From afar, Jake had only been given a taste of the underground village’s beauty. He quickly learned that his wide view of the area was only the beginning, and he was baffled by just what the village had to offer. As his friends led him down into the village itself, Ewana showed its true colors. And there were a lot. The blue lights were used to provide general illumination, but they weren’t the only lights available.

In the streets below, soft orange colors similar to that of the sun brought a gentle warmth to the atmosphere. Greens and yellows were used to show that shops were open for business, and guards carried blue lights on their shoulders to stand out amongst the crowd. Children skittered about while adults haggled and talked. Couples clung to one another, families occupied tables inside restaurants. Workers climbed along the rocks, diligently continuing to expand the village.

The noise of the village was nothing compared to Jake’s home. There were so many people, so many things vying for his attention. The air was full of a mixture of scents- from food to perfumes to sweets. His attention span was so short and his mind so distracted, Yae had to drag him along to keep him from wandering off. Xul laughed and made fun of the boy’s lost face, and Tul eventually joined in after Jake caught himself staring into a place full of beautiful women.

“Wanna go?” Xul whispered into Jake’s ear. Jake swallowed a lump in his throat and felt temptation tickle at his mind.

“Stupid,” Yae whacked him and shoved the three children along. Xul laughed even harder, holding his stomach to keep himself from keeling over. Tul chuckled, too, but not as obnoxiously.

“S-Sorry, Yae,” Jake mumbled as she continued to drag him through the village.

The four eventually made their way out of what Jake figured was the trading center and into a more residential area. Houses were stacked atop one another with rocky ladders and stairs leading up into the upper levels. The first rows of homes were very pretty, spacious, and the families inside were having quite a good time. But, Yae continued to guide Jake deeper and deeper into the district. The fancy, nice houses gave way to tighter spaces, less lit streets, and more run-down structures. The smell in the air soured and the sight of people sitting in the alleyways became more common.

Jake knew where he was now without having to be told. He kept his eyes forward and gently coaxed Yae to let him go. She did, reluctantly, but continued to guide him along. Xul stopped laughing and Tul’s face stiffened. They made one final turn before Yae stopped leading them. The little street they were on was tight, and it was a dead end. Tul went in first and strapped his spear across his back. He hopped onto one of the rock wall ladders and climbed to the upper levels. Xul followed, and then Yae behind him. Jake, not wanting to be left behind, followed behind her.

They climbed up four homes high before Tul stepped off onto the platform in front of the house’s door. It was dark inside the home, but Tul entered anyway. He said something as he stepped inside. Xul did the same when he walked in, as did Yae. Jake, though, didn’t. He stepped into the home behind his friends and was greeted with the opposite of what he had seen up to that point.

It was a cramped space with little furniture, one light source on the far wall, and nothing spectacular to look at. There was a small table in the middle of the room, a single double bed along the wall, a small tub likely for bathing, and a desk tucked into the corner with a stack of dishes and utensils beside it. There was no place to store food, three different piles of clothes neatly stacked beside the bed, and a small blanket folded at the foot of the bed.

But even though it looked a bit rough, the three were relaxed inside. Xul flopped onto the bed, tired and spent from the trip. Tul removed all of his gear and dropped everything into a pile beside where he sat down at the table. Yae went over to the tub and knelt beside it. She hovered her hand over a small metal pipe and focused mana into it. Water began to flow from it, and she began to wash her hair with it. Jake stepped inside, removed his sandals, and then closed the door behind him.

“Home,” Tul said as he leaned against the wall, making himself comfortable. Jake sat down at the table next to him and set the purple mana crystal on the table.

“I think I’d rather this than the noisy street,” Jake chuckled. Tul nodded and called over to Xul. Xul grumbled and waved him off. Tul hissed and picked up a small pebble, lobbing it at Xul’s head. Xul groaned and got back out of bed. He snatched up the spear he’d left by the door and walked out.

“Where is he going?” Jake asked, watching as Xul’s shadow dropped out of the small window at the front of the home.

“Talk Chief. Get money.” Tul sighed and slouched against the wall, making himself even more comfortable it seemed. Yae cut off the water and pawed at the air to her left, reaching for the towel at the far side of the tub. Jake hopped to his feet and grabbed it for her. With her face covered by her hair, she couldn’t see who it was, so she spoke in her own language. Jake smirked and said nothing, leaving her to dry her hair. He walked to the window and stared out to the village.

They were far enough away that everything was a faint murmur. With everything being stacked up, he couldn’t see any lights or smell the sweet air, but the liveliness of the village was hard to completely block out.

“Is Chief the head of the village?” Jake asked.

“No. Chief head of Scouts. Our Zara.” Tul explained. “Scouts find Maedra, then call Warriors to fight. We no fight. Only sometimes. Xul only one.”

“Xul fought the Beasts?” Jake’s eyes widened at the thought of Xul fighting against the Maedra. While in his mind he imagined something goofy and unrealistic happening, he hadn’t actually seen Xul fight yet. Maybe Xul was some really strong fighter or something.

“Yes! Xul really cool!” Yae quipped and giggled as she sat down at the table. “Very fast! Faster than Tul!” Yae grinned, but Tul only rolled his eyes.

“Faster, not stronger.”

“Both!” Yae laughed and Tul grumbled, his cheeks getting a darker shade as he stared at the table. Jake stared at the two and watched as Yae continued to tease Tul. Tul seemed uncomfortable with it and clammed up, but Yae only giggled and poked at his cheeks. From where he stood, the two looked like siblings.

“Are you two family?” The similarities became more and more apparent the longer Jake stared at the two. Yae grinned and lay her head down on Tul’s lap.

“Xul and Tul, family.”

“Yae…” Tul muttered, flicking her nose. He muttered to her in their language, likely scolding her as Yae began to pout and detached herself from him.

Jake sat down across the table from them again and eased into a comfortable posture. He relaxed, let the tension in his shoulders finally fall off, and his body felt heavy. The weight and pressure of having to stay awake and alert for so long hit him all at once. The adrenaline from fighting the Maedra had long emptied from his body. However, the walk and having to keep tabs on the Warriors had kept him from letting his guard down. He didn’t want to fall asleep again and wake up to his friends in trouble or have them be attacked by Maedra when he wasn’t watching.

But now that they were safe and within the sanctuary of this village, Jake could breathe again.

“Tired?” Yae asked, draping the small blanket over his shoulders. The gesture surprised him. He hadn’t seen her move and she was already sitting beside him. She patted her lap and invited him to lay down.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll-” Jake was about to move over to the wall, but she snagged him by the ear and yanked. Jake let out a yelp and did as told. He lay down and rested his head on her legs. When he looked over at Tul, Tul’s eyes were closed and he was listless against the wall. Jake frowned a bit, feeling uneasy about the intrusion.

“Rest. It’s okay.” Yae began to brush his hair, her fingers running through the fibers slowly as she caressed and massaged his skull. The feeling sent tingles down his spine. He felt goosebumps perk up all over his neck as her nimble fingers eased his mind into a peaceful lull. The fatigue from the fighting, the walking. The stress he felt from the Warriors, and the pain of losing Chul. It all came back like a wave, and he closed his eyes tightly as Yae’s warm fingers pushed it all away.

Her hands… They felt just like his Auntie’s.

* * *

Sleep came quick, but the steady breathing and relaxed posture didn’t send Jake to dreamland like he expected. Instead, he found himself waking up in the welcoming alcove of the Library. It was a strange feeling, opening his eyes within the white-walled room. He hadn’t tried to come here and oddly enough, he didn’t quite know if he was supposed to be here. He had tried to sleep and rest. Instead, he was here. Was he here while his body was asleep? Was that something possible?

Rather than sit and think, Jake got to his feet and stepped off the sigil to investigate. The air certainly smelled the same and the familiar spiraling Library stretched out in front of him. The same glass panes far above in the distance let in swathes of light, and the same towering bookshelves surrounded him. There was no doubt where he was but how he’d come was the mystery. Did he accidentally trigger the sigil when he’d drifted to sleep? Did Yae’s fingers trigger the connection?

“Ah, there you are.” The voice caught his attention as he tried to figure out what had happened, and Jake turned to see Yir fluttering over to him. She had a trail of books behind her, per the usual. “I was looking for you.” She stacked the books beneath her in the air and sat down on top of them. She didn’t look particularly excited this time around.

“Looking for me? Why?” Indeed- it was the oddest thing of all. So far, Jake had always been the seeker. It had never been the other way around.

“One of the other Magicians mentioned something about you wanting to learn Necromancy?” Yir crossed her legs neatly and then leaned forward, supporting her head with one hand. Her red eyes narrowed as she stared at him.

“Seria? No, she mentioned it to me the last time I came but I haven’t tried learning it yet. What is Necromancy?” This was the second time Necromancy had come up in conversation, and it was Yir who was now confronting him. Seria had mentioned it in passing for some reason, but he didn’t know why. Yir seemed very concerned over it- enough to be waiting for him. Was it bad? It certainly sounded like it. The word had a nefarious ring to it.

“Oh, you aren’t? That’s a relief.” Yir blinked and sat up. The concern in her eyes eased, but Jake’s curiosity had been stirred. It wasn’t so much due to the repetition of the word, but more the look in everyone’s eyes whenever it came from him.

“What is Necromancy? Why do you all keep saying it? Is it a type of Magic? Is it bad magic?” For two people to bring it up in such a short span of time and for Yir to come looking for him about it, Jake felt as though Necromancy was something either very bad or very dangerous. Yir had scolded him once about getting ahead of himself and this was likely her trying to catch him before he made another mistake. However, the Mana Explosion was something caused by his practice. There was something different going on with this.

Yir stared at him for a few moments, silent, as if evaluating him with his eyes. Jake stared back, awaiting an answer. There was something here that either Yir was trying to cover up, or something she was trying to deter him from finding. And it only fueled his interest even more. The child in him was stirring, and he was feeling a bit eager to fiddle.

The fairy sat up and folded her arms across her chest. She let out a huff and her shoulders relaxed partially as she floated in front of him. From her expression, she looked torn between what to do. One of her legs swung a bit, her heel knocking lighting against the spine of the book beneath her as she mulled over what to do next. Jake’s expression didn’t change, so Yir decided to confront it.

“Before we continue, I have a question,” Yir said. Jake nodded and neatly entwined his fingers together in front of his waist, relaxing as he awaited the test. “If given the chance to bring someone back to life, would you do it?” The question was straightforward and caught him off guard.

“Isn’t that impossible?” Jake quipped almost immediately. There was a reason why it was called ‘death’. The final result. The end of life. The lights being snuffed out. Deceased.

“Assuming you could, for a price, would you?” She prodded. Jake gnawed on the question, his teeth nipping the inside of his cheek as he considered his options. He personalized the question- Chul. If he could revive Chul, would he? The answer was yes. However, even Jake understood that no such thing would be free. As Yir had mentioned in her question, there would definitely be a price.

“No, I don’t think so,” he answered as he continued to think a bit. Chul was gone, dead, and while Jake now considered the idea of resurrecting him, the idea of a price weighed on his mind. What would the price be? Would he have to sacrifice someone for it? A life for a life? If that was what it would take, he didn’t feel confident he could do such a thing. Even if he could, Chul likely wouldn’t be happy if he performed such a task. The Arachkin would probably be very, very upset.

Yir stared for a moment, waiting to see if there was more to his answer, but he wasn’t going to change it. Even with the option to bring back Chul, he would say no. Exchanging someone else’s chance at life to fix a mistake felt wrong, and Jake doubted he could live with such a thing on his mind. Knowing that to get back his friend, he traded somebody else’s. Yir placed her hands on her legs and she let out a faint sigh. She rose up to her feet, slipping off the edge of the tower of books beneath her and into the air. She fluttered closer to Jake and she placed a finger against the tip of his nose.

“Death, Jake, is absolute. There is no returning the dead to life. And even with magic, the result is never what your heart desires. Understand?” She spoke with a soft but firm tone. Jake nodded quietly, fully understanding what she had said to him.

“Follow me, kiddo. This lesson will have to happen eventually.” Yir waved her hand and directed the books behind her over to a table, setting them down in a neat tower. Then, she slowly made her way towards the staircase. Jake fell in behind her. The fairy flew along slowly, ensuring she didn’t get ahead of the boy’s short stride.

“Necromancy is a type of Dark Magic, an element you have an affinity for. Remember?” She began to speak to him, and Jake listened.

“Yes,” he nodded along with his response.

“There is a reason we call it Dark Magic.” Yir swirled around the top banister and towards the next flight of stairs. “Most Dark Magic spells require more than mana. They tend to require a medium to be cast through, an offering to be exchanged, or a sacrifice to be presented.”

The words Yir used didn’t exactly sound pleasant. Offering. Medium. Sacrifice. What sorts of things was she referring to?

“Have you studied any light magic spells yet?” As she reached the top of the next staircase, Yir spun around and asked her question. Jake shook his head as he answered.

“No, not yet. I just learned Rock magic though!” He spat with a bit of excitement, taking the opportunity to show off some of his progress. Yir, however, didn’t flinch. With only a brief nod for a reaction, she turned around and waved for him to continue following her.

“Light Magic and Dark Magic spells are exact opposites.” With a flick, Yir created a small yellow sigil in the air and then a small purple one right beside it. “Light magic tend to be spells that are regenerative, soothing, or protective. They either fix you in some way, strengthen you, an ally, or an object, and there are spells that can create very powerful barriers.”

“Like the barriers the Seraphym use?” He asked, cutting in. Yir looked over her shoulder sharply, as if annoyed he had interrupted her. He closed his lips and lowered his head a bit, apologetic for trying to speak out of turn.

“Yes, like what the Seraphym use,” she sighed. “Dark magic tends to do the opposite. Curses. Hexes. Poisons. Bindings. Sickness. Degenerative spells. Dark magic can do a lot of nasty things to your enemies, but all for a price. As I said before, the price can vary depending on the strength of the spell you are attempting to cast and the result you desire.”

As she spoke, they reached the next floor and continued to ascend further and further. She stopped speaking and Jake followed silently behind her until they finally reached the sixth floor. Yir hooked around the banister and led Jake into the far back of the shelves. So far back that the light coming down from the skylight was being blocked by the number of shelves. They stopped just outside of a doorway, a threshold that led to a room similar to the study Jake used on the second floor.

Jake noticed a number of Light magic books and more advanced spell casting books were on the shelves around him. The floor they were on consisted of magic well beyond his level of understanding at the moment. However, it was exciting to see the amount of knowledge the Library contained. Each book he passed likely had numerous spells or pieces of research within their pages. The topics were numerous, diverse, and some were related to one another. There were also books in different languages and scripts, alerting Jake to the fact that there was even more knowledge to be studied if he expanded his language capabilities.

There was much to look forward to, all he had to do was remain curious. Chul would want that for him. At least, he hoped so.

Yir stopped just outside of the entryway and lowered herself down to be eye-level with Jake. Behind her, the room loomed. It was dark, gave off an ominous feel, and Jake felt uneasy just looking into it. Whatever was inside likely wasn’t something he should toy with.

“As a Magician, what you learn, how you learn, and the results of your learning are up to you. As the Librarian, it is not up to me to decide what I should keep you from. As your friend, I can only give you advice and hope you make the right choice.” Yir’s voice was softer but remained stern as she stared at him.

“Behind me is a room that contains a lot of magic that can be harmful to others, and to you. Lady Ferynith’s blessing has given you an affinity with such magic, and so at some point I know you will seek it out.” She paused, let out a heavy sigh, and then she folded her arms over her chest. “The intelligent woman in me says to keep you out, but I know the curious child in you will bring you here anyway.”

A true statement. Up until now, Jake’s curiosity had led him to dig into a bunch of different topics and he was trying to absorb as much information and knowledge as he could. After losing Chul and encountering the Maedra, it was becoming apparent that he would need to become a stronger mage. Necromancy hadn’t been on his list before, but it was a rumbling question in his mind now. At some point, he would have probably tried to learn what it was about.

“I trust you, Jake, to not make any stupid decisions.” With that, Yir fluttered over his shoulder, leaving the room exposed for him to enter. Jake stared at it, his eyes peering into the depth of the chilly room.

“Y-Yir?” He called, turning and looking towards the fairy as she hovered at the other end of the row of shelves. She faced him but didn’t close the distance. “Why did you bring me here?” She had told him that it would happen eventually, his coming here. However, there was no reason for her to do such a thing now.

Jake had only mentioned Necromancy in passing. It wasn’t even on his list of things to learn, even after his meeting with Seria. Yet, Yir had decided on her own to lure him up to the room where he now assumed there were books on the subject. He had never mentioned to her that Chul had died, either, so there was no reason for her to believe he might want to learn a form of magic to bring him back… Was that what Necromancy was?

“Knowledge is both a strength and a weakness, Jake. It can be a tool, a weapon. However, knowledge is nothing without wisdom. You are young, inexperienced, and you lack depth when it comes to right and wrong.” As she spoke, Yir floated closer again until she was once more in front of him.

“Dark magic is not ‘wrong’ magic, there is no such thing. What makes magic ‘wrong’ is how it is used, who uses it, and why it is used. You will come across a number of spells in your studies, people will say things to you, and you will seek out that knowledge. I have watched you do it up until now, and I am well aware of the things you may stumble on.” Yir moved backward, creating some distance between the two of them again.

“Rather than watch you make a mistake or fiddle with magic you should not touch on your own, I believe it is better to show it to you myself. However, you must earn that knowledge. So don’t think it’ll be easy and free for you to grab.” Yir’s lips finally curled into a faint smile before she turned away. This time, she didn’t stop as she fly off back into the other regions of the Library.

Jake still didn’t understand entirely why she had brought him here, but he did understand her concern. After the term ‘Necromancy’ popped into his mind, it certainly was something that had gnawed at him. Eventually, it was a word he wanted to look into. If he came across Seria again, he planned to ask her about it in more detail and why she had suddenly spit out for him to stay away from it. What conclusion had she come to that made her think of it? What was the relationship between the Seraphym Language and Necromancy? Necromancy was a form of Dark magic, according to Yir, but the Seraphym used Light magic. So where was the connection?

Having been led to the door, Jake wasn’t going to refuse Yir’s invitation just because he didn’t understand her motives. The fairy so far had been kind in her mentorship. Even when her teaching led to his injury, she was there to help him recover. If she had brought him here and trusted him that he wouldn’t be foolish with whatever was beyond the entrance, then he would trust her.

Curling his hands into fists and taking in a deep breath, Jake stepped forward and walked stiffly into the darker room. He was immediately hit by a wall of cold, the cold which had chilled him a bit in the main area of the Library. It sank through his skin and clung to his bones. With each breath, he huffed out a thin cloud that he could see. It dried his mouth, his eyes, and his skin felt tight and dry as well. Instinctively, he began to shiver and rubbed at his arms as he stepped into a walkway leading to the room.

The walkway was about ten paces, but Jake could see a decent amount of the far side of the room. There were no shelves in the center of it, just an open square with the shelves lining the walls. Dozens of books were organized from the floor to the ceiling. However, Jake did notice that with each step he took, his vision became unfocused and a distortion emerged within the room.

“Back.” A whisper leaked out of the room and into his ears. Like a hiss, it scratched at his eardrums. The voice came from his direct front, where the distortion hovered, but there was nothing there. Jake swallowed, hard, and gripped his hands into fists. He had reached the midway point of the hall, but he could feel that he wasn’t alone anymore. He took another step forward and a shadow emerged from the distortion. A thin fog began to fill the room and the black figure hovered within it, obscured by the thick grey. The figure stood at the opposite side of the room, glaring at him with a pair of bright red eyes.

Jake took another step, and the shadow hovered a few paces forward. It matched him.

“Y-Yir brought me here. She said that I was allowed inside,” Jake said aloud, staring at the phantom. It didn’t respond and only glared at him. Jake felt goosebumps all over his body as the Phantom loomed ahead of him, unmoving. Fearful but stubborn, Jake took a few more steps forward until he was right in the entrance to the room itself. The Phantom moved forward as well, matching the boy's stride until it was finally right in front of him. Jake stood in the entryway, his vision beyond the Phantom clouded by the dense fog. He couldn’t see the shelves anymore. Jake let out a breath, the cloud of his breath adding to his blindness.

“What you seek, is not here.” The phantom hissed, its voice a violent whisper. Jake shivered from the chill of its voice and he didn’t quite feel right about looking at it. It certainly didn’t look like it minded him either, as Jake could sense danger in its presence.

It was a Guardian, but nothing like Chul. It was simply the protector of the room.

“Necromancy. Is it here?” Jake asked. If Yir had brought him here, part of her goal might have been to teach him about it. And why she hadn’t come with him was likely because of this thing. The Phantom didn’t answer at first, floating there with glowering eyes. But then, it lowered down and put its face even with Jake’s.

“Why do you seek such knowledge?” The Phantom asked. Jake huffed as he felt a sharp chill cause his spine to stiffen. However, in his fear and staring, he noticed the Phantom was slightly translucent. Jake’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward. He phased through the body of the phantom and, realizing that, strolled straight into the room. The fog didn’t clear, however, and Jake’s sixth sense told him he might have made a mistake.

He only made it a few steps before his feet were suddenly bound to the floor. The entryway sealed shut with a violent thud, and Jake found himself unable to move. The Phantom moved away from the entrance and repositioned itself in Jake’s face, once again. Shivering and a bit scared, Jake stared into the beady red eyes of the creature. It let out a long, low hiss, and then rose back upright.

“Why do you seek such knowledge?” It asked again. Jake felt the bindings on his body loosen just a bit- enough so that he could speak.

“As a mage, why would I not want to learn more about magic? You being here has only made me more curious,” Jake chuckled, attempting to buy himself a bit of time as he considered how to get out of his situation. There was something binding him in place. His feet weren’t physically bound, but another type of magic was holding him still. It felt gross. If he wanted to dispel it, he would have to be creative.

“You are Young. This place is not for you.” The Phantom hissed and Jake felt his body growing weightless- as if he was about to be picked up. His eyes narrowed and he dumped mana into his feet. He softened the ground and then pulled it up around his legs, binding himself with Rock Magic to the floor. The weightless feeling stopped building.

“Youth has nothing to do with what I am allowed to learn. Yir brought me here, so who are you to get in my way of her mentorship?” Jake raised his left hand and created four Wind Balls at his fingertips. “Even if you throw me out, at this point, I’ll just come right back in.”

The Phantom floated there in silence for a few moments, staring at Jake and his spells. Jake breathed slowly, steadily, trying to keep himself calm. However, he could feel the chill starting to seep into his bones. His toes were beginning to go numb and his fingertips stung a bit. He would need to get warm, soon, or he would lose control of his shivering. The Phantom obviously was unaffected and likely was the one causing the change in the atmosphere. So all it needed to do was sit there until Jake either died or fell over. Even if Jake threw some spells it likely wouldn’t work- it didn’t have a physical body. Not only that, if it was strong enough to bind him and trap him, it would probably just bat away anything Jake could possibly conjure up.

However, Jake didn’t flinch. His desire to continue to grow wouldn’t be stopped just because of some ghost. Yir’s questions had led Jake to believe there was something to Dark magic. There was a potential for him to grow stronger by knowing it. While he wasn’t quite interested in becoming a criminal, knowing at least how such spells worked could keep him from falling for the tricks in the long run. The knowledge of how Dark magic could be used against him would help him learn how to protect himself. Poisons and the like would certainly be ugly things to handle and there were probably a lot of different ways to utilize those kinds of spells. Would he personally ever use such underhanded methods? For now, he wanted to believe he never would. If Jake wanted to become a gallant mage, known for fantastic feats, and if he wanted to make Chul proud of him- Dark magic wouldn’t be a good choice of magic to use in his adventures.

But, before all that, he would have to ‘earn’ that knowledge. It seemed that Yir’s warning had some teeth to it. Knowing that, and not wanting to freeze, Jake opened his right hand and conjured up a mess of fire balls. The heat pushed away some of the fog and warmed Jake’s hand, but the chill in the air made the flames weak. They weren’t any stronger than candle lights.

The Phantom looked over at the flames, at the wind balls, and then down at Jake’s feet. It let out a low growl as its eyes locked with Jake’s. The creature loomed over him, likely deciding how to deal with him. Ultimately, the fog began to disperse. The Phantom slid backward across the floor and Jake felt the aggression in its eyes fade. It stopped a few paces off and became still.

“Necromancy is the Magic of the Dead, the Undead, and the Dying.” The Phantom spoke slowly, without moving, and without blinking. Jake’s jaw tensed up at the description and he felt eerily put off by that kind of magic. Just hearing that brief description gave him some nasty images in his head.

“The spells require sacrifices to be cast. Whether it be blood, flesh, or self. It is unkind to the caster and the one cast upon. Seeking such knowledge will only result in pain and loss. There is nothing to be gained by learning it.” The Phantom floated over to a shelf and plucked a book from the row of spines. Its bindings were black and gold. The text was in an unknown language.

Jake canceled out his spells and lowered his arms. The Phantom returned to the center of the room and Jake discovered that it wasn’t holding the book. The book simply floated there where the Phantom’s hand should have been. He should have expected as much.

“Can you read this text?” The Phantom asked. Jake stared at the letters on the cover and then grabbed the book from the extended, transparent hands. He flipped to a random page. On it, there were numerous symbols and pictures, examples of runes and sigils. The text was illegible. He couldn’t understand any of it.

“... No.” Jake frowned and closed the book. He gripped it tightly and stared at the cover. “But I want to… What language is it?” He asked, looking up at the Phantom. It lingered there, unanswering for a moment. As if deciding how much information it should give.

“Seraphym,” it said finally.

“Seraphym? But they… Aren’t they servants of the gods?”

“Quite, but it was the Seraphym who also disobeyed the Gods.” The Phantom reached out and another book was pulled from a shelf. The book floated across the room and into Jake’s hands. The magic was similar to Yir’s. ‘Fall of the Angels’, was the title.

“The Seraphym are an Angelic Race. They lived above the Overworld and alongside the Gods. Their world was paradise, but some were curious. After millions of years of living above the Overworld, they sought more. They sought out the treasures of the Overworld. Thus, they descended from their Paradise and made bastions in the mountains. However, once they left the God’s World, they lost their immortality. Those that descended aged and began to die. Those left behind sought out ways to extend their life spans and many looked to magic to bring back their loved ones. These Seraphym were exiled, banished from the mountains and from their paradise.”

Jake flipped through the book as the Phantom spoke, and the details inside the pages were the same. The Phantom left a lot of details out, and a lot of bloodshed, but the outcome was a split within the Seraphym race. The groups who sought out Dark Magic began to question the Gods and a war started in the upper realm. The Gods got involved in the fighting and a few were killed by the rebelling Seraphym. Seeing this, the remaining Gods used sealing spells to banish the rebels out of their realm and bound them to the Overworld. These fallen Seraphym were renamed and given the name ‘Myr’.

Without the divine protection of the gods, the Myr lost their immortality, lost their connection to the Light, and were forced to adopt Dark magics to sustain themselves. Their bodies became cursed, their minds broken and withered, and they became a dangerous Race that occupied the northern wastelands. After a thousand years, the Myr established themselves at the head of the Demon Race and they became very powerful Monster Tamers. They declared war on the Seraphym and once more attempted to battle the Gods.

This time, they were squashed, but not without killing a few more deities and nearly wiping out the Seraphym. The strength the Myr acquired on the Overworld surprised the Gods, and it acted as a wake-up call. Plague and Curses ran rampant within the Seraphym’s paradise for hundreds of years, unable to be cleansed due to the sheer strength of the afflictions. The Myr’s hatred for the Upper Realm was a frightening thing. It wasn’t until a new evolution of Deities came to life that the curses could be dealt with. These new Gods brought the fight to the Overworld and beat the Myr back into the furthest reaches of the northern wastes before sealing them there. The Demons were allowed to roam free, as were the Monsters freed from the Myr’s spells, but they were warned to never seek out the power of the Myr again.

Necromancy was the magic born from ignoring that warning. It wasn’t as powerful as the Myr’s dark magic, but the basics were similar. At the expense of the user, a sacrifice, or the opponent- magic could be cast to restore or hinder life. Any number of blights could be cast onto an opponent, and these curses ranged in strength from simple chills and illnesses to attacks on one’s mental state and even damage to internal organs. Necromancy was truly a dangerous category of magic…

But what drew Jake’s attention the most was the fact that he could defy Death. There were several mentions of the Myr attempting to extend their own lifespans and attempts to restore life to those that had passed. Was there a way to bring back the dead?

“Phantom. Is there a spell to bring the dead back to life?” Jake closed the book and looked up at the black figure. The Phantom nodded briefly. The gesture was subtle.

“If you wish to learn that answer, then you must learn the language of the Seraphym. Only then will you acquire the knowledge within these walls. I am simply its caretaker.” The Phantom dodged the question and waved its hand. The black wall locking Jake inside the room vanished, and the weightless feeling in his stomach vanished. The temperature of the room even stabilized.

“This room is open to you, boy. That which is inside is dangerous and many will call you an outcast for learning it, but your destiny is your own to choose. You have been warned.” The Phantom pulled away to the back of the room. As it did, its body became more transparent until it vanished entirely. Jake was left all alone with the books.

He swallowed a lump in his throat and looked down at the two books in his hands. He could feel their weight, and he could practically feel that maybe this wasn’t quite the best of ideas. Yir had alluded that Dark magic wasn’t exactly the best of things to use, or to learn. The appearance of the Phantom only made Jake even more uneasy about going further. Two Guardian-level entities were warning him about the knowledge at his fingertips, and it was on Jake to decide how he wanted to proceed.

As he stared at the books, he felt a small whisper in the back of his mind. The whisper that told him Chul could be resurrected. He had told Yir that he wouldn’t do such a thing, but that was when the question was hypothetical- an imaginary question with no possibility of it happening. However, it seemed that was not the case. She had asked him the question to see whether or not he would use the magic once introduced to it, basing off the assumption that he wouldn’t change his mind.

But now… Now he wondered. Even if for a little, was there an option for him to bring back Chul for a little bit? Maybe just to say goodbye? To apologize for being so useless? The Myr sounded strong. From the story, the Myr had been powerful enough to challenge the Gods themselves. And within the walls of the room, such power was available to be learned. While Jake didn’t particularly find any merit in biting the hand which had given him strength in the first place, what harm was there in at least learning about it? So long as Jake never used the magic, he thought it would be okay to read it at least. And as he thought prior- knowing the Dark magic spells would help him in protecting himself against them.

If he learned Necromancy, he would be able to recognize its usage if he ever came across it. Within the books, he would likely learn its strength, how it worked, and its weaknesses. Being able to counter magic which could defeat Gods would come in handy if he ever found himself confronting a trained opponent in the magic. Would it change the outcome if he did? Likely not, but it would give him a chance.

With that in mind, Jake returned the books the Phantom had given him to their respective shelves. He could not read them yet, but it was time to make that an option.

“Seraphym it is.” Jake made his way to the exit and stopped just in front of it. He gave the dark, depressing walls another look, letting his mind take in the weight of his decision, and then he left the room.

He sought out the books on Light Magic but didn’t find anything to help him learn Seraphym. He checked the rest of the floor, his eyes scouring the array of books for something useful. Not finding anything, he went down to the fifth floor to check. There, Jake struck gold. He found a dictionary, an introductory book to the ‘Angel’ language, and also a spellbook written in Seraphym. He carried the three to the lower levels and tried to find other books that might help him. There were a few which focused on Seraphym symbols, but he only took one of those. He also grabbed another pair of books, one written in Seraphym and a translated version of that same book. He figured he could place them side-by-side and use the translated book to help him read the Seraphym book.

Comfortable with his choices, Jake trotted back down to the second floor and then secluded himself into his practice room to begin his studies.

At first glance, the Seraphym language consisted of a lot of broken words and symbols. Writing in Seraphym was more like drawing because of how it was stylized and there was no alphabet. Only sounds and glyphs. However, this limited their written vocabulary and made reading very easy. Each picture meant only one thing, but in combination, it would mean only one other specific thing. The combinations varied but were predictable and simple. There was nothing complex about the written language.

Speaking it, however, was the problem. The grammar was broken and flipped. There were no particles and no genders. Speaking it almost sounded childish from how straightforward the language was. Yet, the words weren’t easy to pronounce and context was important. With no gender identifier and limited vocabulary, one word sometimes could mean two or three different things. There was no past or future tense, likely due to the lack of need for time management amongst the immortal beings. And even more annoying- some words did not have a translation. They were specific and unique to the Seraphym language. Which should have been expected.

They lived among Gods, after all.

Jake sat there and glazed over the books, but learning a new language was harder than he expected. It was one thing to recognize things, but it was another thing entirely to find the patterns, to find out what things meant, and to make it all stick. If he was going to learn Seraphym, then he needed to find someone who either could teach it to him or could teach him how to learn it.

And he knew just the person.

“...YIR!” Jake shouted as he stood up. He ran out of the study room and looked skyward for the fairy. Unlike before when he’d come to the Library, this time she wasn’t anywhere in sight, but he would risk another zap to the nose if it meant getting some help.

“Yir!” He yelled again, his voice echoing through the Library as he shouted. He hoped no one else was around. He didn’t want to disturb anybody.

The shock came as expected, lighting his nose on fire as he was struck by the spell. It knocked him backward, again, and partially numbed the area where it struck. Yir was just behind it, though, and Jake greeted the fairy with a smirk.

“What have I told you ab-... What’s with the weird smile?” Yir kept her distance from Jake, likely put off by his excited expression. Especially since the last time she saw him, she’d dropped him off in probably one of the worst places to put a child.

“Do you know where Seria is? I want her help with learning Seraphym.” After how much she had tried to verbally steer him away from Dark magic and warn him about its dangers, he doubted she would be happy to hear of him wanting to learn the language.

“You understand what you’re asking, right?” Yir asked as if to confirm what Jake wanted. Learning Seraphym meant unlocking Dark magic for his studies and research. It meant that he could learn, cast, and utilize the spells. That room would no longer become just a bunch of shelves full of random books he couldn’t read. Jake would become a Mage capable of unleashing the dangers safeguarded within those books-if he chose to.

“Yes, I do.” He affirmed his decision and clenched his teeth after his response. He expected a bit of pushback or more questioning, but Yir just stared at him. She floated there, silent, and eyed him warily for a few moments. Then, without saying anything, she turned and flew down into the Library’s entryway. Jake’s hands curled into fists again and he released the tension in his jaw. He waited patiently for only a few ragged, uneasy breathes before Yir emerged from the entrance area. She flew back up to him and shook her head.

“Sorry, Jake. It doesn’t look like she’s able to come,” Yir said. Jake sighed and frowned. However, he wasn’t completely defeated. Seria was the easy route to learning the language. Without her, he would have to do it by himself.

“Okay, thank you Yir.” Jake gave his mentor a smile before turning towards the study.

“Jake,” Yir called to him. He paused and looked at her. “Please be careful. Dark magic isn’t something to play with.”

“I will. I promise,” he said as smiled at her again. When she flashed him a strained smile herself, Jake understood how much trust she was weighing on that promise of his.

As he turned away from her again, Jake felt his consciousness become light. His vision blurred and he stumbled a bit. Yir called to him, but her voice sounded distant as he caught himself. The boy righted his body and blinked a few times, recovering from the wave of disorientation that had washed over him. A question suddenly popped into his mind, one that reminded him that he hadn’t come here willingly.

“Yir, is it possible to come to the Library in your sleep?” He blinked a few more times, the action helping him return to a more stable state of mind. His vision eventually righted itself and the tense feeling in his stomach faded away.

“It is. It sometimes happens by accident, but some magicians create reactive spells that trigger when they go to sleep, which sends them to the Library while their body rests. You can’t use the full strength of your magic when your body is asleep and calling on too much mana will actually cause you to wake up, ripping you from the Library. But, it’s a way some magicians maximize their time here. When their body is fully rested, they begin to feel sleepy on this side and that’s usually the sign that it’s time to leave.”

With Yir’s explanation, it made sense as to why he was here now and it explained his dizzy spell. Yae likely had been using some form of magic to help him sleep. That magic might have caused his own to react, and in turn, may have accidentally triggered his connection to the Library since the actions of falling asleep and coming here were similar. Or, in his lazy state, he lost a bit of control and something might have accidentally triggered the spell. Now here he was. Either way, it was a convenient turn of events. If he could create a spell to send him here whenever he slept, that would definitely be helpful.

“Thanks, Yir.” He gave her another brief smile before hurrying back to the study. He was likely short on time now, so he would have to make the most of it. The only issue? He had a lot to do.

Returning to the multiple books reminded him of the pain he was about to indulge in-the pain of learning a whole new language. He didn’t want to study a dictionary to do that, so instead he picked up the book pairing he had nabbed up. One was written in his language, and the other in Seraphym. He would start his little journey by first reading these two to try and make himself comfortable or at least familiar with the language. The next step would be to identify the common words, and then slowly expand outwards from there.

The foundations in anything were important, but he already didn’t like the amount of effort learning these was going to take.