Chapter 15

  Every breath, every heartbeat, every drop of sweat from millions of creatures echoes a single primal life. A thread unbroken, though buried beneath the mud of mutation, swept away by the current of natural selection. Yet it endures—silent, slumbering there.

  This idea is the call of earth, water, wind, and fire, forging the flesh of all beings into a mysterious kinship. Human, beast, or forgotten blade of grass—we are heirs of the same life nature sculpted.

  This truth isn’t mere knowledge; it’s a cosmic decree.

  You were not born alone.

  You are never separate from the rest.

  In every hidden gene lies a whisper from a distant past, saying, “You are us, and we are you.”

  In the moment this understanding stirs the soul, the heart trembles—not from fear, but from touching the mystic force of an unbreakable bond.

  A force of nature too vast for humans to fathom.

  Darwin C.

  Year 7444, Luminus Calendar.

  The sound of footsteps echoed up the spiral staircase of the Magical Engineering Department at dusk.

  Though it should’ve been deserted, the lab building buzzed with scholarship students darting about, as if the world were ending.

  And it might as well be.

  Next week, they had to submit progress reports to the professors.

  “Mr. Fury, I’m heading back to the dorm. See you tomorrow.”

  Nora left, leaving him alone.

  “Guess I can just walk in…”

  Dan pushed the door open, and the chaos inside spilled out.

  Fury heard the rumble of massive iron machines shaking the floor, the crash of chemical glass vials shattering, the acrid stench of chemicals, and coughing shouts to dim the lights for experiments.

  This place was a madhouse.

  So chaotic, no one noticed Dan. Understandable—they were fighting for their own survival.

  Dan slipped along the wall and spotted her.

  A lone female student, completely out of place. Tall, sweet, his former flame… Zeedee Lamb.

  Unlike the others scrambling, Zeedee… stared blankly into space, like a clueless child.

  “?”

  A twitch of her eye, and Zeedee sensed Dan’s presence. Her brain snapped out of its coffee break, and she straightened up.

  The prince sidled into her zone, pulled a spare chair beside her, and sat.

  “Zeedee.”

  “…”

  “Zeedee.”

  “What?”

  Dan blinked, caught off guard by her flat, indifferent tone. If she wasn’t drugged, this was execution-worthy for speaking to royalty like that.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “What’s wrong with you?!”

  “Nothing.”

  “…”

  “If you’ve got nothing, get lost. I’m busy.”

  “But you’re not doing anything…”

  “I said I’m busy!!!”

  << There it is. See? >>

  << No way… the rumor about their fight must be true. >>

  Dan whipped his head toward a corner table, catching students averting their eyes. The rumors had spiraled again—now claiming Dan was fighting with his girlfriend. This was getting ridiculous. He wanted to blow this place up.

  “Freya, what’s your deal? Two days of this. If you don’t talk, I’m done. I’m getting pissed.”

  Another side of Prince Fury was emerging. Just a hint of that tone, and Zeedee’s face paled like boiled chicken. Though she tried to hold her ground, it was clear: when His Majesty stopped tolerating nonsense, Zeedee had to lean in.

  “I know you met her at the banquet.”

  “…Oh. Yeah… who told you?”

  “Doesn’t matter!”

  “!”

  Zeedee yanked his collar closer.

  “You lied to me! You ditched me for that hag!”

  “How’d I lie? I didn’t even know Casca would be there!”

  “You didn’t tell me anything!”

  “Do I have to?”

  “You have to tell me!!!”

  Nearby tables glanced over.

  Zeedee looked ready to cry and throw a fit. This was bad—drawing attention, stealing the spotlight. Dan didn’t want that.

  “Wait… we’ll talk about this at home.”

  “Can’t. You’re sleeping alone tonight.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I’m staying here, pulling an all-nighter with everyone.”

  “Why?”

  “If the professors show up and I’m not in the pen, I’m screwed.”

  “Your department’s life is sad.”

  “Don’t change the subject! You’re ditching me for that religious nutcase, aren’t you?!”

  “We’ll talk later… Please, Freya, I came to ask you something.”

  “What, Your Majesty?”

  …

  “Huh?”

  “You heard me. In this room—no, this building—know anyone who understands evolution?”

  “Someone who knows about it…”

  Freya leaned back, staring at the spinning ceiling fan.

  “Dunno… but from what I’ve heard, it’s about studying animals, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then there’s someone upstairs.”

  “Really?!”

  “Not close to them. Doesn’t even seem like a student. Probably a TA, Your Majesty.”

  “Doesn’t matter. That’s more than enough help.”

  He sprang from the chair and left Zeedee’s lab.

  12th Floor

  After climbing a dozen spiral staircases, his legs ached, but it paled against the hope in Prince Fury’s eyes.

  While the lower floors were a cacophony of students scrambling, this floor was quiet, a cool breeze making it feel like another world.

  Dan walked the hall, lined with well-placed animal bones, pickled jars of insects, and snakes.

  “Don’t touch anything, Zeedee.”

  “I know, Your Majesty. I’m not clumsy—”

  Knocks over a jar.

  Grab!

  Dan caught it just in time.

  “…I’ll be careful…”

  The prince shook his head, exasperated.

  At a brown door, he pushed it open.

  Inside was a TA office, buried in papers—student assignments to grade, or their own theses.

  Three or four TA desks lined up, each with a nameplate.

  He scanned the room. No TAs… wait.

  There was one.

  So small he almost missed her.

  She was hunched over, examining a rock sample with some tool, her back to them.

  The prince took the liberty and announced,

  “Hello.”

  “Eek?!”

  Crash!

  The TA girl jolted as if scalded, chair toppling, hair flying, head nearly hitting the floor.

  Okay, clearly a klutz.

  “W-What?! H-Hello?! C-Can I help you?!”

  She stood, hands clasped, hair a mess, voice tiny, body tinier, confidence tiniest.

  Her skin tone matched Nora’s, but differently. Nora’s was the genetic pallor of a frostborn; this girl’s was sickly, like a kid who never left the house.

  Her hair was long, straight, black. Black lipstick—probably a fashion choice. Her standout feature was square black glasses, just adjusted back into place.

  “Hello, Miss TA. I’m Dan, a first-year. This is Zeedee, my friend.”

  “Oh… I-I’m, my name—”

  Dan glanced at the desk’s nameplate…

  Thomasin Mayfield

  “Thomasin, right?”

  “Y-Yes! That’s me! H-How can I help?!”

  Dan pulled Professor Darwin C.’s book from his bag.

  “Does anyone here know about something called evolution?”

  “?!”

  Thomasin’s face lit up with surprise and excitement, as if meeting a kindred spirit.

  “You… you’re interested in evolution?”

  “Hey, he asked, so answer already—Oof!”

  Dan elbowed Zeedee.

  “It’s a new concept… not many study it because people aren’t ready to accept it…”

  She swallowed.

  “My work… it’s about that, too.”

  Dan’s eyes widened.

  “Miss Thomasin, you know about evolution?”

  “Not much, haha… Any questions about it?”

  “…Zeedee.”

  “?”

  “I’ll take it from here.”

  “…Alright, Your Majesty.”

  Cut to later.

  Full-on nightfall.

  Crickets chirped around the dorm’s central area, lit by bright lights.

  Dan sat with TA Thomasin, Professor Darwin C.’s book before them.

  “Miss Thomasin.”

  “Y-Yes?”

  “Explain it to me…”

  Dan’s serious gaze pressured the TA.

  “What’s the idea of evolution, really?”