"Kairu! Kairu!"

  He opened his eyes, squinted, turned away, and threw off the sheet. The sun was shining directly through the window above his head, casting hot, blinding rays right onto his face. He slowly sat up. The room was flooded with light, and in it, specks of dust danced clearly in the air. From beyond the door came the sounds of the estate waking up.

  "I thought they’d forgotten you in Tepei-Kuon." Norton carefully shut the door behind him, ran over, and they hugged. "You sleep like the dead," his brother said with a smile. "Come on, get up if you don’t want to miss the eggs… How are you?"

  "I’m okay," Kairu gave a crooked grin, released his brother’s hand, and studied his face. "Better than I could’ve been… and only thanks to dumb luck and the courage of my friends am I here now and not feeding worms in the Citadel. How about you?"

  "Two months is a long time. Bones heal, wounds close up. Even though I got hit pretty bad, I’ve had worse, to be honest. The trouble is, I forgot how to walk while I was laid up. Now I’m hobbling around slowly, but I still can’t get on a horse, tried three times already. Ashley says we’re leaving soon," he added quietly. "All of us, with everyone from Estogil. And Estogil itself may be destroyed so Saelin doesn’t get his hands on a well-fortified stronghold. Is that true?"

  "I don’t know what their plans are. As for us—we’re leaving as soon as we figure out what to do with the diamond."

  "Alright," Norton muttered. "Then come down. Rita’s waiting too, by the way."

  He got dressed and stepped out onto the staircase. His brother had already gone down, and Kairu followed slowly. When he reached the dining hall, Viggo jumped up and shouted:

  "Long live Kairu Kenai! He finally got that glowing thing and didn’t disgrace the honor of our squad! Three cheers!"

  "Shut up," Yuf said irritably, elbowing him. "My head’s already exploding from your chatter… He can’t hear you anyway."

  Kairu really couldn’t hear him. Rita had stood up to meet him, and he flinched as their eyes met, feeling something shift inside him. In her gaze there was some new, unreadable expression. Kairu couldn’t tell if it was sorrow, mockery, irritation, or something else, or maybe all of it at once. His heart tightened, but he forced himself to smile—and she smiled back. Kairu sat down next to her, leaned close to her ear, and whispered:

  "Everything alright?"

  "I think… yes." Her voice trembled just slightly. "I hope so. But I’d really prefer to stay far away from any more adventures for a while, you know? You did great. Yuf already told us how you stole the Lake."

  "He doesn’t know anything," Kairu muttered. "Whatever, doesn’t matter. Thanks anyway."

  "No—thank you," Rita smirked. "If not for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now."

  "Where’s the diamond?" Kairu turned to Yuf. Ashley was hurriedly setting plates of eggs and sausage on the table. Yuf stood, went to a cupboard, opened it, and took out the diamond. In the daylight, its perfectly smooth surface had dulled, and the palm-sized orb looked dusty and fragile. Yuf placed it in the center of the table.

  "There it is—the root of all our troubles," Roger said quietly in the silence. "Unbelievable. Damn irony. A tiny sphere upon which the might of the Citadel rests."

  "And will continue to rest," Atgard muttered. "The Castle still has plenty of reserves. Saelin’s got enough energy to arm another ten armies, I’m sure of it."

  For a few moments, they all sat in silence, staring at the Lake of Aktida in fascination. Kairu suddenly felt his heart beating faster, goosebumps rising on his skin. It was the first time he truly felt that the Lake of Aktida now belonged to him, and he could do with it as he wished. The diamond lay on the table, its thousands of tiny facets bending and reflecting sunlight, casting bright glimmers on the tablecloth and dishes, and it seemed as if those glimmers were constantly moving, dancing, vanishing, and flaring up again. It was beautiful.

  And yet, the longer Kairu looked at it, the colder and more uneasy he felt. He kept thinking of how many people had already died because of this silent little thing, which could easily fit in a child’s hand. What ancient and powerful magic did it contain? What had Saelin done with it? And how had he managed to use this glowing orb to arm an army capable of conquering nations? And, most importantly: was it created so that blood would be spilled for it, and all that humans had built would be destroyed? Or… could it be used for good?

  All those questions swarmed in his mind and gave him no peace.

  "So what are you going to do now?" Yuf broke the silence, voicing the question that had been hanging in the air for some time.

  Kairu forced his eyes away from the diamond and looked at his friend.

  "I don’t know," he said, sounding lost. "Up to now, we’ve done what Petros told us to, right? By now he was supposed to join us himself and lead us onward… But Petros is dead. All we can do is try to guess what his plan was, if he left any notes or instructions for someone else. Yuf, you were closest to him before he left us. Think, did he mention anything?"

  Yuf furrowed his brow, shook his head.

  "I don’t think so… Mostly we talked about the Cassians. I was loyal to him like a dog, and when we heard about Nubel’s expedition, I didn’t question it. Petros just said that it was very important the diamond ended up in the right hands. Maybe he didn’t even know. Maybe he went back into the past to find the answer to that question?"

  Kairu looked at Ashley.

  "Maybe… maybe we could do what Saelin did? Extract energy from it, turn it into a weapon, win the war. Get rid of Saelin and the pirates, restore peace? And then we figure things out?"

  "It’s not that simple, Kairu…" the sorceress sighed. "Speaking for myself, I don’t know how to do that. What Saelin knows is beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. He’s always been clever, smarter than all of us. I don’t think there’s a single person in all of Aktida right now who could extract energy from the diamond, store it, and use it the way he did. Maybe Nubel could—but he’s dead… If we take the diamond to the Mainor Institute—"

  "They’ll take it from us the second we step through the door," Yuf said darkly. "As long as the Cassians haven’t taken power, we can’t do that. Until we figure out how to use the Lake to our advantage, it’s best not to tell anyone we even have it."

  Kairu nodded.

  "Last night," he said slowly, "Saelin said something very important… What was it? He said he and Petros made a deal. That he was supposed to start the war. And in return, Petros was supposed to give me to Saelin. And he also said Petros killed his son."

  "Hector?" gasped Ashley.

  "That’s a lie!" shouted Rita, turning pale. But Kairu was still looking at Ashley.

  "What do you think, Ashley? Could it be true?"

  "I don’t know…" Ashley spread her hands helplessly. She thought for a moment, trying to recall, then slowly said:

  "That was thirty years ago. Petros in Yuffilis and Rita’s stories, and Petros I remember—they’re two different people. He changed a lot during the years he was in hiding. And honestly… if someone had told me this thirty years ago—I… I might have believed it," she finished with difficulty.

  "Why would he do that?" asked Rita emotionally. "He was always so kind to me… Yuf and I owe him everything, damn it!"

  "He was kind to his friends, but merciless to his enemies," Ashley said dryly. "As I said, I don’t know what happened between them that night in Ardrai. But if Petros suddenly saw Hector Saelin as an enemy—he could have committed murder."

  "And what about the deal?" Kairu asked. "What could Saelin have meant?"

  The others just looked at him, confused. Kairu felt anger rising inside him. He looked at Joanna. "You. You must know."

  Joanna smirked. "Me?" she repeated. "I don’t know. But I have a guess who might answer—if you ask the right question."

  "Who?" asked Kairu, immediately feeling how foolish that sounded. Joanna sighed:

  "The ancient Nocturns."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Petros left behind much more than a few cryptic phrases," said Ashley, and by the focused look in her eyes, it was clear she understood Joanna. "He spent his life studying artifacts from that era. He wrote tons of papers and monographs. He found dozens of preserved scrolls, more than anyone before him. If he knew what to do with the Lake of Aktida, he knew it from the books of the ancient Nocturns."

  Rita gasped.

  "Kairu, the brooch!"

  "What?"

  "The brooch from the box we stole from Garamant. It’s as ancient as the diamond. Maybe they’re connected?"

  Kairu furrowed his brow.

  "But where can we find the sources Petros used?" he asked. "When we were going to Nalvin, he had carts full of books and excavation finds with him… I have no idea what he did with them before he vanished."

  "I don’t know what he read," Ashley said. "But some of his papers, books, and materials from that expedition thirty years ago—I kept them in my library. I took them with me at the time."

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  "Perfect!" Kairu said, excited. "Where else? Did he even have a home of his own?"

  "Dilmar…" Ashley said thoughtfully. "I don’t think he worked there or kept anything. That was his father’s house, and they hated each other. Did he even have a home? Good question, Kairu. I have no idea where he lived when he wasn’t on expeditions. Maybe the Academy of Sciences gave him a flat. But if you ask me where else you could find the sources Petros used—and translations from the language of the ancient Nocturns—it would be in the Temple of Tornir in Vaimar."

  Everyone looked at Demetra and Rodrigo, who were sitting at the table but had so far remained silent.

  "Demetra, is Konrad still alive?" Ashley asked.

  "Of course he is," Demetra replied, surprised. "He’s old, but still strong."

  "Then this may be your chance," said Ashley. "Konrad might be the last living person who knows anything about that expedition. And he worked with Petros’s sources, they planned the route together. You should meet him."

  "I agree," said Kairu eagerly. "We need to meet Konrad. We need to understand what’s in the box Garamant stole from Amalia—I think that might be a clue! But let’s start here. Ashley, if you don’t mind, can I take a look at the library?"

  "Time is short," Viggo noted. "Just a reminder, there’s a war a hundred miles south. If Emerlun’s forces collapse, they’ll be driven toward Estogil."

  "We have a few days," Kairu replied. "Yesterday the battle was at the Citadel gates. Armies don’t retreat that fast. We have to make sure we’re not leaving behind anything important."

  "So be it," Atgard summed up. "Rodrigo, Demetra, Anzerrat—you’re free to go wherever you like, we have no right to stop you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us…"

  "It’s nothing," Demetra smiled, blushing and for some reason looking at Yuf. Rodrigo, as always, remained silent. "But if you’re heading to Vaimar, then our paths align. If you’ll allow us, we’d like to stay a few more days—it would make us feel safer traveling to Vaimar… with such reliable protection."

  "We don’t mind," said Roger. "It’s the law of hospitality. There’s enough space—stay, we’ll be glad to have you."

  "Thank you," Demetra bowed.

  "And I’ll join them," said Anzerrat. "Forgive my persistence, but I don’t want to return to my lonely nest under Asternia. My wife and children are safe in the evacuation. I’m free to go where I wish, and I would’ve gone to the front, if your cause didn’t seem more promising."

  "That’s good then," Kairu grinned, rising. "Ashley, would you be so kind as to show me to the library?"

  ***

  It was perhaps the largest room in the house, spanning several floors, and housing, according to Ashley, several hundred thousand books. No one knew exactly what titles could be found here. The collection had grown over the years Ashley worked at the Institute. Some books were brought by friends, others gifted by colleagues, and some simply taken from the Academy library without even the archmages noticing.

  Shelves of oak and mahogany lined the walls. A screen separated the passage into the archive, where ancient and fragile manuscripts were stored. It would take at least a week to go through all the books here, but luckily, a large writing desk with a card catalog stood in the center of the hall, listing the locations of various thematic sections. Kairu took a deep breath, gazing around in awe, and slowly approached the desk, the echo of his footsteps ringing through the space.

  In the dusty air, a soft twilight reigned, with gentle, dim light pouring through high windows near the ceiling. Echoes murmured faintly from distant corners of the archive. Kairu walked along the shelves, running his fingers across the dusty, worn spines. He wanted to first touch this sacred, mysterious life that the books seemed to live. No sounds from the lower floors reached this far, the library was cloaked in silence.

  He walked around the central hall with its high ceilings and mosaic floor depicting a compass rose, then glanced at the faded fresco on the ceiling. There were still discernible outlines of saints holding books and lifting them up toward the throne of Tornir, the patron of sages and book-lovers. Kairu smirked, recalling a brief lecture on religion given to him long ago by Father Rokorn in the village chapel. Aktos—translated from the ancient Nocturn language as "Solar"—was the god of light, patron of travelers and inventors. Vaimos—"Stellar"—was, accordingly, the god of darkness, patron of warriors and commanders. Then came the three sons of Aktos and the three sons of Vaimos, sculpted from sea sand: patrons of merchants, artisans, politicians, and heaven knows who else. By repeatedly mating with mortal women, they gradually diluted divine blood, resulting in gods of lower and lower ranks, so numerous that even Father Rokorn could not remember them all.

  Kairu had never been interested in those lessons, but now, suddenly and unexpectedly, they surfaced in his mind. He smirked again, marveling at the selectiveness of human memory, returned to the card catalog, found the "Ancient Nocturns" section, and moved along the rows. Hundreds of worn spines stared back at him as he read the titles, trying to understand what he actually hoped to find here.

  "History of Linurad: Major Archaeological Finds in Modern Mainor Territory." "The Campaign of Avertrop and the Conquest of Tinakto." "Engineering Achievements of the Ancient Nocturns during the Era of Kalimper III."

  "The Triangle can’t be complete without you. Lake Aktida, the Star of Vaimar, and the Seer. With Petros’s death, the Star is lost forever. No one else knows where the artifacts are that allow entry into that shrine."

  Saelin’s words.

  "I learned of a certain construct made up of two main components. One of those parts, the Lake of Aktida, seemed out of reach to me, as I was certain the Nocturns had taken it during the war with the invaders and lost or destroyed it somewhere in Rikutiam. But the second part was much closer and more accessible, and I realized it must be somewhere in Vaimar."

  That’s what Petros had said when they last saw him in Nalvin.

  There was another item, one that connected with the diamond to form a whole. But to find it—was it necessary to first solve a riddle? Or would the riddle only be solvable once the second item was found? Had Petros known where the Star of Vaimar was but failed to find it? Or had he found it and not taken it?

  And what, ultimately, was one supposed to do with the Lake of Aktida and this second unknown component?

  These questions tormented him. They would not let him rest. They kept him from concentrating. And then, with startling clarity, Kairu realized just how much they were missing Petros. Slightly mad, cunning, sly, secretive, and yet the one who had known more about this whole story than anyone else. Why, why hadn’t he helped them figure it out before departing into another time?

  Only now did Kairu fully accept what he had refused to believe for days. Petros was dead. He’d been killed by a man who—paradoxically—had saved Kairu’s life twice. But that didn’t change the facts. It remained a hard, immutable truth he would have to live with forever.

  Petros was gone. His knowledge had gone with him to the grave.

  And he had left Kairu to untangle the mess in his place.

  Kairu clenched his teeth, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

  Silence reigned. Time itself seemed to have stopped in this temple of knowledge; only the sunlight, slowly creeping across the dusty floor, testified that the world had not ceased its motion. Kairu realized he was short of breath. The lines of text blurred before his eyes. He needed to take a break, if only briefly, go outside, sit, wait—and maybe the coolness of August would bring him new thoughts.

  He went downstairs, walked through the corridor into the dining hall. It was empty; the inhabitants of Estogil had gone about their business. On the table sat half-finished cups of tea and a tray of pastries. The walls of the room were bathed in a velvet orange glow as the sun poured through the western windows, illuminating everything around. Kairu sighed, stepped outside, closed the tower doors behind him, and sat on the lowest step of the porch, breathing in the scent of the grove and gazing at the road stretching northward to the settlements and the river.

  From the forest emerged Atgard, limping slowly with an axe at his belt and a bundle of dry branches.

  "Ah, Kairu!" he greeted, lowering the bundle and sitting down heavily beside him. Kairu shifted to make room, smiling slightly as he glanced over.

  "This is for the fireplace," Atgard explained, nodding at the bundle. "Won’t be much use once we head north, but I found a good excuse to get out and think."

  "So did I," Kairu replied lightly.

  Atgard squinted into the sky, where pinkish tufts of cloud with sharp violet shadows were solemnly drifting. The clouds were thick as cotton, unlike the usual smoky wisps blown in daily by the eastern wind from Tepei-Kuon.

  "Terrible summer," the Kald remarked unexpectedly. "The taverns say Boreain is under siege again and still holding, but reinforcements are coming from Tepei-Kuon, and soon they might push our forces all the way back to Mainor. In the Southern Province, they’re pushing us hard too. There’s a new corsair army forming, supposedly heading for Petista. And Petista—that’s our link to Vaimar, the most critical gateway. We all saw what came of trying to take the Citadel. The war’s been going for over a year now, and no one knows which side will collapse first, just from sheer exhaustion."

  "Yuf said the King of Vaimar has long been at odds with ours," Kairu said with a frown. "If all of Laugdeil had mustered armies to support Emerlun, Saelin wouldn’t have lasted a year—they’d have driven him from Mainor straight to the Citadel. But look—the Nocturns are already against us. Their soldiers guard the Citadel and fight the Alvens. If Jake Farian also dares to attack Aktida, then clash with Saelin one-on-one, they’ll crush us."

  "Yes," Atgard admitted bitterly. "And I fear that in that case, I’d be on Vaimar’s side. Emerlun is young and inexperienced—and, worse, stubborn. No matter who wins, Aktida will fall, and the Alvens will rally under Jake’s banner. No more borders, no more difference between nations. But still, the greatest kingdom defending its place under the sun for almost two thousand years will be gone. Culture. History... History moves in cycles. Two thousand years ago, Alvens and Kalds drove the Nocturns from the continent. Now the Talaskians and Nocturns are destroying the Alven kingdom... Ironic, isn’t it?"

  "Why can’t people just lay down their weapons and agree, Atgard?" Kairu asked passionately. "Even with a common enemy threatening them! Why hold on to grudges from two thousand years ago?"

  "Grudges are just a pretext, Kairu. Most people don’t care what happened two thousand years ago. But if the powerful see a chance to expand their influence—they’ll take it."

  "You sound exactly like Saelin," Kairu said bitterly.

  "Saelin isn’t stupid," Atgard shrugged. "But I do know this: one day, all wars end."

  Kairu looked at him in surprise. The Kald was dreamily staring into the sunset.

  "I don’t believe in the end of the world," he said after a pause. "All that eschatology has always existed, and the prophets have never been right. Wars have lasted a hundred years or more and still ended in peace. Life went on, no matter what. The future may not be what we dream of, that’s true. But people always find a way to survive—and rebuild. And that gives me hope."

  He suddenly smirked:

  "So... have you ever thought about what you’ll do when the war’s over?"

  It took Kairu a moment to grasp what he meant.

  "No, never... To be honest, I can’t even imagine what that would look like. Maybe we’ll win, Saelin will be killed, Tepei-Kuon destroyed, Aktida will befriend Vaimar—and everything will be fine. But what if not? What if it’s Saelin’s tyranny—or Jake Farian’s? What if we’re declared outlaws? Where will we go, how will we live? I don’t know... I can’t even imagine doing anything besides fighting. Farming again? But there won’t even be people left to farm..."

  "Well... that makes sense," Atgard admitted. "Still, let’s hope for the best. I’ve known many who couldn’t find their place in the world after war. Because they couldn’t imagine life without a barracks bed and a crust of bread, without battles around them, without death. That’s a mental illness, a form of apathy, or even madness. You can’t let yourself get there. You have to be adaptable. You’re a damn good swordsman. And something strange happens to you when you fight. You know, sometimes it scared me, watching how you’d cut people down and calmly wipe their blood from your blade. Do you feel anything in that moment?"

  "I don’t know... I used to be scared," Kairu admitted. "Disgusted... I couldn’t understand it... But then... You know, Atgard, I just got used to it. Sounds terrible. But I don’t feel anything anymore when I kill. No fear. No pity. It’s as if my opponents aren’t even human. I stopped thinking that they once had families and friends. I don’t see their faces in my dreams anymore."

  "Be careful with that," Atgard said quietly but firmly. "I know you’re no sadist, you have a good heart. But it’s grown hard. You were born into dark times and have walked a dark path. But in times like these, mercy is worth far more than the skill to pierce someone with a sword... That said, considering all I’ve told you—if you ever want decent pay and can’t bear to shelve your sword—remember the Fighters' Guild. You’ll learn there when to strike, and when to lower your weapon. If you ever think of it, just come find me or Anzerrat, depending on who survives, alright?"

  Atgard got up, grabbed the bundle of firewood, and disappeared into the tower.

  Kairu lingered, trying to process all he’d heard. Yes, life kept throwing more and more to think about. Everything was far from as simple as he once believed.