Chapter 8 #2
He pulls out a parchment from the sleeve of his robe and proceeds to read from it.
“Today, you will face your biggest obstacle of Asylamation. You’ve made it thus far, and for that, congratulations.
” He raises his squinty gaze from the words and lets it fall over us before continuing.
“The winning streak for many will end here. You’ll no longer depend on just yourself for victory, but your partner as well.
Rather, you place as a Veil or Noctryn, you must know how to work as a unit, or you won’t survive the atrocities that wait for you outside of the academy,” he advises.
“You must have eyes in front of you, to the sides, and behind you. To do this, you need team members. You need to be able to trust your fellow soldiers with your life.”
I’m not sure I trust anyone with my life, let alone people I barely know. But if I wanted anyone in this courtyard at my back, it’s the man beside me. Things are about to get messy, and he’s the definition of composure and confidence.
Regardless of what we face, this will, without a doubt, be the hardest challenge because we must depend on our teammate and not just ourselves.
Almost every prospect standing in this courtyard is self-reliant and headstrong, or they wouldn’t even be here in the first place.
They would have joined the healers or the librarians in their academies.
They certainly wouldn’t have enrolled at Kintoira to become soldiers.
Or they would have simply remained civilians, not working for the realm at all.
Complacent to let others take care of them and protect them from the enemies chomping at the gates.
And there are many.
Mayline stiffens at my side, rolling her shoulders back as if she is about to go to war. I don’t know if this is going to be more of an internal war or an outright physical one, but it certainly feels like warfare, nonetheless.
“You must cross the finish line together, or you forfeit, and you’ll be forced to try again until you cross as a pair.
” The corners of his mouth pull up in a sinister smile.
“Also, I should not fail to mention, before you enter, you will have a malediction placed upon you that dictates if your partner perishes during the trial, then so too shall you,” he finishes in a malicious tone that makes my skin crawl.
I slowly turn my head and look at Finnley.
His hazel eyes meet mine. “I’ve got you,” he mouths.
After a curt nod, I turn back toward the battlements.
Professor Lyric hands the parchment off to the other professor before clapping his hands together in quick succession. I hope he claps hard enough that he falls off his little stool.
“And last, I will be watching to be sure there is no cheating. I will be your judge, and what I determine will be law. If I say you’re cheating, you are cheating.
” He narrows his eyes into devious little slits.
“You may not add marks or leave breadcrumbs. This trial will be accomplished through sheer intellect and problem-solving. If you cheat, you start over.” Rubbing his hands together, he gleefully finishes his speech.
“The walls never stop moving and the obstacles have teeth, so it would be unwise to start over,” he adds. “Or get lost. Good luck!”
He hops off his stool, his head now barely taller than the battlement wall, and walks off with the other professor scrambling after him.
A sharp tug on my braid pulls my head back, and steely eyes meet mine.
“We got this, Nori,” Finnley declares with determination oozing from every fiber of his being. “Remember, we’ll die one day, but today is not that day,” he echoes back to me.
I gulp and offer up a weak smile before he drops my braid, and my head falls forward.
The walls never stop moving.
Don’t leave breadcrumbs… why would we try to leave a trail?
And why are the walls moving… what walls?
I bite my lip, trying to work out what it all means. Voices surround us, growing in volume as everyone else does the same.
It has walls. We can’t leave breadcrumbs. And getting lost is a very real possibility.
Oh shit…
I smack myself in the forehead for being so daft.
It’s a maze.
I spin around and grip Finnley’s forearm. “Finnley, I think I know what it is,” I breathe, my nails digging into the cords beneath my fingers. “It’s a maze. We have to survive whatever is in the maze!”
I can see the moment the wheels start spinning in his head.
“That should be simple enough, except for the moving wall part. And the teeth part,” Mallory jokes, coming to stand beside me.
“The teeth part is what I’m most looking forward to,” Mayline sarcastically retorts. Her round facial features are relaxed, and her hooded eyes are closed while she gently massages her temples. Even when trying to be extremely relaxed, her lithe frame stands straight and disciplined.
Finnley starts walking in circles, chewing on his thumbnail, seemingly working out scenarios in his head, while I just internally panic.
It’s gotten me this far, why change things up now?
“The part I don’t understand is the partner aspect,” he mutters to himself while he continues to pace, his brow furrowed.
A knot burrows in my chest. I have a feeling it has more to do with what we’re going to face than actually needing each other to find the exit.
It’s about learning to depend on your squad during combat.
A sinking feeling fills me as I think we’re about to see a form of combat that we aren’t ready for.
Mallory walks over and loops her arm in mine. Worry lines crease her forehead as she looks around the courtyard. There is so much uncertainty and fear in the air that it nearly chokes me.
This is my college experience.
Death and fear.
Loss and grief.
Today won’t be the first time I’ve second-guessed my decision to become a soldier like my mother and her mother before her.
There are plenty of days I think I should have just become a librarian and soaked up the knowledge and lore in books.
I deviated from that plan because I want what I’m owed, what was stolen from me.
I’ve had enough taken from me in this lifetime, and I’m not letting anything else be claimed.
Not if I have it in me to reclaim it.
I could have buried myself in the silence of old tomes, cataloging histories that didn’t belong to me.
It would have certainly been easier. But there’s been something humming beneath my skin, something restless that doesn’t quite understand peace.
I told everyone I wanted to serve. To protect, to fight, and manifest what was stolen.
But the truth is far more sinister than that.
I’m afraid.
I fear what lingers in me when things stay quiet for too long.
I needed to come here to prove to myself it’s all in my head. There’s nothing wrong with me, and I am a light wielder.
When the Conscriptor arrived on our doorstep and handed me the enrollment form, I couldn’t sign my name fast enough. The same choice had to be made by every recent graduate in Salaryan. Even fewer signed up this year than the prior year.
The risk continues to increase. And the numbers enrolling continue to dwindle.
But every quadrant comes with its own risks, even the library branch.
They’ve lost numerous librarians over the centuries to curses mistakenly read from pages or from portals that opened up and swallowed them, never to be seen again.
I’ve even heard of instances when the spines of tomes were accidentally broken, and the caretakers followed suit.
But some, like the ones in this courtyard, do enroll. Especially those like me who think it’s our right to manifest our abilities, and unfortunately, this is the only way.
Sell your soul to the realm.
“What do you think is in store for us?” Mallory asks, pulling me in closer. Her stare remains on the prospects gathered around us as if she’s trying to memorize their faces.
I gently squeeze her hand, wishing I had a more positive answer, but I don’t. “Death or ruin,” I say simply. “I don’t think we come out of that maze without one or the other.”
We die, or the things we’re about to witness will make us feel like we have.
She pulls her sleeves down, burrowing into me either from the cold or trepidation. At this point, it doesn’t really matter. I’m not particularly the hugging type, but I don’t push her away. She needs this right now, and maybe a small part of me does too.
“We’ll be celebrating in our room before you know it,” she whispers.
“Don’t start without me,” I reply, both of us just staring straight ahead.
I feel sick to my stomach, but I have no time to dwell on it because the crowd starts moving toward an archway on the other side of the courtyard. Thankfully, they didn’t mention anything about the assigned lieutenants having to go first this time, so I stay in the back.
My pulse is vibrating in my ears. It takes a lot of effort to keep my face neutral and not give away what I’m feeling.
The four of us slowly follow the other students.
Mallory reluctantly lets go of my arm to walk beside Mayline.
The tips of her blonde fauxhawk are colored teal today, a stark contrast to the constant gray surrounding us.
Between the stone walls, shadowy skies, and slate-colored mountains, she’s a burst of color.
I blow into my hands, the warm air offering a small moment of comfort.
Finnley takes his place beside me. He shoulder bumps me and offers an encouraging smile. His presence is becoming reassuring, like hiding under a big blanket that keeps the monsters from getting you as a child.