At his heart’s center, a circle the size of his palm had risen to the surface of his skin. The inky blackness moved with each heartbeat, and tendrils spread across his skin. His throat burned as he grappled at his skin.
What was reality and what was nightmare? The two bled and blended together without any recognition until he didn’t know what to believe anymore.
He swiped his hand across his chest, as if the movement would clear the blackness from his skin. Sweat dripped down his nose and his eyes flicked to the back of the door. Licking his cracked lips, he buttoned up his shirt.
He wouldn’t wait any longer.
Crossing the room, he slipped out, the door closing behind him. The Academy was still, curfew having already passed. A shiver rippled across his skin when he heard the light footfalls of the security patrolling the hallways. Looking to the right, at the end of the hallway, a dull green light caught his eye. It seemed to ooze from the interior of the walls. The corners of his lips turned up in a sly smile, and he took a step toward the light. The light blazed, cutting into his senses.
Weaving deeper into the Academy, Adair followed the light, his blood pounding in exhilaration as he let every other thought go. He had only one purpose, to find this Book of Old and be the undoing of Roque and Nei Fae.
Moving with stealth, Adair slipped into the shadows.
Chapter Fourteen
Brokk
Slipping the worn book into his bag, Brokk tightened the straps on his backpack. Donning his jacket, he asked, “Ready?”
Memphis nodded once. They wore practically matching outfits, which was their training gear. Lightweight and water resistant, the jacket and pants were a matte black material. Perfect to blend in with the night.
Nodding, Brokk took in a deep breathe before slamming his fist into his bedroom wall. Call it paranoia—he didn’t care. In the recent years, he had secretly constructed his way out.
Emory had told him how complex the Academy was, and Brokk had tapped into its hidden passageways. He covered his mouth, muffling his cough as concrete dust floated up to him, his broken bones in his hands healing swiftly.
Before them, a dark spiraling tunnel was splayed before them, diving down into the darkness. Cool air rushed up to meet them, filled with the lingering smell of damp earth and rain.
Raising a pale eyebrow, Memphis appraised him.
Ducking into the tunnel, Brokk’s voice echoed. “You know you can tell me every once in a while that I am right.”
“Oh, is that so?” Memphis quipped.
They started their walk, the dampness and darkness overtaking everything. Slowly, the room faded away, along with the Academy.
Brokk’s fingers trailed the walls, the weathered planks supporting the roof and sides from caving in. It had been a semi-formed tunnel, one that he had spent endless sleepless nights carving out. Working through his frustrations, his fears, his dreams. Holding those feelings close and heavy to his heart for years, Brokk had come to a realization: the men who ran the Academy were controlled by one factor - greed.
Brokk’s voice was absorbed into the density of the tunnel, just barely a whisper, “Have you ever seen the rest of Kiero?”
He could feel Memphis tense behind him. “No. Not since I came here.”
“Do you ever wonder why we are trapped here?”
His footfalls thudded behind him. A beat passed. And then another.
“Sometimes, I wonder if being trapped is an illusion. We could leave any day, but out there, in the world, I think in some aspects of it, we will always be trapped. Trapped in judgements and preconceived ideas of what happens at the Academy. Of who we are. People are afraid of the power we have; some see us as weapons. Cesan has just proven that point by destroying the capital, so the dream of the Academy hosting Kiero’s golden warriors is gone. Fear traps people, and there is no escaping that,” Memphis responded.
Brokk chewed his lower lip. “But that wasn’t our fault,”
“No? If the Academy didn’t exist, where would we be now?”
Brokk snapped, “That sounds like a declaration of someone who is giving up. I’m not saying that the foundation is wrong. I’m saying that it’s up to us to find out exactly what the intentions are now.”
“I’m not giving up,” Memphis said to Brokk’s back.
Smiling softly, Brokk replied, “There’s my stubborn friend.”
Continuing their climb, the moldy tunnel twisted softly and gradually. Brokk shifted his pack, his mind wandering with the possibilities.
“I remember the sea,” Memphis whispered suddenly.
Brokk stumbled but didn’t say anything. They didn’t talk about their past much.
“I remember the smell and the salt crusting on my skin. How the waves looked during a storm. How they looked when the sea was still, like glass. My dad and mom ran a small bakery on the outskirts of our town. I remember walking along the shoreline and thinking that there was nowhere else that I ever wanted to be. Even though I was young, I understood that much.” Memphis paused before continuing, “I feel like every word they threw at me that day is true. That I am a monster. That we are all monsters. That this school is just breeding madness to be a sharpened weapon, and now, it’s unleashed upon the world.”
Brokk stopped, turning to face his friend. “We are not the monsters. Cesan and his beliefs...he is the one proving your parents’ accusations true. But he doesn’t define us.”
Memphis started walking, brushing by him. “What? We’re suddenly the renegades? The dashing underdogs?”
Rolling his eyes, Brokk followed. “No, you prick. We are just utilizing our freewill of investigation. To find out exactly what is worth fighting for now.”
That got a true chuckle from Memphis, and he said, “I hope you’re right about this.”
“That’s the beauty of life, my friend, you will never know until you try, if it’s right or not.”
The ground started to elevate, coming to
