Inside the dorm, the mood was more mellow. A few upperclassmen were sprawled on couches or leaning against the walls, flipping through textbooks or dozing with half-lidded eyes. Ol’ Mumm was slouched over in her large recliner that sat in a corner, just the right distance between the kitchen and the window overlooking the Eastern Sea. Everyone was enjoying the day’s quietness. No one knew what lurked around them.

  Now, who do we drag in on this whole thing?

  ‘Good question. We need someone cunning and someone with some power in case that spy shows up,’ Fern said.

  You thinking about who I’m thinking about?

  ‘I think so,’ Fern said, with what I imagined was a smile.

  Silas and Mel sat near a small round table tucked in a corner. Silas had his mechanical arm detached at the elbow, tinkering with some intricate mechanism inside it. The crystal that powered it was standing on a small white stone slate in the sun, and a small stick of incense was stuck in a clump of sand. He was comparing his arm to Mel’s grapple gauntlet. Mel lay back on her chair, upside down. Her hair was in a ponytail today, and the red strands grazed the hardwood floor as she slowly rocked her head to some music playing from a box in the corner of the room. She was skimming through the red booklet of blood infusions upside down. Both looked up as I approached.

  ‘They’re going to think you’ve lost it if you tell them everything,’ Fern said.

  Maybe, but when I was your age, I always wanted someone to be up front and honest with me. I could always smell when someone was lying, I thought. Besides, what’s the actual risk here? Will they think I am crazy? Okay, let’s assume that. But either way, an opportunity to access the restricted archives is sure to interest them.

  ‘Let’s give it a shot, then, I guess,’ Fern said.

  “Erik,” Silas said quietly, sliding a small wrench into his belt. “You look . . . determined. What’s going on?”

  Mel’s gaze flicked behind me, then back, as if checking for eavesdroppers. “Something’s up. Spill it.”

  I flashed a confident grin at them. “It’s time I’m honest with you both. Come with me.”

  The two looked at each other and shrugged. They gathered their things and followed me up to a side room.

  We were in a reading room that Anu recruits usually reserved to study, but today, since everyone was off relaxing, it stood empty. Tevin, Sora, and Luna were out—maybe fetching more food or relaxing with the other recruits somewhere—leaving just the three of us here. I reminded myself to tell them everything too. The five of them were my closest friends here; I had to be honest with them so they could trust me. Adrenaline pressed at my skull. Preparing to tell someone you are from another world is a different kind of pressure altogether.

  I guided Mel and Silas to a broad wooden table near the room’s center, and we all sat. They watched me expectantly, Mel leaning back with arms folded and Silas adjusting his mechanical arm, the faint whir of gears breaking the hush.

  I took a deep breath. “I’m going to tell you everything,” I whispered.

  Then I spilled it all. About Noah, my brother, how I came from another world called Earth and ended up in Fern’s body. I told them about the twin soul condition, how I shared this body with Fern, and the abilities it gave me—synergy to have sharper senses, greater speed, and strength beyond a normal voidblood. I explained my alliance with Hopsander, the spy Lotrick mentioned, and the quest to find information hidden in the restricted archives beneath the library. I confessed my fears, my confusion, and my burning need to reach Noah. I left nothing out.

  They listened without interrupting. Their eyes widened at mentions of Earth and the twin souls, narrowed thoughtfully when I detailed the spy, and softened when I admitted my vulnerabilities and the burden of being trapped in another’s life. When I finally stopped talking, the silence was profound, ringing in my ears.

  “So,” I said at last, voice quieter than before, “will you come with me? I need your help—more hands and eyes as we search the archives.” I hesitated, then added, “I’m not asking for nothing. If you help me reach my brother . . . I swear I’ll do whatever I can for you in return. I’ll owe you, big time. Anything you want—”

  Mel and Silas exchanged a glance. Their expressions were unreadable for a heartbeat. Then Silas scratched his chin, and a grin tugged at his lips.

  “Wait . . . is that why you sometimes just zone out like a statue?” he said, leaning forward. “You’re chatting with Fern in your head? I used to think you were daydreaming about bread or something.”

  Mel’s eyes widened mock-dramatically. “And when you ask those weirdly basic questions, about like, the major cities, or when you were confused about the pillar, it’s because you really know nothing about this world?” She barked out a laugh, slapping the table. “No wonder you seemed clueless half the time!”

  Silas burst into laughter too, his mechanical arm thumping against the wood. “It all makes sense now! We thought you were just another sheltered voidblood or something, but you’re actually a lost traveler from another world! Burn me alive, that’s hysterical.”

  Heat rose to my cheeks, part embarrassment, part relief. I’d worried they’d reject me or freak out, but their laughter was warm and accepting, like we’d just shared a funny story rather than a life-altering secret.

  As their laughter died, Silas wiped at his eyes, still smiling. “Erik, you colossal idiot. You don’t have to bribe us with favors to get our help.” He flexed his metal fingers. “We’re friends, remember? You helped us through the worst day of our lives in that trial. You showed trust and kindness, and we’ve bled and laughed together. We do what friends do—we help each other. No matter what age! You could be an old grandpa and I’d still help ya out.”

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  Mel nodded, serious now. “If you go astray—if you turn into some power-hungry maniac or forget the morals that brought you and us here—then, sure, I’d crush your ass, synergy powers be damned. But as you stand now? You’re one of us. We don’t want payment or contracts. Just . . . trust.”

  I felt a weight lift off my chest I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying. Fern stirred inside me, equally relieved.

  “Thank you,” I said, voice thick. “I won’t forget this.”

  Silas reached across the table, offering a fist. Mel mirrored him, and I bumped both their fists. A silent pact of friendship.

  “All right,” Silas said, rolling his shoulders. “So . . . secret archives at around midnight, right? Sounds like a ridiculous plan, but we’ve handled worse.”

  Mel smirked. “Let’s break some rules.”

  I grinned, heart lighter. “Midnight, then.”

  At that moment, amid the dim lamplight and lingering laughter, as I did with Hopsander, I felt less alone. Fern and I were not alone.

  I slipped through the darkened halls twenty minutes before midnight, each step feeling too loud against the stone floor. My nerves were making me frustrated so I had been walking around since the afternoon. The academy had settled into a tense, restless quiet; no laughter drifted through corridors, no casual voices. I passed a few closed doors and silent classrooms until I reached the meeting spot Hopsander had described—an alcove tucked behind the east wing of the library.

  Two shapes emerged from the gloom as I drew closer. Silas and Mel were both dressed in dark robes that covered their uniforms. Silas carried a small pack slung over one shoulder, likely to stash books in, while Mel had a thin blade sheathed at her belt. I had told them to be prepared for anything, and I guessed Mel took that seriously. With a spy lurking about, danger could strike anywhere. They greeted me with nods rather than words. No one wanted to risk extra noise.

  ‘They’re nervous, and so are you,’ Fern said softly in my mind.

  We’d be fools not to be. If we’re caught down there, it could ruin everything. It could tip off the spy. But you’re right, I need to keep them calm. I gave my friends a nod back and held out my fist. They looked at each other, and then they smiled and bumped my fist. Simple enough, I guess. I chuckled to myself.

  A murmur of movement drifted from the corner ahead. Hopsander stepped into the faint crystal light, arms folded. He had his signature rope dart tied to his belt. His large frog-like torso was so wide the buttons on his uniform were slightly stretched. He gave a curt nod and handed me a small, rune-carved key. Up close, I could see the tension in his eyes. He might have been calm at his desk earlier, but now he looked like a man about to step onto a battlefield.

  “Behind this tapestry,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath, “there’s a hidden latch. Use the key to open the door you find. Move fast, don’t linger. Most of the staff don’t come here at night. If they do, I won’t vouch for you. You will most likely be suspended if they do not hold a trial for you. Let’s hope they do.”

  “Let’s hope we don’t get caught.”

  Hopsander nodded. “The information here is strictly regarded as secret. All the documents were gathered from across the world through various Cinder expeditions over the ages. But focus on the files I told you about, Erik. I’ll keep Mrs. Brindle occupied. You have about an hour, maybe less.”

  I gripped the key. “Thank you, Professor.”

  He looked over the three of us. “If anyone asks, I never saw you tonight.” Then he slipped away.

  Silas turned to the old tapestry that hung over a portion of the library’s side wall. It depicted a familiar scene with the same man from the painting I saw in the hallway before: an old man with a black beard, wearing a white robe with green shoulders. Here he was giving some sort of speech to a bunch of deer.

  I shook my head and helped Silas open the corner of the tapestry. We lifted it carefully, revealing a rough wooden panel with a faint seam down the middle. By the light of a tiny glow stone fitted into his mechanical arm, Silas found a small slot that fit Hopsander’s key.

  With a quiet click, the panel swung inward, releasing a stale draft of air from below. We slipped through, replacing the tapestry and closing the hatch behind us.

  I took point, tiptoeing down the narrow steps. Silas was behind me, lighting up the stairs with his arm. The staircase spiraled downward into the earth beneath the library; the walls were lit only by the faint glow Silas’s device provided. The surrounding stone was dry and smelled of burned charcoal.

  ‘This place feels ancient,’ Fern said, his voice subdued.

  Let’s hope we find something that helps, not just more mystery.

  At the bottom of the stairs, we reached a heavy wooden door etched with runes. I pushed it open, and the smell of old paper and dust assaulted us. Dim crystal lanterns lit the room, showing scrolls and books filling the shelves from ground to ceiling. The cavern-like archive had fifteen-foot-tall ceilings, and there were several staircases on wheels for people to reach higher-shelved books. On the side of each bookcase was the name of the section.

  Silas adjusted a dial on his arm, dimming the light to a soft glow, and we crept between rows, coming to a large crossway between four sections of the restricted archives. I scanned the surrounding genres: Fiction, Academy Recordkeeping, History, and Academic Research. “Look for anything about Guardians, twin souls, or shipping papers, then bring it to me,” I murmured to Silas, and pointed him down the history section. “Mel, look for research from Professor Pestil’s department and his predecessors. Bring everything to me, and we will read them back at the dorm. The point is to grab and go.” I pointed her to the research section. I walked down into the academy recordkeeping area.

  We were spread out, but through the gaps in the bookshelves, I could keep my eyes on them. Mel found a cluster of scrolls, labeled in scientific jargon, that said Celestial Wardens and the Practicality of Whole-Body Infusion. She handed them to me with a huff.

  “Here’s some research crap that sounds like something you were looking for,” she said, annoyed, as she returned to the section.

  Silas didn’t find much, but he did discover a heavy tome titled The Kingdom Above: Fragments of a Lost Age. I shrugged and put it into my bag.

  I found and stashed the past five years of academy staff assignments, records of materials and schedules of shipments that had left the academy, and memos distributed to the artifact department titled Do not ship pillardust.

  After some time, my pack was full and I called Mel and Silas to join me.

  “Anything useful in all this?” Mel asked as I slung the bag over my shoulder.

  “Who knows, we will have to check back at the dorm. But we got the shipping records, that should give us some clue on who the spy could be. I hope you two like puzzles.”

  “I do, not sure about Miss Impatience over here,” Silas said, jabbing his thumb at Mel.

  She drew back her fist to punch him when a soft scuff echoed from the stairwell behind us.

  We froze.

  ‘We’re not alone,’ Fern warned.

  I unsheathed the cursed sword slowly, and its runes came to life, beating with my heartbeat. It flickered in the warm crystal light. Silas and Mel moved closer to my sides. I heard a quiet whiz of gears as Silas’s arm changed. A short blade slid out from his palm.

  “When did you install that bad boy?” I asked quietly.

  “This morning,” he said with a wink.

  Mel pulled out two small knives and stepped into a crouched stance. The door we’d come through creaked slowly. Then we heard footsteps.

  A slender silhouette slipped in, cloaked in shadow. It was tall, and its head was covered in a thick, chalklike white mask. On it was a black painting of what looked like a ferret. A long neck stretched up to the fifteen-foot ceiling, and two long laws hung at its side.

  “We have company,” I hissed under my breath.

  No one should have known we were here. Yet someone had followed. Were we betrayed so quickly? Or was the spy two steps ahead?

  We braced ourselves, caught in the secret heart of the academy’s buried truths. Then the tall, masked blood-infused stepped toward us.