Eydis had learned a harsh truth after her recent "family reunion": her bank account wasn't going to fill itself anytime soon. The solution was unglamorous and distressing: get a job.

The Queen of Shadows, working retail in an apothecary? She shuddered, then winced as the scratchy second-hand blazer pinched at her wrists. She sneezed. Of course.

Allergies.

Back home in Mythshollow, flowers had been more legend than reality. The land had no patience for delicate things, except, inexplicably, lavender. It grew everywhere. Here, flowers weren't delicate blooms, they were enemies.

Indoor work, therefore, was her only option.

With a long, frustrated sigh, Eydis made her way to the library. Desperation, thy name is me, working for minimum wage.

Ms. May, the librarian, was pleasant in the way some older women could be, albeit mildly nosy. She accepted Eydis's résumé with a smile. Birgit had written it, of course. That was the only reason it didn't include phrases like "supreme dominion over creeping shadows" under previous experience.

Not that she'd actually write that…. Probably.

"Looks good, dear. We're shorthanded, so you can start today."

Eydis followed Miss May through each section of the library, where rows upon rows of mahogany bookshelves made up most of the library. The distinct scent of old parchment drifted by, and Eydis felt herself relax at the familiar smell.

Each section was marked by a Dewey Decimal code on the book spines. All she needed was to memorise which numbers aligned with which subjects and their locations. She scanned the labels: History, Fantasy, and…

Arcane? Interesting.

They continued past the central reading area, where some students quietly turned pages, while others typed rapidly at glowing holographic desks. Curious indeed.

Ms. May gestured to a glowing terminal. "Scan, update, shelve. Every three hours, please."

Books, peace, a steady paycheck, and the guarantee that nothing would suddenly traumatise her over breakfast. Paper-based knowledge was still safer than the internet. Let's call that a win. The memory of those cursed waffle images still made her stomach churn. Some things simply couldn't be unseen.

She settled into the routine quickly. During the intermittent free time, she began paging through the ancient texts. The glyphs were foreign, but there was a pattern to them. A logic.

Curious.

A soft cough interrupted her. A boy leaned on the counter, his dark hair falling into ocean-blue eyes. Handsome in an unassuming way, like he hadn't realised it yet.

He offered a lopsided smile and showed her his student ID. "Hey, Eydis, I'd like to check these out."

Eydis scanned the card. Adam Sapphire. "Do I know you?"

"No." He set a short stack of books on the counter. "But you've kind of become a legend around here."

Eydis began checking the books. "Because 'amnesiac girl' is exactly the legacy I was hoping for."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"W-Well, there's more to you than that!"

"Oh? Do enlighten me, Adam."

"I've seen you…" he said, lowering his voice and glancing around. "I know who you really are, Eydis."

She froze. "What do you mean by—"

Her question was interrupted by a tall, pale boy who stepped in beside Adam. He had long green hair and sharp eyes the exact shade of emeralds that probably cost too much.

He didn't bother with an introduction, nor did he pretend to care she was there. "Adam, let's go."

"Almost. One sec, Elias. Later, Eydis?"

Then the two walked off. Eydis's eyes tracked them for a moment before returning to Adam's borrowed history on the screen.

Interesting.

Python? A reptilian language? Worth checking out.

Hours passed, and indeed, it was: scan, shelve, repeat. She sighed and lifted another book onto the cart. The cover caught her eye. Dungeons & Dragons.

Ah, historical accounts of legendary beasts.

She heaved the overloaded cart toward the history shelves, frowning at every book that leaned out of line. When she turned into the aisle, a tall stranger blocked her path.

His face was almost suspiciously symmetrical and his wavy silver hair caught the afternoon light without even trying. His eyes, the same pale silver, watched her with clear amusement.

Eydis reached for her sunglasses. Naturally, they weren't there.

Deciding not to dignify the sparkly unicorn with attention, she turned her attention to the book in her hand: Dungeons and Dragons. The Dewey label definitely didn't belong in this section.

"Miss," the unicorn said cautiously, eyes flicking to her book's cover, "this is the, uh, actual history section."

"Is it? Fascinating."

He chuckled and peered at her name badge. "Unless you secretly run Dungeons & Dragons, this goes under Fantasy."

"Or," she replied, sliding the book back into her cart, "I'm just that committed to proper classification."

"Dedication is appreciated, Miss Eydis."

"Just Eydis will do." She turned to leave. Asking him to call her Your Majesty was, sadly, probably pushing her luck.

Behind her, he called, "Dragons don't hang out with Julius Caesar, you know. You'll find them with unicorns a few shelves down."

"I can agree with that." She tossed her hair over her shoulder without slowing.

He caught up easily, crossing the space in one long stride. Annoying.

"Theo, by the way." He offered a hand. "Also known as the Student Council Vice President."

Theo. As in, Athena's Theo? Just fantastic. This went from mildly annoying to deeply inconvenient.

"Well, Theo." She took his hand briefly. "My thanks for the historical insight. Now, if you'll excuse me."

She left him there, still smiling and irritatingly pleased with himself.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Eydis stretched. Her joints protested again.

This body is a liability.

She packed up her belongings, tucked a tome into her bag, and headed for the door. The moment her fingers brushed the switch, But just as her fingers touched the light switch, the prickle hit.

A cold sensation, an old sensation.

It was almost intimately invasive—the sinuous essence of dark magic, searching, seeking, probing.

She scanned the seemingly empty room, but nothing appeared out of place. With one last glance, she flipped the switch and left the library. Outside, the air was fresh, but shadows lingered on the breeze.

Something was coming.

Fortunately, Eydis had always had a soft spot for surprises.

"TMy apologies for the late visit, Dean Saito," said a man in a finely tailored suit, stepping into the office just before closing.

"Senator Blackwood. Our academy's policies are clear. Expelled students don't return," replied Dean Saito.

"Please, call me Noah," the senator said. "And we both know policies aren't without exceptions."

"The severity of her actions—"

"She's not returning as an Elite." Noah leaned back with an easy smile, hidden behind his neatly-trimmed silver beard. "She's coming back as a Gifted student."

"Gifted? No one awakens at eighteen."

"Not until now." Noah smirked, nodding toward Tiffany. "Go ahead, Tiffany. Show him."

A smug smile played on Tiffany's lips as she raised a hand. A violet mist coiled around her fingers, almost sinously, before shooting toward Saito's porcelain cup.

The cup shattered instantly into dust particles.

Saito flinched. "That power… it feels alive."

Noah Blackwood leaned forward. "Indeed. Now, a proposition, Dean Saito. Either you let Tiffany's power run wild, unchecked… or you accept a generous donation for a new music building, with a powerful returned student as a bonus."

Saito's shoulders tensed. His Genmaicha tea dripped onto the wooden floor like a clock ticking.

Eydis… I'm sorry.

He rose and extended his hand towards the Senator. "Thank you for your...generosity, Senator Blackwood. Tiffany, you may return to the Academy...next week."

Tiffany bit her lip to suppress a grin.

Eydis, how would you feel about this little twist?

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