“I found it!” I hear Val squeal as I page through yet another useless book.

  Her little happy outburst does earn a number of nasty glances, after all, we’re in the library. but what are they gonna do, fight her? Honesty I’d prefer a good brawl at this point over the tortuous task we threw ourselves at and had been going for almost a week.

  Following that first fateful lecture of Lessons of History and the mind-boggling revelations – that, according to Professor Hamilto,n are no secrets yet still hardly anyone is aware – we had to dig deeper. That three-hour-long story time was the first actual lead we found on spirits and the reason behind their absence on Aelion.

  And I’ll be damned if I don’t dig as deep as I can to find out what that damn purple light within me is.

  “Tone it down, you brute!” I hiss but can’t wait for her to sit and share.

  Despite the apparent glamour of the Academy’s library, the veritable treasure trove of knowledge that it is supposed to be, we only found legends, myths, and unfathered tales on our topic. It’s almost as if the world had mostly forgotten about spirits altogether.

  “Here, read it!” She huddles close and points at a certain paragraph.

  There’s little proof left of their existence, much less the wonder and particularity of the creatures Aelion had once known as spirits. Marvelous and ethereal existence appreciated for their masterful control over mana we ourselves drove away through our greed.

  Ruins claimed by nature and oblivion bear carvings of times when the world prospered and when beasts and titans roamed the plains. Times of wonder and magic, leftovers of a civilization bearing the mark of the old ones, the Saurathen. They stand as proof of what was lost.

  But one does not have to travel to the ends of the world to find —

  “To find what!” I snap at last. And turn the pages, being met with even fewer readable lines.

  The tension kept building, things were about to be unraveled and… And it’s all redacted! Lines are simply erased and made completely unreadable through far more than simple ink. And it’s infuriating.

  “Who the fu-” I began to give voice to my rage.

  “Quiet down already!” Someone finally had enough of our antics, by becoming a villain himself.

  Oh right, library…

  “This is basically worthless.” I hiss at Val, who’s doing her utmost to keep a hearty laugh in.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought as well.” She takes a few deep breaths before closing and opening the book again on its first page. “Here.” She points at the second line.

  Author: Sival Hamilton

  I’m not good with names, but this one rings a bell loud enough for me to put the pieces together.

  “We need to find the professor.” I declare.

  “You don’t say…” Val rolls her eyes, not so enthusiastic about my revelation. “But what are you gonna tell him, the truth?” She asks a question conveniently I’ve glossed over.

  Fair. We’ve mostly held back the juicy part of our adventure in the ruins even from Martha as well as Mom and Dad so opening up to a random teacher would be… I don’t know, it feels like betrayal for some reason.

  “Do you have that thing on you, you know, the metal ball?” I contemplate, unwilling to spill the beans yet also far too curious.

  “Sure do.” Val nods.

  Not that I’ve doubted it. She treats it like a lucky charm.

  “Then here’s what we’re gonna do…”

  ***

  With a devious plan in mind and ample determination bolstering our steps, we scoured the Academy in search of our ancient professor. Bribery, trickery, threats, and sweet words. We were willing to use anything at our disposal to unveil the secrets we ourselves merely began to scratch the surface of.

  But finding the old fart turned out to be a hassle almost too large for us to handle. Our determination could only bring us so far in the face of endless and pointless wandering for far too long.

  We tried to ask the staff, a number of professors, students, secretaries, even the gremlins… And as it turned out the later ones were the key to our solution.

  Unable to properly communicate with the odd furballs, we merely followed them to an area of the Academy most were unfamiliar with. Not us though. The small patch of woods at the back of the island…

  But of course, he’s an elf.

  “Can you sniff him out?” I ask Val as we stand at the edge of the treeline.

  “I am no bloodhound, you know?” She huffs, overacting her outrage. I swear she’s getting worse the longer I know her. I just don’t know why…

  “So, can you?” I get back to the point.

  Val clearly hesitates, and I watch with a satisfied grin as her pride struggles against curiosity and her infuriation with the time we’ve already wasted. Her mouth opens and closes, and her nose twitches ever so slightly until, at last, a frown settles on her face.

  “Follow me.” She growls.

  I know better than to make fun of her at this point. I also know all too well how it feels to be that certain tool people turn to in some situations. Lighter during camping, a source of drinking water, warmth in winter, cool in the summer, a source of light… Mine designations are slightly less degrading though.

  I stroll after Val, slowly entering nature’s embrace. Here, the soft whispers of the trees overtake the constant bustle of the island. It’s almost as if time itself slowed down ever so slightly, although I know, and feel that is not the case.

  This place definitely has its allure. I might come around every now and then when the stuffiness of the whole place gets a little too much.

  Despite the scent trail, or whatever Val is following, finding the elusive old man still turns out to be quite the task.

  Val in the middle of a serene clearing Val stops at last and sniffs the air a few times. “Professor Hamilton?” She calls his name, glancing around the trees.

  Knowing my friend better than to question her nose, I activate Mana Perception and scan the forest. I’m aware it’s a futile effort for the most part, but staying idle isn’t exactly my style.

  “Young ladies, stalking isn’t a commendable habit.” We whip our heads towards the source of the voice, and there he sits.

  The only issue is that he wasn’t there just a second ago, sitting on the ground. draped in a comfortable-looking robe and tending to a feeble flower.

  “Professor, we’ve been looking for you. We have a few questions.” I explain, although it’s obvious he’s just teasing us.

  “Hm, yes. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come looking for me. Especially when I hope not to be found.” He hums. “Well, since you’re already here, let’s hear it.”

  Oh, yeah, I did not even think about that. Maybe the reason it was so cumbersome to find him was because he did not want to be found. Although he did show himself in the end so let’s get this over with.

  “One thing about your lecture caught our attention in particular.” I begin. “Your words about spirits… how our ancestors drove them away and their marvelous powers. We tried to look a little more into them and came across a certain book…”

  For the first, Professor Hamilton graces us with an inquisitive glance. It seems entertaining us won't turn out to be a complete waste of his time after all.

  “We would love to-”

  “Why was it redacted? What’s in that book?” Val asks straight away, without all the pleasantries I’ve developed after dealing with old people for years now.

  They can be either the most straightforward or roundabout people alive, even if not for long…

  “Hm.” The elf merely hums and returns to his task. Instead of magic, Skills, or anything wondrous, he relies only on his hands to aid him in planting the flower. “Haven’t you ever considered why exactly those paragraphs might’ve been erased?” He asks after almost an entire wasted minute.

  What a stupid question. Of course, we know we’re not supposed to read whatever had been written there, unlike the not-so-secret tales we heard during his first lecture. But we’re still here.

  My eyes meet with Val’s, and she reaches into her pocket.

  “We hoped to learn a little more about this.” She shows her metal ball. “We know almost nothing about it, besides that it might be related to spirits in a way.”

  Oh, nicely done. Her ability to lie gently is improving by the day.

  Pausing in his leisure task again, the elf looks at Valka’s little treasure before a vine snatches it from her palm faster than either of us can react. It’s quite similar to the nature magic Kayla boasted as her new acquisition, only far more potent.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Hey!” My friend protests, but I hold her back from doing anything reckless.

  “Now, what have we here.” The elf rolls the little trinket between his fingers. His discerning ancient eyes dance across the gleaming surface… Before he licks it.

  “What are you-”

  But before Val can finish that sentence, the grass, roots, and vines all around jump at us and clamp down on our limbs. Despite being puny plants – some flimsy enough for even a child to rip apart – their hold is relentless and their pull immensely powerful. It almost feels like they’re trying to rip my arm off.

  “What is the meaning of this?” I demand, more frightened than furious.

  Even if I yelled for help, this man could easily kill us before rescue arrived. My instincts have been honed enough for me to know this is not the time to do anything rash.

  “Be very mindful about how you answer my questions!” Professor Hamilton mutters and rises to his full height. “This thing… Who exactly are you?”

  I barely register his words as my eyes meet his unreadable gaze. It’s like a well of fury and grief, something too menacing to put into words, bolstered by his age and power. I’d compare it to the bloodlust many of the Krieg mercenaries tried getting me used to, except this time, it’s not my life I fear for… It’s what’d come before my death.

  “Speak up!” The professor’s words are reinforced by our restraints tightening further.

  But Val is not so cooperative. “Give it back!” She growls and struggles immensely against the power of nature holding her captive.

  Her power had only grown since I first met her, and by now… The plants hold strong, reinforced enough to resist her pull, but the ground can’t contend with her brute force. The earth crumbles, and even trees begin to tilt as she roars in blinded fury to retrieve what’s hers.

  After all, there are few things left in the world Valka can call her own.

  But this is not the time to be stubborn. “Val, stop!” I yell, feeling her pull quite unpleasantly.

  Not to mention, there’s only so far she can push her luck.

  “What a peculiar reaction.” The elf holding us hostage frowns, and with a flick of his finger, the plants obey. They pull taunt and lift us both into the air where Val won’t have the footing to excerpt her strength properly. “Now speak! This is your last warning, defilers!”

  “Urgh, de-whats?!” I’m really contemplating burning this whole forest down. “We were offered that thing fair and square.”

  And I still don’t exactly know what that thing is.

  “Where?!” He demands. “Who did you trap and where?!”

  “What is even that thing!” Val yells in utter frustration and resorts to biting the vines holding her arms.

  Following her question Professor Hamilton’s face discards all emotions for a moment. All of it is blown away by the wind as he clutches the tiny metallic ball tighter.

  “Don’t play dumb.” He cackles darkly, directing his cold gaze toward us once more. “Who’d carry around such a precious thing without understanding its identity? To keep a spirit in your pocket…”

  …

  Ah, now that would explain things... That would explain a number of things, indeed.

  Doesn’t make anything easier or less frustrating, though. I really do feel like killing something right now or at least hurting it really badly. And that’d only be the start of things.

  First, however, we need to solve our predicament somehow. A glance at Val reveals she’ll have a hard time stomaching that for a while now.

  “That we did not know.” I mutter, lowering my head. The book revealed what the professor knows to an extent, now I just need to navigate this conversation without revealing too much. “The ruins you’ve mentioned in your book… About a year ago I think we might’ve stumbled into one of them.”

  This much I cannot hide. Claiming it’s from a traveling merchant or family heirloom would make almost no sense. Such coincidences don’t exist, and I can’t afford flimsy lies.

  “That’s easy to claim.” The professor remains skeptical. Understandably so.

  Proof is necessary. “The carvings of serpents, flooding rivers, and dragons were all over the wall. Many of the traps used absolutely no magic at all, and there was…” I hesitate. What will happen next is uncertain but anything is better than getting killed, I guess. “There was a city, deep beneath the surface where the tunnels led.”

  The expression on the ancient elf’s face grows troubled, conflicted even. The plants trying to rip us apart don’t relent even one bit but we’re still alive so it’s certainly a start.

  “Where?” He asks in the end.

  We glance at each other with Val again. In her eyes, I can see the same resolve as mine, a stubborn light of refusal to share.

  “Won’t tell you.” She declares brusquely.

  “Don’t play with me, little girl!” The frown returns to the professor’s face.

  “Can’t change our minds, I’m afraid.” I chuckle despite our predicament. “We don’t trust you with that information. The feeling is mutual, as you’d imagine.” My confidence isn’t all too grounded, but we’ve far too much to give our secret up so readily. “But we did not find that pretty thing there.”

  “Girl, you’re testing my patie-”

  “We found spirits.” I finally blurt it out.

  The utter shock on the professor’s face is evident. My words had seemingly reached something deep within him and this is an opportunity I will not allow to slip.

  “As part of the defenses, or perhaps a source of power, spirits were locked away deep in the ruin, weakened and desperately calling for help.” I keep pushing my luck. All of it is based on an intuition based on his lecture and writing. “And we freed them.”

  “Impossible…” The elderly elf merely mutters, holding his head and seeming eerily frail despite his tremendous power. “There were more left… for all these years.” His eyes wander back to us, me specifically. “What do you mean they called for help?”

  Oh, fuck, I forgot about that part. Val wasn’t able to hear any of their words…

  “Because she’s some weird mana-elf. Now give it back!” Val gives an answer short and sweet. No regard for my secret or any subtlety, as usual.

  I merely sigh and add my own two bronze coins. “Let’s just say I’m much more sensitive to mana than most, and since spirits are mostly mana, it’s easier-”

  “A celestial?” Professor Hamilton raises an eyebrow before adding. “Half… Fascinating.”

  Well, that’s that… Seems like his age is not just for show, but I’ll definitely tear Valka’s ear off if we survive this. “Yeah, yeah, can you let us down now? Please?” I even use the secret magical word.

  “Out of the question.” He firmly shakes his head, pacing up and down, deep in thought. “What you’ve stumbled across is one of the greater secrets of the continent. A decision to not pursue, much less repeat, the mistakes of the past. Spirits are meant to be a myth, something out of reach and never to be disturbed… And disturbing is exactly what you just did.”

  I can’t believe there isn’t any security or personnel around to guard this segment of the island and come to our aid. That or the old fart had the flora obscure us in a way.

  Either way, I don’t think help is coming any time soon.

  But for some reason, I feel like the laws, secrets, or even the two of us, aren’t what the professor is truly concerned about. His tone during the lecture, the descriptions in the book, his anger once he learned we had a spirit in our possession…

  It’s worth a shot.

  “We freed the spirits, and they asked for our help once more.” I speak up as he contemplates, and Val keeps struggling. “They needed mana, my mana, and after almost sucking me dry they opened a tear in reality. It was unlike any portal or space magic I’d ever seen. They left, all three of them, but the gate did not close. Because something reached back…”

  “No.” The professor shakes his head, his words oozing doubt and disbelief.

  “The world was sapped of its colors, and time slowed to a crawl. And then, it addressed us.” I continue, the memories still vivid in my mind.

  “No… No, you lie!” The elder repeats himself.

  “Purple was the only color dominating the gray world.” I grin because I can already see victory in sight. “And a colossal, feathered arm rewarded us for ‘returning the lost lams’ as it said.” Goosebumps zip across my body, remembering that monumental presence. “We thought it was a God… Heck, even to this day, I can’t say for sure.”

  My words are followed by but a moment of silence before the plants go limp, and we’re back on the ground. This’d be the perfect opportunity to unleash hellfire and get as far away from the forest as we can…

  But not without reclaiming Val’s treasure and earning something in return for the risks.

  That and the risk of the professor tattling on us to the authorities. I don’t want another interrogation session with the inquisitors. Especially because this time, I’m arguably guilty. Who could’ve guessed that we’d find ourselves in shit this deep after asking after an ordinary-looking metal ball?

  “What you describe was no God, albeit something outlandishly close to the revered ones.” The roots move around Professor Hamilton to form a chair. The way he sits makes me believe he might collapse any second now. “But you should know his name by now. I mentioned it during my first lecture… Daimon.”

  Oh… That’s also cool, I guess… I’ve already grown to accept it was a God so this changes little.

  “Here, take it.” He offers the Valka’s treasure back. “I have no right to seize it. Everything you said, down to the most minute detail, was correct. Although I can’t confirm it myself… Goodness, you younglings might know about spirits more than I do by now.”

  “Does that mean we’re not in trouble?” I ask the most important question while my friend reclaims what’s hers with the snarl of a mother lion.

  “Trouble… No.” The professor shakes his head with a curious smile. “But you’re not entirely off the hook quite yet. There’s no way I’d pretend nothing happened after holding that in my hand.” His eyes hardly leave the spirit.

  I already regret waking up this morning. But is it really one of those elusive, mythical creatures?

  “You can’t have it.” Val growls and backs away, moving closer to me like we always do when facing dangerous opponents.

  “I merely wish to observe its growth. This is such a precious opportunity. If this all isn’t a devious scheme that is…” He says and the forest blocks our escape. “But if it isn’t… then what you received is more than a gift. It’s a companion, a responsibility, a chance for us to prove we’ve changed.”

  “How?” I ask.

  “Hm, how indeed…” The elf raises a finger, and from thin air, a book appears in his hand. He reads through the pages with frightening speed before snapping the hefty bundle of paper shut. “You need to give it life. That thing is dormant, unhatched if you’d like.”

  “So this… will be our little secret?” I ask, putting a hand on Val’s shoulder as a way to calm her.

  “That or Epros could come down swinging, detaining the both of you, confiscating the spirit, and erasing anything related to this incident.” He goes into detail.

  “I am listening.” Valka finally decides to cooperate.

  “A drop of blood and a breath of life…” Professor Hamilton gives her a few words of instruction. Needless to say, we remain skeptical. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s what the translation from the southern ruins says.”

  Uh-hum, that’s quite straightforward. And who’d thoughtlessly do exactly what a lunatic who just tried to- Oh, no way!

  Val has already chewed through the skin on her hand, carefully dripping some of the liquid of her life onto the shiny metal ball carefully, and bringing it to her face. Then she exhales, blowing air so delicately, with so much of her heart like I’ve never before seen.

  And Daimon’s gift responded to Valka’s heartfelt wish.

  Her breath envelops the tiny orb, her blood seeps through the metal, and a glimmer, a minuscule flicker of light dances across the reflective surface. What seemed like solid iron before becomes oddly transparent, but the real changes reveal themselves only after I reach for Mana Perception.

  The arcane inside the tiny thing is taking shape, stretching and consolidating into an ever-growing, intricate mesh. But the mana for all this doesn’t come from our surroundings or even Val… No, at the center of the orb, the heart of the soon-to-be-born life pulses proudly a tiny purple star.

  A speck of power I’m desperate to decipher.

  But merely seconds later, the outer layer of the orb is complete. The mesh is now solidified, and the intricacies of the mana vessel are obscured by what settles into every newborn creature. A soul.

  The metal morphs and reshapes itself right before our eyes, taking shape as I would’ve never expected.

  “Hoot!” It declares adorably, resting in Valka’s palm.

  An adorable feathery ball of iron with two massive bronze beads observing us intently.

  “Hoot!” The little one repeats itself, and I feel a piece of me melt.

  That’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen…