One by one, the days went by. Both Nero and Larinca had forged a reputation there, on the middle plateau of Velmardia. Neither of them dreamed of returning to the academy. Life was far too different there compared to what they had learned in Sylthmir. Nero felt out of place, but not like at the academy, where everyone looked at him with disdain because of his horns, which represented the demon blood running through his veins. Larinca was happier than ever, as she no longer had to hide who she truly wanted to be, and her culinary skills were in high demand.
However, it was not all fun. The meeting of the saints in the Holy See had ended with the imposition of a supervisor for each of the prisoners, and they were none other than the two archangels and the Velmardian hero himself. Lionel, Sol, and Hutriel were to watch over and train Nero, Larinca, and Siphone, although the latter remained outside Velmardia. It had been her idea: upon learning of the restriction placed on her two friends, she had volunteered to accompany them, thus proving they were trustworthy, as the credibility of Velmardia’s finest spy cast doubt on everyone else’s suspicions.
Thus, Nero, Larinca, and Siphone spent long, sunny days in the city surrounding Tower, sometimes together, but mostly apart. When Nero was with Sol, they meditated at the top of the tower, regardless of the weather. Larinca, meanwhile, trained with Lionel, improving her hand-to-hand combat skills for moments when she could not rely on magic. Siphone joined them from time to time, as Hutriel was rather lenient with her. When she accompanied Nero, the two of them would visit the saints, as those were among the few places where they were allowed to be without supervision, giving the archangels a break. They discovered what it was like to pray alongside Saint Iris in the chapels of the Holy See. They helped raise the rukh in the royal aviary. They also studied ancient history in the great library, and even watched Velmardia’s dragonslayer unit train, clad in dark green armor and wielding immense greatswords. The only place they were not allowed to enter was the base of Tower, where the roots of the tree fed from a vast lake of jadesteel. As they had been told, it was the domain of the fifth saint, whom they did not know and about whom no one wished to speak, and until she granted permission herself, it remained forbidden.
Some nights, the three friends gathered in the room assigned to Siphone, where she kept some of the items she had obtained during her time at the academy. None of those items had been classified as “strategic-value artifacts,” so Siphone had arranged all her small treasures on a shelf, displaying them away from prying eyes.
The only item Siphone felt uneasy about keeping on the shelf was Professor Morgana’s doll. She had seen her use a similar one to communicate with her students, and on one occasion, even to physically switch places with the doll itself. Although Siphone had warned about the danger the doll might pose, the Velmardian Saints had examined its magical levels and determined it was safe to keep it there. In fact, they had even encouraged Siphone to try contacting the professor through the doll, and that was the first thing they did whenever they gathered.
—Professor? Hello? —said Larinca, placing the doll at the center of the table. The three of them sat around it, not taking their eyes off it.
—Do you think she can hear us? —said Nero, poking the doll’s forehead with his finger.
—I think she is much more than we know —said Siphone, crossing her arms.
—What do you mean? —said Larinca.
—I’ve heard the archangels talking. They say Professor Morgana isn’t really called that, and that her magic goes far beyond what we understand —said Siphone.
—Are you sure? I’ve dealt with almost every teacher at the academy, and they’re all equally strange. I’m good at analyzing people’s magical power, and all the teachers are on a similar level. I think if there had been someone far stronger than usual at the academy, I would have noticed —said Larinca.
Nero raised an eyebrow, amused, and pointed at Siphone.
—She was infiltrated among us and we never realized she was Velmardian —he said, laughing.
—That’s not the same. I know Siphone’s power level. It’s different —said Larinca.
—Well, actually… —said Siphone, extending her arm over the table, palm up, offering her hand to Larinca. She frowned and took her pulse.
—Is this a joke? —said Larinca, pulling her hand away sharply.
—One of the first skills we learn in Velmardia is how to conceal our magical power. I do it unconsciously now, even in my sleep —said Siphone, withdrawing her hand.
—How powerful are you, Siph? —said Nero.
She stood up and placed Morgana’s doll back on the shelf, leaning it against the spine of several adventure books. Crossing her arms, she went to sit on the windowsill, with the moon and the starry night behind her.
—Much more than I seem —she said. Her tone was sad, almost melancholic—. I hide so much, I have so many secrets that sometimes I don’t even know who I am.
—I understand. I… well, no. It’s not the same —said Larinca.
—It’s Velmardia, isn’t it? —said Nero—. It’s changing all three of us.
—Going back home is becoming difficult, yes —said Siphone, without looking at them.
—I don’t know if I want to go back home —said Larinca abruptly. She lowered her gaze, embarrassed when she realized they were paying attention—. My mother and father taught me that I had to follow the rules, and that Velmardia is full of enemies and that’s why we must hate them, but… my grandma taught me to think for myself. And here, I’ve seen that people are like back home: human beings trying to live, or to survive. Do we have to fight these people? Why?
—We don’t have to. Not even the pacts force us to fight the Velmardians. It’s the stupid laws of Sylthimir and Valgott that impose this war on us, whether we want it or not. I know this could mean the death penalty if we were back home, but I’m tired of not saying what I think —said Nero, clenching his fists.
—Tyranny is a way of ruling that inflames the people once they begin to suffer the consequences of their tyrant’s arrogance —said Siphone—. I didn’t say that. I read it in a book.
The three of them fell silent, each lost in their thoughts, bitter like the words they had spoken. The night was cold, and there was hardly any movement outside the room, so they could hear the footsteps of those passing by the door and even along the nearby corridors. For that reason, because of that overwhelming stillness, when they heard a loud caw from a crow on the roof, Larinca screamed, and Nero jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair.
—Calm down. It’s very common to send messages by crow —said Siphone, walking over to her desk. From one of the drawers, she took out a small pouch. She opened it and set it on the table, its contents exposed. It was filled with assorted nuts. The crow swooped down, grabbed the pouch, and flew out the window, not before dropping a rolled-up parchment onto the floor. Siphone picked it up, unrolled it, and read it—. It’s from Saint Eisha. She wants to see Nero and me in the library… right now?
—Right now? —said Nero, placing the chair back in its place.
—Looks like it. Damn, she’s so annoying. She’s probably calling us over some nonsense —said Siphone—. You’re lucky, Larinca. Seems like she only wants to see us.
—Good. I’m very sleepy and not in the mood to talk. I’m staying here to sleep, okay? —said Larinca.
Siphone nodded, and the two of them left the room, closing the door behind them. Larinca shut the window, not before glancing up at the ceiling in case there were more crows hidden in the room. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep, but a dull thud woke her, as she was a very light sleeper.
Morgana’s doll had fallen off the shelf.
—That cannot be good —said Larinca.
Nero and Siphone arrived at the library. It was the dead of night, yet its doors were open, and the scaladiant at the entrance were lit. The main hall was filled with scholars hunched over piles of books, taking notes, engaged in heated discussions in strict whispers, and even sleeping with their faces buried in the pages of some tome. They walked through the aisles following the librarians’ directions, who had been instructed by Saint Eisha to guide them to where she was.
They found her seated in a nook formed by bookshelves, a tiny rectangular space, with a book in one hand and a half-chewed lemon in the other.
—Want one? I have more —said Saint Eisha, showing them the lemon.
—Until now, I had never met anyone who eats lemons —said Nero.
—Well, it’s a delicacy —said Saint Eisha—. Come with me. There’s a section of the library I want you to see. You, the strong one, carry this.
The Saint handed Nero a cloth bag with handles, inside of which was a gigantic crystal sphere. Nero hoisted it onto his shoulder and adjusted the weight. They followed the Saint through corridors between bookshelves, until they reached a door. They passed through it and several more, going deeper and deeper into the library itself, until at last they arrived at a huge, almost empty room. There was only a table covered with a cloth, several chairs, and an arch carved into the stone wall ahead, but with no opening within it.
—What is this place? —said Siphone.
—It is the most dangerous place in all of Velmardia —said Saint Eisha, leading them toward the arch in the wall—. What you have before you is the archway. The only one that exists.
Up close, it was a stone arch carved directly into the wall, its entire surface lined with magical glyphs arranged like a border. Where there should have been an opening to pass through, there was instead a wall, fitted with seven ornate locks of different colors. Six of them formed a concentric circle, with the seventh placed at the exact center of that imaginary ring. Nero ran a hand over the central lock, eyes wide.
—The archway has seven locks. One for each key created by the Goddess Velmar. The texts are quite clear: passing through it allows travel to another place —said Saint Eisha—. This is the research of my entire life. This archway, this portal… demons attack Velmardia to control its power. What lies on the other side? No one knows. Ha! I wish I had its keys… You wouldn’t happen to know where they are, would you? No, of course not. What a foolish thought.
—Are you going to interrogate me again? This is the first time I’ve seen this thing —said Siphone, arms crossed.
—Didn’t you discover anything while you were infiltrated? King Valgott is obsessed with this archway! —said Saint Eisha.
—I already told you no. I haven’t hidden anything, no matter how many times you ask —said Siphone.
—Does it bother you that I ask? —said Saint Eisha.
—It bothers me that you call me in the middle of the night to ask things you’ve already asked before, trying to get a different result. Why would I lie to you about this? —said Siphone.
—Lying is your job. What isn’t clear is who you lie to, and who you don’t —said Saint Eisha, sitting at the table—. But I have Queen Matelda’s permission to use divination on both of you. Tonight, at last, I will learn everything you’re hiding from me.
—You’re paranoid —said Siphone, sitting across from her—. I accept, but on one condition.
—Anything —said Saint Eisha.
—That this is the last time. Whatever you find, you’ll accept it as the truth and leave me alone —said Siphone. She glanced at Nero and corrected herself—. Leave us alone.
—That depends on what I find —said Saint Eisha. Siphone stood up, grabbed Nero by the arm, and turned away—. Fine, fine! But tell the truth, and nothing but the truth!
With a heavy sigh, Siphone and Nero sat down at the table across from Saint Eisha. The saint placed the crystal ball on a cushion at the center of the table and leaned over it, closing her eyes. The inside of the sphere shifted from completely transparent to completely opaque, and then took on a cloudy tone, exactly like storm clouds.
—Do you know where the archway leads? —said Saint Eisha, not addressing either of them in particular.
—To another dimension? —said Nero, still mesmerized.
—Hmm… maybe. Let’s see your mind. Show me your thoughts, young one —said Saint Eisha.
The saint forced Nero to place a hand on the crystal, and the sphere took on a grim glow. When he pulled his hand away, disconnected images began to appear inside: a wooden door. A woman with a dull expression and green hair, wearing a lab coat. A block of ice with a body inside. An orange sword piercing the Raven’s Order Academy’s logo. A piece of meat pie with red chunks. A book with blank pages. An island in the middle of a lightning storm. And suddenly, the face of Varkuzhal, wreathed in flames, furious.
—What was that? —said Nero. Tears streamed from his eyes, though he showed no sign of realizing he was crying. Siphone wiped his cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt and turned to Saint Eisha with a displeased expression.
—That was very intrusive —she said, raising an eyebrow.
—In Velmardia we live in the light of Goddess Velmar, but sometimes, rarely, we need a bit of darkness —said Saint Eisha—. You are an interesting young man, Nero.
—That’s not how I feel —said Nero.
—It is the goddess Velmar who finds you interesting —Saint Eisha looked at Siphone—. You haven’t told anyone, have you?
Siphone looked at Nero and then at the saint.
—If my friend has secrets and has chosen not to share them with me, I won’t be the one to force him to tell me. I’m not playing your game, Eisha —said Siphone.
—Thanks, Siph —said Nero. She nodded, but said nothing more.
—Your turn —said the saint, offering Siphone the crystal ball.
She placed her hand on it. Images began to appear inside the sphere, but unlike Nero’s, these seemed connected and ordered. The statue in the hall of the Raven’s Order Academy. Valentio’s face, stained with his own blood. Iris, Siphone’s sister, praying in secret beside her. Two academy teachers with troubled expressions. Professor P’Zain’s desk, covered in documents. A field of white flowers. A blonde woman with an eyepatch, fading into the air without leaving a trace. An apple pie. Several Raven’s Order Academy students, along with a teacher, imprisoned in a Velmardian cell. Siphone, sitting beside a young man Nero had never seen, gazing at the night sky, surrounded by hundreds of fireflies.
Siphone withdrew her hand and blinked, trying to hold back a sneeze. When she did, luminous wisps of light drifted from her mouth, glowing before fading into nothing.
—What was that? —said Siphone.
—An unusual reaction to divination. How interesting —said Saint Eisha.
Nero rubbed his eyes. Inside Siphone, a glowing sphere shone, yellow, vibrant. He looked at Saint Eisha, but saw none within her. And yet, neither of them seemed able to see what he was seeing.
“Soon, many more people will be infused. You will see,” the Goddess Velmar had said. Nero wanted to tell them what he was seeing, wanted to speak about the time he had spent with the deity of Yomidgard, but he did not. Just as he had not in any of the times they had spoken about the period Nero had been dead, or in a coma, depending on the point of view. He did not know why he remained silent, but he was certain the right moment had not yet come. And Flute had not appeared to tell it either; she remained hidden, wherever she was. So, Nero kept his mouth shut and waited.
—What can you tell me about Varkuzhal? Why did we find his head with you? —said Saint Eisha.
—It’s part of the interrogation. You don’t have to answer —Siphone told Nero.
—We have nothing to hide —said Nero—. He helped us, and we helped him. That’s all.
—What did he ask for in return? —said Saint Eisha.
—To find his body —said Nero.
—And have you done it? —said Saint Eisha, glancing sideways at Siphone. Nero shook his head. Siphone looked away—. I believe you. He is a very dangerous demon, Nero. Not even all the saints of Velmardia together could defeat him.
—I hope the time never comes when we have to face the demon spoken of in all the ancient legends —said Siphone.
—It will come, sooner or later. And it will be your fault —said Saint Eisha, tapping the crystal ball—. Between fire and water.
—Are we done? —said Siphone, uneasy.
The saint made a dismissive gesture. Siphone stood up, but Nero did not. He pointed toward the archway, then at the crystal ball.
—If you know, help me open it —said Nero.
—The Goddess Velmar has shown me the truth. You are not like the others, Nero. You are worthy of my time. Your destiny lies on the other side of the archway. And I will help you reach it. But not today —said Saint Eisha.
—Why not? —said Nero.
—Because I don’t know where the keys are! Do you think I haven’t used everything at my disposal to try to open it? —said Saint Eisha—. But after seeing your visions, your memories, your future… did you see the image of the starry sky? It wasn’t the sky of Yomidgard. It was easy to tell, because the stars were not in the same positions, nor arranged in the same way. You will return here, Nero. And somehow, you will open the archway. I am certain of it.
—When? —said Nero.
—When the time comes —said Saint Eisha.
Nero and Siphone left the private chamber of the library and crossed the endless corridors and shelves on their way back to their rooms. They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Nero was confused, as it seemed Saint Eisha knew more than she was willing to tell them, yet at the same time did not want to reveal the secrets Nero kept to himself. And Siphone, worried, kept replaying the image she had seen: the students and the professor from the Raven’s Academy inside the Velmardian cell. When they reached Siphone’s room, they stopped in front of the closed door.
—Whatever you’re hiding, I hope it’s nothing bad. I don’t like surprises —said Siphone.
—I’ll tell you —said Nero.
—When the time comes? —said Siphone, smiling.
—I didn’t mean to say it like that, but yes. I think it’s for the best —said Nero.
—See you tomorrow morning. Go straight to training and don’t come looking for me. I have something important to do —said Siphone, opening the door to her room. The lights were off, and Larinca’s heavy breathing could be heard.
—What is it? —said Nero.
—In my visions I saw a Velmardian cell. The one in this very city. I know it well, they used to take me there often as training to escape from prisons —said Siphone.
—And you want to practice? —said Nero, interrupting her.
—No. I saw a group of captives from the academy. Students, and even a teacher. It was Professor P’Zain, Nero. It’s literally impossible that they captured Professor P’Zain. He would die before allowing himself to be taken alive. He’s a fanatic, and very, very powerful —said Siphone.
—Dawn is close and I’m barely sleepy. If you want, if it’ll put your mind at ease, we can go together right now to investigate —said Nero.
—You and me? Do you really think…? —Siphone swallowed, fixed her hair, and shifted her weight from one foot to the other— You know what? Fine. Come with me. Here, in Velmardia, I don’t have to stay in character. I can ask for help. We’ll stop by your room, you grab your wand, and Alastor comes too. I like your dog.
—I’m glad —said Nero—. But he’s a wolf.
—Don’t make me regret this —said Siphone, breaking into a run down the corridor.
Nero ran after her.
