A dank, musty smell filled the gap between the walls as Stroud descended the spiraling stone stairwell. It reminded him of the air within the servants quarters back at the Marwood estate — still and thick, yet somehow full of cold drafts.

Back then, he had hated it. He always blamed it as the culprit for all his headaches and any other ailment that waylaid him. But now, as he followed behind a mysterious grey-clothed man, it provided a measure of comfort and familiarity, and he almost had to consciously hold himself back from breathing it in deeply...

“—Pardon me!” An apprentice suddenly rounded the column and jostled by. He was clearly in a rush, but as Stroud peered back over his shoulder, he saw the young man stiffen for a split second, eyes flashing with uncertainty and a hint of fear before he carried on at an even more hurried pace.

Well, it’s good to know that others suffer the same…

Stroud had a pretty clear idea about what had caused the student to pause. It was the bewildering presence of the man leading the way in front of him. The man who had seemingly stepped out of the wall when they met up just moments ago in the Borean Tunnel.

Heavy layers of cloth shifted and swayed around the agent’s thin frame as he slid noiselessly down the rough treads. The sway of his gait made him surprisingly hard to track with the naked eye, and because the color of his garb blended in so well with the environment — it all amounted to an exceedingly effective camouflage.

Yet, that wasn’t what left Stroud practically stepping on the agent’s heels so as not to lose sight of him. There was something else, some sort of intangible barrier or layer surrounding the man that told everyone else to look away. And it wasn’t a spell.

Stroud’s best and only guess by the time they reached the bottom of the stairwell was that it was some sort of advanced Spiritual Warding technique. Though, any further investigation would have to wait for another time because his senses were suddenly overloaded as they arrived in a bog of noise and feeble auras.

Numerous blue-robed young men and women milled about in the lobby, chatting loudly in an incomprehensible babble while proudly displaying their cultivation progress in front of their peers who were lounging around or eating their lunch. There were a few older apprentices who actually seemed to be working on something as they shuttled glassware or equipment down one of the branching corridors, but overall, the lower halls seemed to be an almost purely social environment.

“Gods…” Stroud groaned as he squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t actually see any of the auras billowing around the domed chamber, but their presence produced a glare in his mind and they worked in tandem with the bright illuminating crystals in the ceiling to create a kaleidoscope of color that could only result in one thing: an immediate splitting headache.

Only by burying his spiritual perception in the deepest corner of his consciousness was he able to slowly overcome the intense stimulation.

Stroud soon calmed his breathing, but when he reopened his eyes, he nearly burst into a fit of laughter as he saw the man he’d been following attempt to take a step forward only to lose his balance and nearly fall over.

Who would have thought the greatest weapon against a powerful Magus is a room full of boastful teens…

An amused smile crept onto Stroud’s face as he walked behind the agent who was now staggering toward the easternmost exit like a drunkard. More than once, the man’s ghost-like presence was nearly exposed by his errant, faltering steps, but with surprising fortitude, he made it out of the hall with none of the apprentice’s any the wiser.

Stroud, however, was unable to achieve the same, and in fact, had a much more difficult journey. His smile had long since disappeared.

Apparently, servants — or simply anyone who looked like one — were in high demand.

“If you’re cleaning the halls today, lab 15 in the Alchemy Wing needs tidying up.”

“Um, my partners and I need more reference material for our spell crafting research. Would you mind fetching us some?”

“Hey! My room in the Inscription Hall is nearly out of ink; what have you been up to all day?”

Some apprentices were more polite than others, but nearly all of them had no qualms issuing orders to a stranger. At first, he tried to explain the situation, but it wasn’t long before he realized the easiest way to get them off his back was to simply nod and agree.

No wonder I never see any of the Sanctum’s staff or servants heading toward the lower halls…

“This place has gone to shit.” When he finally arrived alongside his guide, Stroud heard a muffled voice sounding from the shadows beneath the agent’s loose-fitting hood.

He let out a dry chuckle in response and the two of them promptly turned their focus back to the task at hand — if only to quickly put that waking nightmare from their minds.

Fortunately, for all the hustle and bustle of the lobby, the halls outside of it were nearly empty. A long, narrow corridor full of evenly spaced doors and torches lay before them, and of course, their destination was located all the way near the end. They trudged all the way down to Practice Room 36 and barged through the door.

It was a large space — nearly empty and full or scorch marks and corrosive holes. The room’s function was obvious at a glance. And though he recognized that clearly, Stroud was still left bewildered, so he posed a question to the empty air: “I thought I was being shown to a private workspace where I’d be producing talismans…”

The agent turned to face him and produced a sealed letter from the folds of his robe.

This… feels familiar… Stroud briefly weighed the note in his hand as he received it before prying it open.

The existence of The Nidus and its entrances may not be revealed to anyone...

The message was simple, and Lady Adelais’ crest was imprinted at the bottom. He'd seen the white-winged shield once before, but this time, its presence was particularly glaring and Stroud was struck by a sudden idea. Unfortunately, it was not pleasant enlightenment, but rather, a foreboding realization.

He held up the note for the agent to see and tapped on the crest at the bottom of the page. “This can be considered as having received an order, correct?”

“Correct. Any item bearing her Anima Mark can be considered an extension of her person.” The man’s reply was stated plainly but the words still bit deeply into Stroud’s psyche.

Questions. There were always more questions.

He could see how using these notes would establish an absolute and efficient chain of command... But just how many order slips would Lady Adelais’ agents be carrying on their person? And what would happen if the agent ordered him to do something that was in conflict with the terms of the binding oath he had established with her?

Who would be punished? Or was this one of the means Magi had of circumventing the system…?

But while his mind raced, Stroud only nodded lightly.

The agent took that as his signal to continue and approached a blackened gouge in the rear wall. He stopped within arm’s reach of the scar and held up a small object — resembling a badge — that Stroud couldn’t quite make out.

Bidden by the act, murky pockets of Nura emerged in the ground. Thin strands rapidly extended from these focal points and wove together like a network of veins or a web. Stroud frowned as he watched the scene through his mind’s eye. He had to strain himself just to vaguely discern the magic’s presence, so he was ultimately unable to make out the exact shape or form the array eventually took on before it disappeared back into the earth.

His final grumble of frustration layered on top of the rumbling of stone as a pocket of the wall receded and slid to the side, revealing a passage deeper into the mountain.

Stroud’s eyebrow twitched as he approached the dark entrance. Wasn’t he just producing a few low tier talismans? This whole unveiling felt awfully embellished and unnecessary and in contrast with what he knew of Lady Adelais’ more imposing style.

“Take this.” The agent tossed Stroud the token that had triggered the formation. “This will be your key to access The Nidus. I suggest you keep it on your person at all times because should you lose it… well, your life is probably soon to follow.”

As Stroud rolled the small metallic badge between his fingers, a sequence of sphere-like sconces began flickering on inside the passage. The crystals within them shined eagerly and seemed to be encouraging him forward, so Stroud obliged. He followed the trail of lights downward into the heart of the mountain, but it didn’t take long before he reached a wide junction and had to let the agent retake the lead.

Luckily, it was only one of two turns he would need to remember before they arrived at a set rimesteel double doors marking a dead end.

“Consider yourself fortunate,” the man grunted, distaste rolling freely from his tongue. “This is one of the specialty labs reserved for Magi in the lady’s service. It is now yours. Inside you will find a full-set of alchemical equipment and a workstation complete with a collection engraving tools for inscriptions and talismans. Every week, someone will come by and dispense your weekly quota as well as a supply of Spirit Blood Ink.”

When he finished his explanation, a cold killing intent suddenly surged around the man. There was no power like Nura or spiritual perception behind it, but the bloodlust was tangible in a similar way. “Though you may now enter The Nidus, do not take that as permission to roam freely around the area. Aside from the path that I showed you, you are not to take any others, understand?”

“Yes, Sir,” Stroud acknowledged, solemnly. Right now, all he cared about was that he would have a quiet and secluded area to do some research and take care of anything like Blood Steeping that was best performed away from the hive of apprentices roaming the Sanctum above. There was no need to do anything rash.

“Then I’ll be off.”

The man’s killing intent lingered around the area long after Stroud had lost sight of him, and as he used both hands to push open the doors, he couldn’t help but wonder just how many other grey-clothed specters were looming within the walls…

A shiver ran down his spine as he did his best to put that thought to rest, and fortunately, the sight of the lab helped tremendously in that regard.

Stroud felt a pulse of energy run through the room; it thrummed almost like an electrical discharge and it resonated with a much softer pulse that originated from the medallion tucked into his pocket.

When the two throbbed in tandem, a bright blueish light filled the space.

Another array… He knew little about them — aside from some general knowledge — but in such a short time, he got to experience two in action.

Another surge of energy swelled, but on this occasion, it emerged from within himself. It was his adrenaline born from anticipation. And it stemmed not solely from the neatly arranged laboratory that greeted his eyes, but that there was so much more for him to discover and explore.

All he needed was a chance, and it had finally arrived.

The upheaval in his first few weeks at the Sanctum had struck so swiftly and brutally that Stroud felt like he was constantly caught reeling. There was always too much on his mind and he didn’t have anywhere to find solace… make plans...

He missed writing notes and reading atop the dingy boxes in his old room at the Marwood Estate, but he was more than glad to swap out that old rotting wood with the smooth marble tables that now invited him over.

Lightly running his fingers across the glass beakers and test tubes and the rows of sharp chisels and other engraving tools, Stroud breathed in deeply. A cool current washed through his lungs and spread through his veins; however, it wasn’t anything like the dark and creeping chill of his fear.

This current was refreshing and it brought a shocking clarity to his mind — like he’d suddenly dunked his head in a pale of cold water.

Once. Twice. It continued circulating through his system for a few rounds before it eventually nestled into a small seed inside his heart. There, it accompanied the soothing golden glow that was shielding him from the poisonous clutch of thorns.

Merits… Merits come first… Stroud mused internally. There was much he could accomplish with a sufficient amount of them as he’d learned during his meeting yesterday. Spell models, Inscribed Implements, access to the Sanctum’s archives… the list went on and on. And Lady Adelais had already rewarded him with 12 for recovering the Tremor Plate and the Srodgess.

Subsequently, he’d lost two of them to make up for the cost of the Spirit Blood Ink used during their renegotiation, but still — 10 Merits was no small amount. Each one was worth about a single gold Mor if he exchanged them for currency. But even more exciting was the knowledge that by this time next week, he could potentially double his total.

A quota of 20 talismans would be distributed to him tomorrow, and each one that he completed and achieved at least 70% spell efficiency would reward him with fractions of a Merit. Tier 1 talismans would earn him half of a Merit, whereas tier 0s would earn a quarter.

Stroud had confidence in his ability to meet this standard, and he firmly believed that with a stable income, the day where he recovered his Sea of Nura or found a replacement would not be far off…

Filled with grim determination, the wintry seed cycled through his body once more.

***

On his way back from The Nidus, Stroud decided to stop by Maeve’s room and check in on her. This was around the time in the afternoon when they usually met up, and it would be a good opportunity to express his thanks for the pendant she’d gifted him. He’d been in such a sorry state on that night that he hadn’t done so at the time.

A pang of guilt struck Stroud’s chest as he thought of this, followed by another as he returned to the lower halls’ lobby. It was lunch hours, he realized. That was why it was so crowded with apprentices.

He looked at them laughing and jostling each other and thought back to all the times Maeve nibbled through her lunch at her desk with her head hung low.

Fuck… I’ve been so stupid.

Stroud barreled through the crowd and up the stairwell, paying no mind to the curses hurled at his back. He crossed the Borean Tunnel, and by the time he reached Maeve's door he was hunched over, chest heaving.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Stroud lingered outside. But as his breath recovered, he heard a faint voice sounding from inside, and not just one.

A visitor?

Stroud’s knuckles hovered an inch away from the door. He hesitated. It wouldn’t be appropriate to interrupt, but as the voices inside escalated, he decided it was better to be safe than sorry.

Who knew if Sybil was upset from the loss of the pendant and had decided to escalate her bullying?

The knocks reverberated loudly and a sudden silence followed. Stroud’s heart thrummed.

Short footsteps scampered toward the door, and a wave of relief washed over him as a familiar blazing head of hair poked out into the hallway.

“...Stroud? Stroud!” Maeve seemed surprised at first, but her eyes were quickly suffused with joy as she saw him. “Come in!” she propped the door open wide and beckoned him inside.

The girl’s excitement immediately infected him, and Stroud returned her wide smile. “Good afternoon, Miss… I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” As he hung up his coat and cap on the clothes rack, he inclined his gaze toward the petite, short-haired girl sitting on the edge of Maeve’s bed.

“Not at all!” Maeve startled upon realizing she'd forgotten something so important. She hurriedly shut the door and ushered him over to make an introduction. “Stroud, this is Ellei Zedri — daughter of Viscount Zedri. Ellei, this is my attendant, Stroud, who I was telling you about.”

Ellei sprung off the bed and offered Stroud a slight bow. Large brown eyes sparkled under her long bangs as she made her greeting, “Pleasure to meet you, Stroud.”

“A-Ah... The pleasure is all mine, Madam Zedri.” Caught off guard by her dismissal of usual etiquette, Stroud stumbled over his words. In the end, he could only offer a deeper bow than her own.

Upon witnessing the slightly awkward exchange, Maeve giggled with delight, but fortunately, she didn’t leave him hanging for too long. “Stroud, I didn’t think you’d already be well enough to be up and moving about. I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“It was only a minor accident, Miss. Nothing to worry yourself over. And really, if you’re busy right now, I can always come back later to tidy up.” Stroud glanced back and forth between the two girls. By all appearances, Ellei was a nice and earnest girl. He didn’t want to get in the way of Maeve finally making some friends.

“No, it’s actually perfect that you’re here!” Ellei voiced enthusiastically. “You see, the reason I came to visit was to ask you for a favor.”

Maeve nodded in agreement and added, “Right. Everyone was really impressed by the talisman you made me, and when Ellei expressed her interest in hiring you — I thought to invite her to discuss and then seek you out for your opinion.”

“I see…” Stroud replied as some of his excitement dulled. “You’re looking for talismans then. I’ve limited experience, to be honest.”

“That’s alright.” Ellei was quick to brush away his doubts. “Based on what Maeve told me, you’re a natural. After some practice, I don’t think you’ll have a problem with any tier 1 spells.”

Stroud shrugged, peeking a glance at Maeve out of the corner of his eye. He already didn’t like where this was heading. He would have rather had Ellei come over with the intent to hang out with Maeve than to do business. “If you show me the spell model, I can give you a more clear answer.”

“Of course!” Already prepared, Ellei led them over to Maeve’s desk and pulled out a large, rolled-up slip of parchment from within her robes. She spread it across the wood surface and invited them to take a look.

“Invigorate… Hmm...” The spell was even more simplistic than the Arcane Bolt Stroud had drawn in Lady Adelais' office. He was having a hard time thinking of a good reason to refuse. “How many would you need?”

“Maybe only three or four each week…” Ellei wrung her hands as she saw Stroud frowning. “And of course I’d be willing to give you all the materials upfront.”

Maeve too had noticed his dour look and jumped in to help out the other girl. “Ellei is starting to grow some spiritual herbs of her own — just like me. We originally started talking because of our shared interest in alchemy and our plans for cultivating our herbs… I have a partial wood affinity and my family’s spells are well suited for the task, but Ellei is different. Her fire affinity means she’ll have to rely on talismans to help her out, and when I heard about this… It was really me who suggested getting your help…”

Stroud let out a sigh as he saw Maeve’s creased brow and her pouting lips. Truthfully, she was probably a better judge of character than he was. If she wanted to help out Ellei, who was he to refuse?

“It shouldn’t be too difficult. Though, I can’t make any promises about the spell efficiency,” he warned.

Ellei cheered. “Yes! Thanks so much, Stroud. I should be able to provide even more low-quality Spirit Blood Ink than is necessary. So if you want to make a few extras for Maeve, I won’t mind.” The small girl’s wink at the end had Maeve giggling again.

“All right, all right… don’t worry about it—” The deep, rumbling toll of a bell suddenly rang through the Sanctum and interrupted Stroud. Lunch was over.

Maeve and Ellei both jumped at the noise, with the latter sporting a worried look.

“Ugh, I better hurry back to my room and grab my things.” She marched over to the door as the final crashing waves settled. “Thanks again, Stroud. I’ll see you in the lecture hall, Maeve.”

“See you!” Maeve smiled and returned the girl’s parting wave. When the door slammed shut, she turned back to Stroud. “Thank you. Ellei’s really nice and has helped me out fighting back against Sybil. Without her, none of the other girls in my lectures would probably be willing to talk to me, so I really wanted to return the favor.”

“I understand, Madam.” Stroud looked away temporarily. Maeve’s earnest, pleading eyes were almost too much for him to bear. They seemed to pierce directly toward his soul, and the brilliant amber glow within them went on to fill the golden shield around his heart with even greater strength. “It really won’t be an issue for me...”

“Great,” Maeve chirped and similarly got to work readying herself for the lecture.

Sunlight spilled into the room and a pleasant melody whispered through the air as Maeve hummed while collecting her books. Her smile and her presence were radiant, and she walked with a confidence that Stroud felt like he hadn’t seen since before the incident where he was crippled.

“Oh right…” She paused abruptly and tucked a strand of her fiery red hair behind her ear as she turned to look at him. In that split moment where their eyes met, the space between them froze, and Stroud remembered exactly why he'd been so willing to jump in front of that spell for her. “...Why’d you come for a visit today?”

Tongue swelling in his mouth, he could only fumble around in his shirt and pull out the pendant. “This… I wanted to thank you for this…”

The amulet felt so warm in his grasp like it contained all of Maeve's heartfelt intentions, and as it rolled between his fingers, that heat was transferred through his body and into his chest.

The golden light ballooned due to the sudden influx, and a primal roar surged from the depths of Stroud’s being. The thorns around his heart hissed angrily, coiling with all their might around the brilliant shield that was trembling and splintering.

An intense battle was being waged and it reached such a ferocity that Stroud became wholly cognizant of it for the first time.

Maeve’s muddled reply was lost on him as he looked inward.

Tracing the echoes of conflict with his mind, Stroud reached the field of combat just as it was approaching its climax.

The bramble of thorns was blown back as the shield shattered. Drops of dark green venom dripped from its wounds as it reared back and wove itself into the form of a massive dark serpent.

Similarly, the shield had not yet reached its true breaking point. The glimmering, golden shards rose into the air and pieced back together into a heroic, golden lion.

A metallic sheen glinted off the lion’s fur as it unhinged its jaw to release another bestial roar. In reply, the serpent flicked out its long, forked tongue and hissed a warning.

The two archaic beasts eyed each other for a breath before they seemed to have reached an agreement and lunged at one another with explosive strength.

Biting deeply into the serpent’s neck, the lion completely ignored the thorns lining its back. He swung his head back and forth viciously while the serpent coiled its tail around his waist.

Back and forth they fought endlessly, and each time they clashed, the ripples produced by their skirmish struck Stroud’s consciousness like a hammer.

What… What is this…

The pain was intense, but he could only look on from the side. And in time, a strange sensation of detachment took root beneath it all.

“Stroud! Answer me—!” He could feel Maeve shaking his body, but there was a distance — almost like his head was submerged in water as her muffled voice landed in his ears...

More tremors reeled him back in, and he watched the rivers of gold blood mixing into the growing pool of venom as the two apparitions accumulated more severe wounds. Soon, Stroud knew, a victor would be at hand.

The lion’s unyielding spirit and defenses were simply too great for its foe to overcome. The serpent was able to constantly regenerate the dark, gnarled vines that composed its body, but its endurance was nearing its limit.

Poised to deal a death blow, the lion trapped the serpent’s skull underfoot. However, before it could strike, a chaotic storm exploded into the space and gathered overhead.

Thunder rumbled through the deep grey clouds, creating a buzz in Stroud’s ears as he felt his consciousness slipping further and further away.

In the final moments of his hazy blur, he looked up, but all he could see in the heart of the storm was an all-encompassing darkness that came to swallow him whole once more.