3. Ahmina
AHMINA
Ahmina Ori had worked her whole life to make it into the Academy of Creature Defense. But now that she had her acceptance letter in hand and was less than a day away from attending, she felt… terrified.
She looked down at the crisp paper stamped with the Academy’s official seal for the hundredth time, her hands shaking, making the handwriting difficult to read. She shoved the letter back into her pocket.
Being top of her class, receiving an invite was likely.
But she still wept when she held her letter for the first time.
All the additional study hours and projects for extra credit she endured, plus the two years in Academy Prep College to help her get noticed, had finally paid off.
It was everything she had been praying to the Moon Goddess for.
And now that it was here, all she wanted to do was pretend it didn’t exist.
It was difficult to get into the Academy of Creature Defense. The school received thousands of applications every year and only accepted less than a hundred carefully chosen recruits. Even with perfect grades, extra credit, and Academy Prep, there was no guarantee of acceptance.
But she made it.
And so did her best friend Rory.
Their shared goal bonded them as young teenagers, and since then, they had relentlessly pursued it together, supporting each other in the process.
Their friendship quickly developed, and now she couldn’t imagine her life without Rory.
She couldn’t imagine attending the Academy without Rory.
She sighed. It was a blessing that they were accepted together.
Today was Ahmina’s last volunteer shift at Jarrah Central Library; the musty books and dust lined shelves had become her second home. Tomorrow she would attend Initiation at the Academy and her entire life would change forever.
Nothing would be the same after this.
Initiation was the beginning of three years dedicated to the craft of defense.
Three years of learning how to work with the unpredictable, deadly magical creatures that ruled the continent and kept them sanctioned behind the Great Wall.
Three years of living with some of the most competitive, athletic, intelligent, and ruthless candidates, all to become a Slayer, an Alchemist, or a Clever—one of three deadly specialties used to defend the Great Wall.
Three years until she would become one of the most admired and respected citizens of Jarrah. The highest honor.
Three years of trying not to die.
Getting accepted into the Academy was honorable, yes, but it was also risky.
Those who did so put their lives on the line.
Once admitted, there was no turning back.
Become a Defender or return to society a failure.
Everyone knew that. Everyone accepted it.
And the thing about those who failed was that they never recovered.
How could they? No Jarrian citizen wanted to associate with them after such a public display of incompetence.
She swallowed, her throat dry. Of course, she knew the risks.
She wasn’t immune to fear. Normally, she had the logic to see past it.
But her letter felt like a death sentence, no matter how hard she tried to reason it away.
She pulled it out from her dress pocket again and willed herself to steady her hand.
Dearest candidate: Ahmina Ori
Report to the Academy of Creature Defense at exactly mid-day on the twenty-fifth of May for Initiation. A complete list of what to bring is included.
Congratulations.
Sincerely,
Headmaster Adeyemi
Academy of Creature Defense
Ahmina counted down the hours to Initiation restlessly.
She had kept her hands busy all afternoon, sorting books and printing pages.
She even read a meticulously crafted text about the history of Jarrah, with a level of detail that would bore most people to sleep.
But as the sun crept behind the northern rugged mountains, and a blanket of night started to settle over the city, she couldn’t stop the anxiety from creeping in.
As an orphan, Ahmina had grown up in Anastasia, the all-girls community housing on the east side of Jarrah. She learned from a very young age that becoming a Defender was her only way out of a life of poverty and servitude. It was a one-way ticket to rising in class within Jarrian society.
Not to mention, Defenders were paid very handsomely. Not that they needed it much. Their lodging, food, and basic care items were all covered by the Academy.
Anastasia gave her access to education, but after that, she was on her own.
Only certain jobs were accessible to orphans—servant, cleaner, shopgirl—none of which paid well or offered any opportunity for advancement.
Even volunteering in the library, one of her true passions, was a privilege of her temporary association.
After graduation it would be out of reach.
But once she was a Defender, all of that would change.
On her way to the washroom to clean the ink from her hands, she bumped into the resident Librarian, Elder Muaka. Ahmina had spent an unreasonably long time in the printing room, preparing new books for release and she looked a mess.
“Ah, Ahmina, there you are.” Dark, cloudy bags hung just below her eyes. “It’s been a long day. You don’t mind finishing up, do you?” Elder Muaka asked.
Even if Ahmina wanted to, she wouldn’t say no to the Librarian who had become somewhat of a maternal figure to her. “Of course, Elder Muaka.” She bowed her head slightly. “I’m happy to.”
“There are just a few books left around to put away, not too many.” Muaka nodded as if reassuring herself that she wasn’t leaving a ton of work for Ahmina. She touched her shoulder. “Thank you, my dear.”
Ahmina gave her a soft smile in return. “Not to worry. I’m just going to wash up and then I will close up. You go on ahead.”
The Librarian’s back was hunched in a way that told Ahmina that she had endured enough for the day. “Good luck tomorrow,” Elder Muaka beamed, clutching Ahmina’s arms tightly, as if she would float away. “Very proud of you.”
“Thank you,” Ahmina choked out, tension building behind her eyes. She swore she wouldn’t cry, but saying goodbye to Muaka felt final.
Muaka, as if sensing her grief, pulled her in for a long, warm hug before bidding her farewell and disappearing out the front door.
Ahmina let out a heavy sigh as she opened the creaking washroom door. It was cramped and stuffy but it did the job. Printing pages all afternoon had left her fingernails black and ink smudges halfway up her arms.
She leaned over the sink and scrubbed her hands raw, as if she could wash away the shadows that plagued her mind along with the ink. In the dim candlelight, honey amber eyes found her in the mirror, glaring back at her as if to say nice try.
She patted her cheeks and forehead with cool, damp hands in an effort to quell the heat.
The temporary reprieve relaxed her slightly and she stretched her neck.
Thick wavy black hair framed her face, sticking to her medium brown skin that glistened from a day’s worth of work in the stifling print room.
Her youth hid her lack of sleep, but her raw, chewed lips betrayed her, showing the toll of her anxiety.
What if she was making the wrong decision?
What if she was heading off to the Academy to die?
Of course, no one talked about it, but that was the reality.
Guarding the city from the creatures beyond was a battle.
A war. One where your life was at risk every single day.
Even though Ahmina had every intention of becoming a Clever, which was an inherently less risky specialty than a Slayer, she was still expected to put her life on the line.
No Defender, regardless of speciality, could avoid battle.
Trying to force every anxious thought away, she shifted her mind to the task at hand, venturing back through the library.
The library was undeniably beautiful. As one of the oldest buildings in Jarrah, its creators had taken the utmost care in designing it to be a work of art.
Its vast shelving and woodwork meshed seamlessly with the tree trunks.
Branches and vines grew between wood panels and around glass tiles, making it look like the library was birthed by the forest itself.
Its outer edges housed rows and rows of bookshelves reaching high up to the ceiling and in the center was a common space, decorated with heavy wooden tables and long benches where most guests sat to read and study.
This was the last time she would see the library for a while, so she took in every detail like she was trying to sear it into her mind.
She never wanted to forget it.
Her favorite place.
Her home.
Most days, she would rather escape life in Jarrah by falling into the pages of a book. Usually a love story. She was a romantic at heart, after all. But today, her chaotic thoughts clambered at her skull, and she needed a stronger distraction.
The library had quieted down, and everyone had left by the time she cleaned up the books left out from visitors, piling them into her arms as she walked through the tables.
She ventured though the stained-glass doors that lead out into the courtyard, picking up any remaining books.
Framed by the adjacent architecture, the courtyard housed an array of trees, flowers, and plant life.
Branches reached tall beyond the library’s roof, shading the seating area below, and at this time of night, she could see the Glowbugs starting to appear.
She had wandered through the last of the tables, blowing out the candles on each of them one by one, when she noticed it—a black shadow prowling at the edge of the garden—and she froze, muscles tensing.
Even in the dimming daylight, she could make it out clearly with its panther-like midnight coat and glowing cherry eyes staring her down.
A Soul Snatcher.
She knew the creature instantly from her books, but how could it be? She blinked to ensure she was seeing correctly, her heart rate picking up.
In front of her stood one of the most elusive and destructive creatures.
She knew it because she had studied The Complete Encyclopedia of Cruel Creatures relentlessly.
The creature could rob her soul right then and there and do with it as it pleased.
No one would know. No one could stop it.
Ahmina shuddered, the hairs on her arms standing on end.
There were only two ways out of this and one ended in death.
Before she could overthink it, she spun on her toes and sprinted back toward the glass doors.
But the deadly creature was in front of her in an instant, and she ground to a halt.
The library had emptied an hour ago. No one was here. No one could save her.
Out of instinct, she hurled one of the books stacked in her arms at the animal, aiming for its head, but the animal dodged it like she was a child throwing pieces of bread. Simply an inconvenience.
Clutching the books in her arms like some sort of protective shield, she watched breathlessly as the Soul Snatcher tilted its head to the side, its breath hot on its lips, studying her.
She instinctively took a step back, panicking as the animal lowered its muzzle, getting ready to pounce.
A deep, guttural growl sent a jolt of fear through her.
Don’t go, the creature said into her mind. But she wasn’t going to let the beast trap her. Acting on adrenaline alone, she threw the last of her books at the creature and ran as fast as she could past it, slamming the patio glass doors closed behind her.
Her heartbeat was so frantic, she could feel it pulse in her ears. When she could finally move her limbs again, she pressed her back against the cool glass door before eventually turning to check that the Soul Snatcher had gone.
She just faced a Goddess-dammed Soul Snatcher.
She felt sick.
To quell her nausea, she walked through the rows of books, her hand instinctively cupped over her mouth, as the reality of what just happened settled in.
If a Soul Snatcher was here, in the library garden, it had gotten over the wall, and that meant all of Jarrah was in danger. So, the rumored breaches were true.
Magical creatures were as tricky as they were deadly. It wasn’t just their sharp fangs and claws, abnormal strength, or quick, agile movements that could tear you apart in minutes. Creatures had magic, something humans did not. Spiritual, mental, or physical. They each had a dangerous power.
And apparently they had telepathy too. The reality of the creature’s words sank into her mind. Don’t go.
How did it get over the wall? And all the way to the library which was in central Jarrah.
It was virtually impossible for it to travel that far without being seen.
Of course, people gossiped about creatures getting past the wall and hunting humans.
Ahmina never thought any of it was actually true.
Not in her lifetime, anyway. But only moments ago it was here, with razor sharp teeth and a soul-seeing gaze that bore into her face.
The truth snaked around her chest, tightening its grip on her lungs. Something was very, very wrong.
As she approached the front desk—which still held a mountain of books to be sorted and put away—she noticed the front door was propped open. Elder Muaka must have left it open, she reasoned.
Kicking away the stone wedged under its bottom ridge, she leaned back, putting all her weight into closing the large oak door. But before she could, a man slipped in.
Not just any man.
A Defender.