust no one. They are a voidblood working with the royal family themselves. I have found suspicious shipments come in with the mark of the Cinders on them. There is something about what’s inside the pillar that the monarchy wants.

  Which brings me to my third point. I am excelling at the top of my classes, as expected, and am learning under the tutelage of the magelord himself, Noah Starbringer—your brother. Erik, your brother is a twin soul. Don’t ask me how I know this. I just do. But what I don’t know is whether Noah is the one in control or the second soul is. I do not think you can trust your brother until we confirm this. For now, I aim to stay on his good side. 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 if you can find the spy and stop the shipments from going out, that may save future lives. Remember, Erik, trust no one, and send me what I asked for so I can learn more about the twin souls.

  Lastly, get stronger—no matter what, get stronger. War will come one day.

  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 I heard footsteps. I turned around and saw Waelid walk out from a bookshelf and step 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? Is that a letter?”

  My palms started to sweat as the house leader walked closer.