As much as Millie wanted to get started on exploring the Academy, and the Weaver’s Hall itself, she found herself stymied by the one thing she couldn’t overcome: time.

While the rest of her classmates were onboard for investigating it, between the fact that it was nearly their rest-cycle and that many of them had yet to fully recover from Catherine’s giga-blast, they decided to put it off. Not for long, but that left Millie with plenty of time to prepare for their coming expedition, as well as see to a few lingering concerns.

Namely, that robot of hers.

“Do you know anything about the place?” Millie asked her servitor. The metallic girl stood to the side as Millie sorted through her limited gear, which she was sitting on her dorm-room window table for sorting. Sheesh, Millie thought. I made a lot of impromptu weapons, didn’t I?

“The Weaver’s Hall?” Her robot clarified, nervous hands fidgeting with the pink PJ pants she was wearing. “I…don’t know anything. Not that I can share.”

Millie nodded. They’d long since talked about it, and the robot had agreed, not to constantly reflect Millie’s questions by suggesting she look in the Archives. To say that particular phrase was a sore spot for Millie, and probably the rest of the students, was quite the understatement.

“I guess that’s what I should expect,” Millie said, tossing her one leather bracer down. She was still mad that the thing’s enchantment had been temporary, acting like a consumable. She probably didn’t need to be able to make a glamor, but it was annoying to be denied the option. Thankfully, her Disciple’s Robes didn’t have that limitation and her ‘Web’ Spell was back to three charges.

“Would you like some food, Mistress?” Her robot asked, stepping closer. “I…feel like you could use some more to recover.”

Millie raised an eyebrow as she side-eyed the robot’s hesitation. Are you subtly implying you can sense my Lifeforce level? Millie thought. Odd. I thought she had to request that kind of thing from the Governor.

“Sure,” she told it. “Get something greasy and gooey for me, would you? Like…mac and cheese, with bacon bits and mozzarella balls. Maybe throw in some steamed, chopped spinach in with it.”

Her robot bowed politely, then hurried towards the previously ‘hidden’ entrance to her room. Millie had torn the banner down so it didn’t feel like her robot was skulking around.

“Hey, one sec…” Millie said, turning to face her robot. The metal girl paused, one hand on the doorknob to her utility room.

“Yes, Mistress?”

Millie winced at the term but ignored it for now. That was a fight not worth rehashing just yet. “Are you unhappy? You know, that you don’t have a name?” Millie had tried being subtle, but it had gotten her nowhere. It was time to be blunt.

And control group be damned, Millie thought. I’m worried about her. Her attitude had been growing increasingly unstable, like she was manic depressing somehow.

To that end, even now the robot’s response was complicated. Eyes darting to the side, lips twisting into a frown. Yet her body trembled, as though in anticipation or fear. It seemed to travel through her, like electricity, before reaching her face. A gleam appeared in her gaze—equal parts desire and terror. However, the robot eventually shook her head, looking like she wanted to cry.

“I am…functioning as intended, Mistress. I don’t require a designation—please do not concern yourself with such things.”

At least she gave me a straight answer, Millie thought, before clearing her throat. Too bad it’s bullshit. “Would it help anyway if I gave you one? I know I asked you to pick one, but I didn’t…think it would be so difficult.”

“Difficult?” The robot responded, lowering her hand from the knob. “How…how was I supposed to accomplish it? I don’t think difficult accurately portray the situation, Mistress.” There was undisguised annoyance in her tone.

That’s new, Millie noted. “I, ah, I’m sorry if it stressed you out. I just…wanted to help you, you know. Discover what it means to be human.”

“Why would I want such a thing?” The robot asked, her expression hardening.

I really did screw something up, didn’t I? “Well, you’re a, uh, living, breathing, thinking thing, aren’t you? You have a soul inside you, you said so yourself. I didn’t like the idea of you being my slave, or whatever. I wanted to help…elevate you, I guess.”

“You…” The robot paused, turning to the side. Confusion swam her eyes. “That’s not possible, Mistress. It never was, and it never will be.”

“But—”

“I don’t breath, to begin with,” she cut in. “I simulate it. I am not living by the strictest sense of your definition as I am unable to reproduce. My thoughts, they’re…they aren’t mine. And a soul? I have…I have…a…a-a-a-a-a-a—”

Her eyes turned red, her body seizing up. Every red flag in Millie’s mind was triggered at once.

“Oh fuck!” Millie shouted, instantly taking cover behind a table, lifting one of her makeshift stakes in her hands. Shit, shit, shit, I made a terminator. Why did I do this? Why did I poke the robot? Fuck, I’m such an idiot!

A long, tense moment passed, before the red faded and the robot began to move again. Like nothing had even happened.

“Apologies, Mistress. I attempted to share forbidden information and the remote safeguards were activated. Please do not be alarmed—I shall return to fixing your food.”

Millie stared, wide-eyed and pale, as the robot left the room. She was very much alarmed.

I need to…come at this more sideways, I think.

“Do you…wanna talk about it?” Millie asked cautiously.

The robot sitting at the table said nothing. Instead, she took a polite sip of tea.

Don’t breathe but you can eat and drink, Millie noted. Or are you simulating that too? Do you have a tray to empty later? She shook the thought out of her mind and refocused.

“Ooookay,” Millie said, sighing as she set down her fork. She’d finished most of her food, but the incident was fresh in her mind. She was terribly shaken. What was the best way to handle this?

“…you should customize me,” her robot said quietly.

“What was that?”

“You should customize me,” she said more emphatically, setting her tea down forcefully. “It's clear that I don’t meet your standards. You should change that.”

Millie’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t seen this coming. “You don’t…? Wait, this isn’t about the, ah, you know what—”

“Performing sexual services is part of my basic functioning,” the robot demanded. Millie blushed and considered hiding under the table, but the robot wasn’t done. “I can channel skills and powers from the System to service you in a number of ways. Not just for relaxation, but for boosted recovery both physical and magical.”

“And it has to be…with sex?” Millie asked skeptically. She didn’t think it possible, but her opinion of Magincia was somehow lowering more.

“Well…no, not strictly speaking,” the robot admitted. “But you’ve shown extreme discomfort at even the mention of physical contact between us. You have allowed a single massage, and you squirmed the entire time, forcing me to speed up the process and denying the full benefits it could’ve brought. You should customize me to fit your ideal so we can overcome this barrier between us. It could improve your odds of survival!”

The robot looked flustered after its rant and quickly dived back into its tea. Millie sat back, absorbing the outburst, before finally deciding something.

“You…really don’t want me to die, do you?”

It had been hard to notice at first, but the more Millie had been put in danger the more erratic the robot’s behavior had become. The metal girl glanced up briefly, before turning away sheepishly. Quietly, however, she nodded in agreement.

“I…that’s actually really sweet of you,” Millie said. She really did care?

“It’s part of my purpose,” the robot admitted, looking uncomfortable, but not in the way Millie expected. She looked ashamed of saying it, but Millie didn’t feel any warmth from its tone. Just an exasperation, like from a teen babysitter watching a screaming toddler making a mess they’d be blamed for.

Was Millie the toddler here? Was that really what was happening? I have almost died multiple times now, she reminded herself. Maybe the robot is just frustrated at having such a shitty master?

“Look,” Millie said hesitantly. “I…I wouldn’t feel comfortable with you touching me, no matter how you were customized.”

The robot slammed the teacup on the table. “There has to be some way to—”

Millie held up a hand, interrupting the robot. The metal girl actually scowled as she stared at it, as though Millie’s hand had personally wronged her. Then she quietly huffed.

Millie nervously cleared her throat. “It’s not you, not really. It’s the situation, you know? I’d feel more comfortable if I got a chance to know you, all right? Know what makes you tick and all that.”

“Tick?” The robot said, cocking its head. “Like clockwork? That’s not how I function.”

Millie rolled her eyes. Jeez, she’s as literal as Catherine, ain’t she? “I just meant, I don’t know why you always seem to be afraid, or then angry. You fluctuate on a dime. And I don’t know what makes you happy, or sad, because you won’t tell me. I get that there are some things you can’t say, but surely you can tell me that, can’t you? It would make me happy if I could make you happy.”

“I…” the servitor stared at her tea. She seemed genuinely taken aback. “I don’t know how to fulfill that requirement.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know what makes me happy,” the robot insisted. “I didn’t exist before you. My purpose is to serve you, to protect you. That is what would make me…happy. That’s what I want. For…for you to survive.”

Silence fell between them, as Millie stared intently at the robot. Her expressions didn’t match her words, in Millie’s opinion.

“There’s a difference,” Millie said, “between contentment and happiness. I bet you feel content when you serve me, right?”

The robot hesitated, then nodded.

“Would you want to serve if you had a choice though?” Millie said. “If you were free, truly free, is this what you’d want to do? Or is this just what you’re forced to do and you take fulfillment in doing your job well?”

The robot’s eyes widened in shock. Hit the nail on the head there, Millie thought. She watched quietly as the robot slowly processed the statement.

“I think…” the robot said, hesitating again. Finally, she took a deep ‘simulated’ breath and forced herself forward. “I think you may be correct. I don’t know if I would pursue servitude if given a choice. But it’s ultimately a worthless point to make. I will never be free, and I will never have a choice.”

“You can’t say that,” Millie said. “I’d be happy to free you right now, you know? What’s the process for doing so, anyway?”

The robot got very still. “You wish to dismiss me from service?” Something was odd about her tone. It was measured. Steady, in a way it hadn’t been before. It almost felt like a different person.

“I mean, I would if you wanted it. Would you?”

“I…cannot answer that question, Mistress.” Her voice was soft, but firm with a desperation that took Millie by surprise. Even as her body sat rigidly in place, and her mouth opened wide with a pleasant smile, Millie didn’t notice. She couldn’t see it over the metal girl’s eyes which screamed in panic.

“Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” she shot back, speaking rapidly. Desperately. “I would prefer to remain in your service, Mistress. Please allow me to be the best servant I can be. Any command you give, I shall follow without hesitation. Tell me what pleases you and I’ll—”

“Stop—stop!” Millie cut her off. Fuck, why do I feel like I somehow took two steps back all of a sudden? “Are you…worried about being dismissed?”

Somehow, the robot stiffened even more. Then, she carefully and deliberately shook her head, her eyes staring directly into Millie’s, cold and distant. Her expression remained in that wide, fake smile, servitors so loved.

“If I fail to meet your needs, Mistress, I should be dismissed from service.”

A rote response, Millie realized. Something was making her act like that. To say that. So, Millie took a gamble, though it made her feel like a monster toying with the girl’s emotions.

“Maybe I should dismiss you…” Millie said idly, staring out the window. In her periphery, she watched the robot closely. “I don’t really need a servant.”

“I can be whatever you want, Mistress, but if that’s your thoughts on the matter, they should be respected.”

The robot was motionless until it thought she wasn’t looking. ‘Gazing’ out the window, Millie saw out the corner of her vision the robot trembling with fear.

She’s scared witless of being dismissed, Millie thought. Why?

“What I want?” Millie said. Her guts felt like they were twisting inside of her. She was glad she’d confirmed the robot’s fears, but she hated seeing its naked terror. I need to make this right, somehow. “What I want is a friend. A confidant. Do you think you could be that?”

“Yes, absolutely,” the robot said quickly. Her body language was screaming desperation, but Millie kept her eyes turned away, lest she incidentally trigger more rote replies.

She’d agree to anything I asked for right now, wouldn’t she? Millie thought. Fuck, why is this so messed up? What the hell is going on?

“Alright,” Millie said. “We’ll try that then. I won’t dismiss you.”

The robot practically slumped, before sitting up straight as Millie turned back to look directly at her.

“But,” Millie said, “here’s the deal. We’ll have an exchange, okay? We’re going to work on finding something that helps you find happiness, and I’ll…work on opening up to you physically. Not sexually, thank you. Just, massages or other relaxing…things.”

The robot hesitated, her mood an obvious mix between relief and trepidation. “I don’t know…if I’m capable of finding happiness, Mistress. But I’ll do whatever I can to fulfill your requirements. I also…appreciate your willingness to better utilize the resources at your disposal for the sake of your survival.”

You’re more than a resource robot, Millie thought. In some ways, Millie was starting to feel like the servitor was a stand-in for her war against Magincia. If she could change this thing, truly change it, then everything else she wanted to do felt possible.

Millie sighed dramatically, trying to defuse the tension in the room. “You know what always makes me happy? Makeovers. How about we do some customization, yeah?”

At this, the robot perked up. “I thought you said no combination would satisfy you?”

“I, er, can we please stop bringing that up?” Millie said. “I meant, like how we picked out your clothes. Let’s see if we can find a look that you like, okay? Whatever it is, we’ll customize you with it.”

“My…clothes?” She said, pinching at her PJs.

“I didn’t mean you have to get rid of them, I was just using them as an example.”

The servitor frowned, before shaking her head. “I would be willing to look for a new set.”

“Do you not like them anymore?” Millie asked.

The robot hesitated, before shrugging. “They don’t hold the same appeal they had before. At the time they were…different and strange. The second pair of clothes I ever wore. I found them fascinating for their stark contrast to my uniform. I…don’t know what I’d want right now.”

“How about your, ah, gender? Do you have any thoughts on that?”

The robot shrugged again.

Dang it, you really don’t make this easy on me, do you? “Alright, let’s start even smaller. How about, fuck, hair color? Let’s use your favorite color. What is that, anyway?”

The robot shrugged again and Millie growled in frustration. “Oh come on! You don’t have a favorite color?”

“I…” the robot hesitated, before shaking its head.

Exasperated, Millie stood up.

“Come with me,” she said, and her robot quickly stood up to follow.

Marching into her bedroom, Millie turned to face her robot when she entered. Gesturing, Millie pointed to one of the bare, stone walls of the room.

“What color should that wall be, you think?” Millie said. “If you had to pick a color, any color at all, what should we use?”

The robot frowned but turned and approached the wall. Then, she looked around, glancing at the furniture nearby.

Millie stepped closer. “Don’t worry about decorations, or feng shui, or anything like that. We’re not trying to coordinate anything specific. It’s just you, and the wall. What color should it be?”

The robot glanced at her, brief annoyance on her face before she turned back to the wall. Silently, she stared at it, several minutes passing as she thought.

Eventually, however, she finally spoke.

“I think…it should be blue,” she said cautiously.

“Blue?” Millie repeated. “What kind of blue?”

“Kind?” The robot said, turning to her in confusion.

Millie nodded. “You know, I looked up blue for my son’s nursery. There’s a crap ton of shades I was considering. Blue Dragon, Dynamic Blue, Ultra Blue, Laguna, Hale Navy, Water’s Edge, Skylight…and those are just the best selling choices. You’ve also got more traditional shades like Iceberg, Ocean Air, Bird’s Egg, Cobalt, Marine, Old Navy, Electric. Or, if you want to get real fancy, you could go with Indigo, though lots of people debate if it counts as blue or purple. I think it's blue, personally. There’s also, Yinmn blue. It’s said to be the prettiest color in the world.”

“The…prettiest?” The robot said, eyes cast downward, deep in thought.

“What made you think of blue, anyway?” Millie asked.

“I just…I don’t know. It seemed more appealing than the others the more I thought of it.”

Millie nodded. “Alright then. Let’s get you blue hair to start with. Got a preference for shade, or should I pick it?”

The robot glanced at her worriedly. “For my hair? I thought this was for the wall?”

“The wall was a metaphor, dear,” Millie told her robot, smiling. “It was really your hair all along.”

“What? No, the wall is real. It’s right here—you can’t choose blue for hair color. That’s not natural, is it? Humans don’t have blue hair.”

“So?” Millie retorted, shrugging her shoulders. “Plenty of people dye their hair blue, so why can’t you do something similar?”

The robot hesitated, hand to her breast. “I’m just…not sure.”

“You do like blue, yeah?”

The robot hesitated again but eventually nodded.

“Cool,” Millie said, glad to get some amount of confirmation. The conversation was starting to feel like pulling teeth. “Then let's go blue for your hair. Now—what style do you think we should pick?”

The robot looked panicked, before actually biting its lip, a strange gleam of determination filling her eyes. “I want…braided hair,” she said, nodding her head firmly, resolute.

“You like braids?” Millie asked. It was strange after how tedious the back and forth had been that the robot would be so firm on something so quickly.

“I think Initiate Rowland’s hairstyle is superior to the others of your class,” she said. “However, I would prefer not to have as many braids. One would be optimum. It's orderly.”

“O…okay,” Millie said. Don’t question it, she’s on a roll. “How long do you want it?”

The robot froze, its chrome features somehow paling in the dim light.

“How…long?”

Oh boy, Millie mused darkly. Here we go again.

“Millie,” CJ said, voice terse. “Why the hell does your robot look like a gimp?”

Millie glanced sideways at her recently customized servitor. She had the same basic structure, facially and frame-wise, though several of her features had been trimmed down. She was smaller in the bust, thinner in the hips, and almost looked more hawkish. Her hair, a brilliant cobalt blue, was tied into a single braided strand that descended all the way to her knees, swinging behind her. Her face was pale, an imitation of flesh, though the lines of her robotic origins were still visible.

She was also wearing an extremely tight, Goth-inspired, black bodysuit covered with a frankly ludicrous number of belts and straps. Only her hands, neck, and head were exposed as she walked about, an almost imperious air compared to the other servitors who stopped to stare.

Millie turned back towards CJ, her eyes as tired as her soul at that moment. “She chose it. I didn’t question it. We accept it and move on. Got it?”

Her best friend looked at her incredulously. “What happened to her being a control group?”

“I wanted to make her happy!” Millie hissed quietly. “She picked it all out. Also, I never agreed to the control group thing, and besides—she still doesn’t have a name.”

“You did all that,” CJ said, gesturing with his chin to the strutting leather-clad bot, “and you still didn’t name her?”

“In for a penny, in for a pound,” Millie shot back. “We agreed she’d pick a name when one seemed right to her. I’m not going to push it okay? She actually seems more comfortable now than she has in a long time. That’s good enough for me.”

I just hope my robot’s going through an angst-ridden teenage phase or something. She’ll grow out of it later, right?

CJ shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Alright. Anyway, there was something I wanted to bring up with you before we head out.”

Millie perked up. “What is it? Did you make progress with soul extraction?”

CJ hesitated, scratching at the back of his hand. “Yes and no. The thing is, I’m almost out of that soul healing concoction that Thomas gave you. We had to use a lot of it when you were hurt, but…I think it might be the key towards figuring out how to do it. I’m just worried, because…”

“Because if we use it all up we have to go to him for more,” Millie finished. CJ nodded in agreement, and Millie sighed. “Well, no helping it then. Go ahead and use it all up, I saw you using it in my vision so it’s probably the key to success.”

“And you didn’t think to mention that sooner?” He said, one eyebrow raising with his glare.

“...I didn’t say it earlier?” Millie said. “Shit.”

“Yeah, shit,” CJ said tersely. “Whatever. It's fine, I’ll use it up, and then we’ll have to hope Thomas feels generous.”

I doubt that, Millie thought darkly. It seemed more likely they’d have to find a way to force him to give some up.

“You two ready?” Raj said from nearby, and Millie looked up to see him, bag in hand.

“Yeah, we’re good to go,” Millie said. It had been a long rest-cycle and she was looking forward to some good news with the Weaver’s Hall.

“Alright, let’s form up,” he commanded. Millie and CJ stood to join the rest of their class. A minute later, the group departed.

Once outside, they found the Academy was bustling with activity. Or at least, as much as three hundred-odd students could make a place as large as the Magincian Academy seem bustling. Checking the maps, which were periodically posted along walkways, it didn’t take Millie’s group long to track down the Weaver’s Hall. It was located suspiciously close to the Production District, but notably outside it. It was also rather distinct from a distance.

It was a large, walled-off compound. Behind the nearly twenty-foot-tall exterior, which had rows of columns every yard decorating its surface, Millie could just make out a number of tall, bulbous towers. To Millie, they looked a lot like cake layers that slowly tapered towards a steep dome-like top. There were ten in total that she could see: six surrounding an inner four. The inner towers were notably taller than the outermost ones.

Once they’d approached the main entry gate, a large archway easily capable of accommodating four lanes of traffic, they found it wide open without a clear way to even lock it. Inside the compound itself, the grounds were stark, though they had plenty of paved paths and stone statues spread about. They were just barren of life. That only stood out because the area looked like it was supposed to contain a garden, but not even dried grass remained. Just a desolate landscape filled with lone art pieces cast adrift like rocky sentinels.

The main building itself appeared to be a single, massive complex several stories tall. The towers they had seen on the approach both ringed its exterior sections, as well as the larger, taller, inner portion that stretched up a few more levels. Altogether it was easily the size of a mansion, fit for a Hollywood superstar. But the rough exterior was highly textured, with engravings and sculptures woven into the structure, giving it an almost temple-like appearance. Quickly, with eyes open for anything amiss, the group approached only to find the unexpected.

The doors to the main building were closed and locked tight.

“Maybe we can try one of the windows?” CJ offered. “There were plenty around.”

“Yes, but they’re closed up,” Raj commented, stepping back to get a better view. Millie glanced around, and confirmed his observation: the indents where the windows were had been filled in with stone. The shadows cast from Magincia’s ‘daytime’ had neatly obscured that fact, and Millie had missed it as a result. How does Raj even notice this kind of stuff so easily?

Raj frowned, eyes continuing to case the complex. “This place doesn’t have the same setup as the other derelict buildings. No hidden pipes, no additions, and no obvious boarding. This place was shut tight separately.”

“That bodes well for your theory then,” Isabella said, turning to Millie. “Maybe you can find a way in with your Attainment?”

Millie shrugged. “It’s certainly worth a try,” she said, then stood back near Raj.

All right, let’s see what shakes out, she thought, delving into her soul and dredging out a Dram of Mana. A second later, her Eyes of Fate activated.

The first thought Millie had was that she was hallucinating. She tried closing her eyes, then blinking rapidly, she even turned her Attainment on and off repeatedly to make sure what she was seeing was real. Or as real as a magical mind power can be.

But the truth was, the building was colorful. Sparkling, really, but only under the effects of her Eyes of Fate. Vivid splashes covering the rainbow practically subsumed the building. They followed simple patterns centering mostly around the towers, creating layers of colorful bands that crashed into one another like waves, lightly bleeding into each other. As she looked closer, she realized a chain connected her to the building, heading straight through the main door. She was sure that link hadn’t been there before.

“Yeah, this place definitely has something going on,” Millie confirmed, reaching out to the chain. Her hands traced the links closest to her, as she tried to make out the markings on them. She heard D’marco snickering at her movements—she could admit stroking an invisible chain in the air would look a tad suspect—but a glare from both her and his sister silenced him. Experimentally, she then tried tugging at the chain, to see if she could find another way forward, and it swerved to the side. But it was unsteady, like it was trying, but failing, to find another way through.

Millie scowled and took another step back. There has to be something, she told herself, as she scanned the building more closely. There, she thought, noting a peculiar clashing of colors along the wall near the entrance. Her class followed her as she approached.

“What is it?” CJ asked excitedly. “Did you find something?”

“Maybe?” Millie said, examining the discrepancy closer.

And it was a discrepancy. Several of the end bits of the bands of colors were missing, like a chunk of the wall had been removed, yet the bands nearby had been squished together without leaving a gap. Millie tried again to tug at the chain, willing it towards the strange clashing point, and eventually, her stubbornness paid off. The Sympathetic Link shifted, heading straight into the collapsed colors, as though going through the wall.

Wait, is that progress or did I mess up somehow? She wasn’t sure if she’d just changed what part of the building the chain phased through, or if she’d discovered something hidden. So, she followed the chain, walking up to the wall. Confusingly, she noticed she was off-center from her approach. It was something she only realized because she’d been watching the chain: it had shifted to an angle it hadn’t been at before. Like she’d walked several paces to the side while it remained straight on, only she knew she hadn’t done that.

Had she?

“What the fuck…” she murmured, her class watching her intently. She backed up and tried again, only to once more find herself to the side. She walked along the wall, looking for some hidden gap, but her chain just snapped to sharp angles unexpectedly. Whatever was here, she kept walking by it, unable to interact with it.

Is it messing with my perception maybe? She stepped away once more, lining herself up with the part of the wall her chain ran straight into. Then, closing her eyes, she grabbed the chain and walked forward. Something seemed to shift in her mind, like a sudden bout of vertigo, but she knew she’d succeeded when she heard her classmates gasp.

“A secret entrance,” Raj said quietly. “Of course. That’s what we’ve been missing.”

She had the impression he was speaking of something else, but as she opened her eyes, she found herself standing in an open doorway. It hadn’t been there before. Looking back at her friends, she smiled.

“Well? What are you all waiting for?”

She turned, striding into the darkness, her classmates following closely behind.

The secret entrance deposited them in the main entrance hallway near the front doors. The room they came out into, however, was dark, the light from outside unable to reach this far.

“Does anyone have a light Spell or something?” Millie asked. She expected someone, namely Catherine, to produce it only to be disappointed.

“Shit, really?” D’marco said quietly, directing his question toward the curvy girl. “I thought you studied everything?”

“I don’t know any light Runes, alright?” She said back testily. “The best I can do right now is a candle flame, I just…I didn’t think that was what you’d want when you said light.”

“It’s better than pitch blackness,” Millie countered. She heard some shuffling in the dark, and a second later a small, orange flame appeared on Catherine’s wand. It was barely enough to pierce the gloom.

“Alright, so what now?” CJ asked. “Do we know what to look for?”

“Nope,” Millie countered. “Just let me…”

She froze when she flipped her Eyes of Fate back on. While the room was still dark, she could see the colors on the wall, giving her a pretty good approximation of the space. She couldn’t help but notice a familiarity with the architecture, however. The inside of the complex looked almost like a cathedral in design; with its sharp angles, wide archways, and smoothed stone walls. She was pretty sure it wasn’t the same place as she’d seen in her vision of the Weaver, but it was clearly built with a similar aesthetic

“Alright, follow me I guess,” Millie said, following the chain hovering in her sight. Her friends silently did as instructed, sticking close to Catherine.

The interior of the Weaver’s Hall was vast. It was also particularly empty, compared to the place she’d seen in her vision, which only aided the sense of wrongness within. She’d thought the Collections were a graveyard, but this place felt like a tomb they’d been buried alive in. At least there's no webs, she mused.

It took a few minutes of exploration, past numerous hallways, and cavernous chambers (many rooms seemed to rise to the ceiling several stories up), but eventually they found another massive set of doors. It wasn’t locked, and her chains led her straight through.

Inside the room, which Millie guessed was the center point to the compound itself, was a large, broken-down machine. Golden bars laid strewn on the floor, globes rolled to the side. Gears and finely crafted rings, big enough to hula hoop with, joined them. The entire construct was elevated off the floor by several feet, though its remains littered the room.

“What the hell is that?” Millie whispered, noting the way the bands of colors of the building seemed to originate from the object. Looking up, she saw the waves bleeding together on the ceiling like an Acrylic Pouring.

“Oh shit,” CJ said, picking up one of the scattered rings. “I think this is an Orrery.”

“But this isn’t the solar system,” Catherine protested.

“Wait, what’s an Orr-orr-ree?” D’marco sounded out.

“It’s a mechanical modeling of the solar system, normally,” CJ explained. “It's used in…of course.”

“What?” Millie said, worried. “Don’t just drop your sentences—what’s it used for!”

CJ laughed, his shadowed figure barely visible in the light, her Eyes of Fate doing little to illuminate him. “It’s a divination tool,” he said. “Used mostly for, ah, Astronomy and sometimes…Astrology.”

Millie hissed in a breath. “No. No, please tell me you’re joking. Astrology can’t be real too. It can’t be.”

He held his hands up defensively, before making his way to one of the cast-off spheres on the ground. There were dozens of smaller ones next to it—it was clear the machine was far, far more complex than a simple Solar System—and lifted it up. Then, he began to laugh. But what started as a chuckle, quickly grew into a belly grasping, breathless bought of hysteria.

Millie tromped over, to see what was so funny. On the sphere, she saw a Complex Rune that took her several moments to decode. When she did, however, she realized she’d wished she’d never seen the damn thing.

It was the Rune of Aquarius.

“I can’t believe that bullshit is real,” Millie said, pacing the interior of the Weaver’s Hall. The group had retreated from the Orrery and stood near the entrance.

“Why is the Tarot being real okay, but Astrology not?” Catherine asked.

“How can you ask that?” Millie countered. “I’d think of everyone here, you’d be most offended by it.”

Catherine huffed, her hand inching towards her face before dropping. “I’m trying to keep an open mind, Millie. The existence of aliens alone challenges my Faith, so I hardly see why ideals long lauded as cornerstones of mysticism in the west actually being magical should be offensive. If anything, it gives me hope that I’ll find proof for my own beliefs.”

Millie paused in her pacing, considering her words. As above, so below, she thought. It was possible that the only reason Astrology and the Tarot existed on Earth was because of something grander that Humanity was glimpsing, unaware of its true origins. So was God like that too? Would the girl be able to find proof of the Almighty if she looked hard enough?

Unbidden memories of Catherine’s vision returned to her, of the girl climbing the stairs to Heaven, searching for God, only to fall in the end. Yet, knowing that warning, Catherine was still pushing forward. Unrelenting in her search. Next to that, Millie’s current response felt petty.

“You’re right,” Millie said. “Sorry. I guess, let’s see if there’s something more we need to do to claim this place.”

“Claim it?” Isabella said. “Is that the goal?”

“All the other Seed bearers have their own buildings now,” CJ answered on Millie’s behalf. “I’d assume this one’s meant to be hers.”

“Are you going to move out of the dorms?” Katelyn asked with concern.

“I don’t know yet,” Millie said. “I don’t even know how I’m supposed to, I don’t know, accept this place or whatever. Also, it’s too damn dark.”

Irritated, she approached the front entrance and unlatched it. Pushing the large, stone doors open, she let the light of the artificial Magincian day spill into the building.

“Congratulations, Initiate McArthur,” the booming, feminine voice of the System called out. “You have unlocked the Weaver’s Hall and gained ownership of its grounds.”

“Wait, all she had to do was literally unlock the place?” CJ said, before facepalming dramatically. Millie was right there with him.

“The Faction System is still being implemented,” the disembodied voice continued. “However, if you’d like, you may have your residence upgraded to this location in preparation for that future event.”

“What about my classmates?” Millie asked. “I don’t want to be separated from them.”

“This location is a potential Faction Headquarters,” the voice answered. “It is more than capable of housing you all, should you wish. If you chose to transfer locations, all your previous dorm upgrades will be brought in as well.”

“Okay then…” Millie said quietly, hesitating before she turned to her companions. “Should vote on it then?”

“It could be dangerous,” Raj pointed out. “We’re inaccessible in the dorms, but here—the compound’s easy to find. Even easier to enter.”

“Hey, System,” Isabella shouted. “Are there any defenses with this place?”

“A standard privacy Ward is provided for this location. Initiate McArthur, or those given authorization, may customize or upgrade it. This protection is more potent than the ones found in the dorms.”

The group shared a quiet glance with each other. It occurred to Millie, that she hadn’t actually looked into how hard it might be to hijack the portals or break into the dorms. Considering what she’d learned from Shard in her trade, she felt rather foolish now for overlooking that. Her future plans hinged on abusing the portals.

“Yeah, uh, I’m definitely claiming this area then,” Millie said. “All in favor of joining me?”

Her classmates looked at each other, and then one by one raised their hands in agreement. When the last reluctant hand of Raj came up, the System spoke again.

“Acknowledged. Initiating transfer.”

“Doing what now?” Millie said before her Soul Scroll vibrated. She reached for it, but before she got it out, the lights in the building finally turned on.

The group blinked in surprise, crystals embedded in the ceiling and walls illuminating the space, while windows that had previously been closed off appeared open—the stone blocking them disappearing like smoke.

“Well, that’s—” Millie was cut off as the ground trembled, the floor vibrating nearby. The group stepped back in alarm before a circle in the center of the room opened up, and a long, thin spire poked through. It rose slowly, with the sound of grinding stone, before finishing, resting flush with the ground. The massive obelisk was nearly two stories tall, but on it, Millie could distinctly make out sets of writing. They looked like phrases. It helped that they were all in English.

Her jaw dropped when she realized what they said.

‘To the Most Eager — Life Everlasting’

The Gift of Genetis

‘To the Most Unfortunate — A Glimpse of Fortune’

The Gift of Axiom

‘To the Most Driven — Strength Beyond Measure’

The Gift of Primus

‘To the Most Renowned — Glory Equal in Kind’

The Gift of Animus

‘To the Most Travelled — A Journey, Unending’

The Gift of Aether

‘For Those Who Have Lost — A Means to Remember That Which Fades’

The Burden of Entropia

‘For Those Who Believed in Lies — The Bitter Secret to Lasting Truth’

The Burden of Ataxia

‘For Those Who Have Riches — Aide to Create The Wonders Demanded’

The Burden of Materia

‘For Those Who Are Seeking Answers — The Keys to Dreams So You May Find’

The Burden of Psyche

‘For Those Who Have Squandered Life — The Gift of Nothing You Have Sought’

The Burden of Void

Millie stared alongside her friends at the words on the obelisk. The ten Seed conditions laid bare. Alongside them, written around the obelisk, were hints and warnings. ‘An Oni shall appear to test you,’ for Primus. ‘The psychopomp cares more for the journey than their destination,’ for the Aether. ‘Look to the Undercroft to find what was hidden,’ for Entropia.

And so much more. All they needed to acquire the Seeds.

“Do you know what this means?” Raj said quietly, stepping forward, hand tracing the etched words. “We were never going to find these answers in the Archive. You’re the source of the information. It was always meant to be you.”

“What?” Millie said, nearly laughing at his words. “How are you drawing that conclusion, big guy?”

He turned to look back at her. “That's the real source of your strength, Millie. At least, I’d bet it was. You’re a force multiplier. You help and aid those around you, bringing out the best in them. The reason you have these words here is because you get to decide who gets these Gifts. You’re the most powerful Seed bearer of all in that way.”

Millie’s jaws dropped at his words. “That’s…ah. Well, fuck.” She finished lamely.

Katelyn laughed, stepping up beside her. Wrapping her with a long arm, the tall girl brought Millie in close for a hug. “This is going to change everything,” she said. As Millie looked around, she saw the excitement and joy of her friends and realized how true that was.

Behind them, noise drew their attention, and they turned to see their servitors walking through the front doors. What looked to be a portal, frameless and probably temporary, was behind them as they came bearing items from the dorms. They were already moving in.

“Where would you like us to set up?” Millie’s robot asked, in front of the pack, her blue braid waving behind her.

Millie smiled, the giddiness of the moment finally getting to her. This really was going to change everything.

She should have known then and there it wouldn’t last.

Her Soul Scroll buzzed. As she pulled it out, she noticed that everyone else was doing the same—it wasn’t localized to her. When she brought up the screen, she saw a message from the System.

Announcing the ten conditions to all the students, along with the hints on how to get them.

Lower down, she had a private message sent from the Fortune-Teller.

‘To seek these Gifts unopposed would have truly been a priceless opportunity. I can promise you that, unfortunately. So, for the record, I’m sorry I had to do this. But Opportunity for Opportunity. The price has been paid.’