******

I didn't have time to thank Seeker Magdalena for allowing me to perform the ritual. Elise dragged me away from the courtyard almost immediately after I returned to the physical world. As per usual, my protests fell deaf on her ears, and only when she threw me into the music room did she finally seem to pay attention to me.

"What is your Affinity?" she demanded.

I carefully sat down on a stool to dull the ache in my bad leg. I didn't take my eyes off her. She looked excited—worried. I couldn't tell which was which. Would there be any consequences if I told her anything but the truth? In the end, I decided not to risk it. Who knew what spells Elise could cast on me while I was caught off guard? Hadn't Josef said that Magi didn't need truthteller potions? "Mind control," I said quietly.

All the colour immediately leeched from her face. "No—of course, I should have expected it. But why you?"

Something in her voice made my heart break. Was she using any magic? No, even our influence over others' emotions had their limits.

Elise was afraid.

"Is there something wrong with my Affinity?" I proceeded cautiously. She looked like a spooked cat which just had its tail stepped on.

"Yes, there is." Her eyes blazed. Don't you understand? Your power is just like the Pied Piper's."

So I wasn't the only one who thought of that. "Is it dangerous?"

"The ability itself is not dangerous. It's what others might perceive of you that's dangerous. Klaudia, just in case you don't know, mind control is an extremely rare Affinity. The last recorded wielder was Lord Adolf Weilsterhein, last lord of the Erstürnach province, which is now considered barren. And that was over two hundred years ago."

Erstürnach. That didn't sound remotely familiar. I didn't need to convey my question through words—my blank expression did just that. Elise heaved a sigh. "Of course you wouldn't have heard of it. Most have forgotten the city by now," she explained. "It was a place of glory in its era. Even more so than Heidelberg today. No one knows what caused its collapse."

"How did you come to know of it?"

A superior grin lit up her face. "Basic history of our lands, Klaudia. If you went to the library more often, pluck a random book out of the shelves, chances are seven in ten of non-fiction works are theories on why Erstürnach had fallen."

"How did it fall, exactly?"

The grin dropped and gave way to something more serious. "As I said, no one knows the exact cause. What we do know is that its Fountain was stripped of magic. With that, all of its sorcerers were useless. It was a magically powerful province, so the people had relied on their Fountain far too much. After that, it was no wonder that the city was so easily consumed by monsters."

"Didn't anyone survive?" It was hard to believe that a city as strong as Heidelburg could just get...obliterated.

"Of course there were. It would be a failure on part of the king if he hadn't managed to salvage something from Erstürnach." Her eyes took on a distant, faraway look. "The Council hadn't existed back then—all power was in the hands of the monarchy."

"Didn't the survivors know anything about what had happened to the Fountain?"

"Unfortunately, no. The first people to die were the sorcerers. Probably because they were so used to having their magic that they just became...addicted to it. The survivors were only regular folk. They couldn't know of anything to do with magic."

An image appeared in my head: a fortress nestled in between mountains, formidable and impenetrable. The very heart of the country, where magic once thrived and sorcerers were worshipped like saints. Then it all crumbled into dust. All that was left were ruins.

A shudder ran down my spine. Just imagining a city as powerful as Heidelberg being reduced to rubble was frightening enough.

"Do the remnants of Erstürnach still exist?" I asked.

"Oh, they do. In fact, Starkfurt is situated nearby it. A choice of the Council to remind us of our past failings when we trusted the monarchy too much, I suppose."

The headquarters of the Council was located near a fallen city. I couldn't read maps, so I wouldn't know. "This happened before the plague actually hit?"

"Indeed. As I've said before, no one knows why. There are speculations that it was a forewarning from the saints of what was to come," said Elise. These were all very interesting nuggets of information. I stored them away in my memory.

"So what is the point of telling me all of this?" I resumed.

"I got side-tracked," Elise admitted reluctantly. "However, my point is that your Affinity will attract unwanted attention, Klaudia."

"What do you suggest I do?"

She gave me a long, hard look. "Don't tell anyone of your Affinity."

I stared back. "Then how will I explain everything to Mar—Lord Himmel?" I squawked. "Surely he wants an answer from me. Do I say that I failed the test?"

"No." She paused, tapping a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "You say that your Affinity is nullifying."

"Nullifying. Like his?"

"That is the case."

I considered her words carefully. "Can I trust you?"

"Can you think of anyone else more trustworthy around here?"

Markus. Josef, I thought but didn't say. Instead, I kept silent, fixing a placid gaze on her.

Elise let loose an exhale. "Look, it's only temporary. Until we make sure that it's safe for you to reveal your Affinity. And whatever you do, make sure you always, always heed Lord Himmel's orders, no matter how absurd they seem."

What kind of a ridiculous request was that? What games were everyone playing with me? I ground my teeth in irritation. I wanted no part in their politics. I only wanted a better life—a future which didn't look so bleak. Now I wondered if I had made the right choice in coming to Heidelberg. I could hardly trust anyone here. Back in Hamelin, at least I had Papa Gunter. At least I knew the townsfolk hated me.

But I was already caught up in their webs. I had no choice but to play on. If I wanted to survive here, I had to adapt. Just like how I'd always escaped the attentions of the thugs. Except this time, I couldn't hide. No, I had to come out in the open, play my cards right, and pray to all the saints that I didn't slip up.

"All right," I agreed, "I'll do as you say."

"Good girl. Keep your senses sharp at all times, Klaudia. And never go around without your Medium. You were careless just now. I could've just stolen it or broken it while you were bathing."

I flushed in embarrassment. "I take good care of my flute!" I protested indignantly.

"You do. But not enough." She walked towards the door. "Get some rest. It's late. Lessons will resume as usual tomorrow."

Elise left me to my own devices.

******

Just after dinner, a messenger had come to me. I'd been dining alone. Markus hadn't been joining me at the table lately.

The boy told me to go to Markus' office once I'd finished my meal. Naturally, I complied. So now I found myself curled up on one of the couches, book in hand. He wasn't here yet, and I made myself comfortable. I hoped that he wouldn't mind me skimming through one of his numerous books. I wasn't much for reading, but the illustrations within the pages were fascinating.

"Klaudia, there you are." My heart give a queer, quick beat. I snapped me eyes up to meet Markus' smile. There was an aura of tangible excitement around him.

"Markus." I set the book aside and stood up. He took my hands in his; I didn't try to pull them away.

"You survived Saint Bromilde's test!" he exclaimed, as if he had just known about this. "Tell me, how did she strike you?"

"Surprisingly sarcastic for a saint," I said before I could stop myself. Fortunately, Markus didn't seem offended at my crass remark of Heidelberg's guardian. He chuckled instead.

"Oh yes, she can be quite prickly when she wants to, especially if a young sorcerer is sent to her." A grin practically split his face into two. "But she's been sustaining Heidelberg for centuries now and she'll only grow stronger with time. So, did she give you your Affinity?"

I bobbed my head. "Nullifying." The lie rolled off my tongue so easily. It felt somewhat disturbing. I forced myself to breathe normally.

His eyes widened—in surprise or confusion, I couldn't tell. "Well well, it isn't every day that you meet someone with the exact same Affinity as you have," he remarked. "No wonder too..."

"No wonder what?"

The light in his eyes dimmed. "Nothing. Just a sudden thought. What did she take from you?" he diverted the topic easily.

"The memories of my first six years," I replied.

"You gave her your memories?" His jaw slacked open. "But—aren't you—why—"

"It's all right," I soothed him. This was the first time I'd seen him so agitated. "They belonged to another lifetime anyway."

He closed his eyes, grieving in my place. "Still, they were memories. Oh Klaudia, I wish that I could recover them for you somehow. I swear—"

"It's all right," I repeated gently.

He released my hands from his grip, only to cup my face and draw me in. Our breaths mingled, and our noses nearly bumped against each other's. He smelt of magic and lightning and thunder. I flushed underneath his touch. I didn't slap him away. My body was frozen with both fear and desire. I wanted to pull him closer, yet instinct told me to run away, that he would soon take advantage of my confusion and start to beat me.

After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled away first. "I should let you get some rest. It has been a tiring week."

"Of course, Markus." I took a step backwards and curtsied. It was a tiring week. The fact that Elise had drilled me so hard this morning didn't help matters. It was as though she had been trying to make up for the lost lessons. Without turning back, I fled the room.

My cheeks were hot and cold at once. Hot from where Markus' hands had been, cold from when he took them away. Even my usual stagger didn't disguise my dizziness; a few maidservants came scurrying up to me, asking if I was all right. I barely managed to shake them off, and even then I felt their doubtful gazes pinned onto my back.

It must have been quite a few minutes before I returned to my senses. I whipped my head around, trying to determine which wing of the castle I was in. It looked vaguely familiar. But then again, the wings were similar, all vaulted ceilings and carpeted floors. With an irritated huff, I conceded that I was lost. I set about searching for any castle dwellers, and made up my mind to walk around more often and familiarise myself with my surroundings.

"Josef, my apologies for approaching you at this hour, but I hope you can understand a lord's sudden fancies," a familiar voice floated down the hallway.

"Of course not, milord. Please," replied his companion.

Markus and Josef. Curiosity swelled in me. As softly as possible, I wove an illusion around me, helping me blend into the shadows. Despite the fact that Saint Bromilde had claimed that my Affinity was mind control, I still had a natural talent for illusions. Probably stemmed from my years of striving to make myself as small as possible in Hamelin, Elise had said.

Hopefully Markus wasn't skilled enough to see through it. Hopefully.

I crept towards the direction of their voices, sticking to the wall and the darkness. Steinliohts whispered in the hallway; wind whistled in through an open window. The hallway was eerily abandoned at this time. Could it be that Markus had cast a subtle ward when he decided to swing by Josef's room, and I had somehow slipped through it?

Soon enough, I spotted two silhouetted figures in the distance. If not for the whole fishiness of the atmosphere, I might not have spared a glance at them. In fact, they looked like two friends chatting amiably. However, as far as I knew, Markus was a lord, and lords didn't mingle with common Tinkers if they could help it. I hurried towards them, tuning my ears to their conversation. The words were clear and sharp in the night.

"What in the saints' name am I doing? Come in, milord." Josef stepped aside to give way to the smaller man. Markus, holding himself like a lord, strode into the room. I dashed after him, flashes of pain screaming up my bad leg as I tried to remain stealthy.

I barely slipped through the door when Josef banged it shut. I took great care to keep a distance away from them, lest they accidentally bumped into me.

From a corner in the room, I observed Josef sweeping a large homespun rug aside with his feet. A trapdoor lay beneath it. Grunting under his breath, he heaved it open. A staircase was revealed, extending downwards and eventually being consumed by darkness.

"Liohtia," breathed Markus, pulling out several steinliohts out of thin air. Without any hesitation, he descended the stairs, Josef right at his heels. Once certain that they had disappeared into whatever was below, I sneaked out of my hiding spot and trailed after them. The steps were steeply cut and slippery with moss, and I had plenty of near trips and tumbles. The air was thick with secrets; the silence was deafening.

Down down down. The darkness never seemed to end, like the great maw of a lycanthrope, ready to swallow me whole. I wanted to summon a steinlioht so badly.

Just when I was ready to give in to the protests of my bad leg, faint light flickered from below. Relief flooded my limbs, and a new surge of energy rose in me. When I reached the bottom, Markus and Josef were already in the hidden chambers. The former paced deliberately around the area, a mountain cat locked onto its prey.

I almost fainted at the sight.

Bodies—bodies were everywhere. All contained in golden-silver chrysalises of some sort. They lined the walls, erected in rows of multiple circles. The features of those who were trapped within them varied, some young, mostly old. What I noticed is that the youngest-looking of them all—a boy of perhaps thirteen years—was towards the centre of the area, while the oldest—a shrivelled husk with uneven skin tones—was in the farthest corner.

The place reeked of magic. And not just any magic: Fountain magic. I recognised Saint Bromilde's power.

The blood drained from my head. My knees went weak, and my foot skidded across the floor, scratching against the surface. The sound resembled a screeching rat. Markus and Josef immediately focused their eyes upon where I was. I stayed very still, not daring to breathe, watching for the slightest signs that they had seen through my illusion and were going to come after me.

"Just vermin, milord," Josef decided, turning his back on me. "Plenty down here."

"Will they affect the magic?" There was alarm in Markus' voice.

"If they had been affecting the magic for the past five years, it certainly doesn't show, milord."

"I see. How silly of me."

"Your concerns are understandable, milord. This is powerful magic we're tampering with, and certain unseen circumstances may cause disturbances."

"So long as they don't disturb the children." Markus walked over to the chrysalis containing the shrivelled husk. "This one had served me well, but I'm afraid he won't be of much use any longer. See to it that he's appropriately removed."

"Yes, milord," Josef said in monotone. Then he added, "Should I search the library for references? It's my first time actually destroying one of...them in the years I've been in service."

Markus lay his palm across the chrysalis's surface, as though he wanted to reach in and stroke the husk's cheeks. I suppressed a shiver at the sight. Those eyes were blank, unseeing—empty voids deprived of life. Yet I could feel the trapped soul inside screaming, as if it were writhing to free itself. The longer I stared at it, the stronger the sensation. In fact, I felt as though I were the husk itself, crying and shrieking and begging for help, but no one came. Bile coated my tongue; I looked away from it.

"Just remember to kill it before you burn it," said Markus. The ruthlessness of the order was disguised from the ridiculous casualness of his tone.

"Aye, milord."

I couldn't bear to be in this wretched room any longer. My legs wobblier than usual, I stumbled up the steps, not bothering if my footsteps echoed clumsily. No one pursued me.

I had to give more credit to my legs, for they automatically guided me back to my room when my mind went foggy. Everything was a blur. By the time I actually came to my senses, I was sprawled across my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

The revelation of Markus' identity screamed in my head over and over, a relentless chanting I couldn't get rid of despite the tunes I hummed to myself. In the end, I gave up, and allowed myself to drown in the chant.

Markus was the Pied Piper.

******