Fall of Autumn, Week 5, Day 2

The joy of Vitality is easy to see. Despite only getting a few hours, there were no bags under my eyes. No tightness in my muscles. No leftover exhaustion from the night before. It made it a simple affair to wake up before the suns rose.

I got ready, braiding my hair in the same shining style as the day before, and slid on some warm clothes and comfortable shoes. There was no need to be practical today, just… well, pretty. I smiled at my reflection, in the quilted lavender dress that would keep me warm and the black sweater I'd made. It, much like my hair, felt like a point of pride. A bit of proof of my skills, from [Weaving] to simply being able to take care of myself.

It was something I needed to take pride in. Because while it wasn't particularly fanciful, it still was made of the granny squares I had slowly and painstakingly designed, four-pointed iridescent stars decorating each main square.

>You left me behind for the most interesting bits yesterday.< Eunora scolded from inside my head. I rolled my eyes in response.

>Frill deserved your respect! She was offering you Compassion.<

Ugh, not from you. You know how I feel about the Divine. I frowned as I walked through the empty manor halls. Luckily, there was no one to see my displeasure.

>Still, Nora, you just prove yourself juvenile when you refuse to show respect.<

I rolled my eyes at Eunora, but found a half smile settling onto my face at the bickering.

You know, if you waste your breath scolding me like before, you'll miss whatever happens today. I wondered if that was too obvious, too clearly bait. But the inside of my head was silent. Oh, so blessedly silent.

Descending the stairs, I caught sight of one of the Dusk Knights standing by the entryway. I waved lightly, and they nodded back. I couldn't tell who it was through the cream helm they wore, but I was sure I'd know if it was Sir Neil or Dame Arella. Klein and Arlen weren't even options—nor was Sir Limrick, but for a different reason.

As I slipped into the dining room, I didn't bother to sit at the table. Instead, I opted to go straight to the kitchen. I could hear the slow movements of someone chopping, but not anything else.

[Silent as a Shadow]

The world dulled, and I pushed the door open. Peering inside, I saw a teenage girl slowly chopping vegetables while an older man stood with his arms crossed, staring at her. After a moment, the man cleared his throat harshly and picked up one of the sticks the girl had chopped.

"No, uneven, Mellony. And also slow. Do it faster—and better," the man said, his mustache shaking as he spoke. He didn't even glance my way.

Stepping fully inside the kitchen, I watched to see what the girl would do. But she just kept slowly chopping the vegetables, as if she didn't hear the man scold her for that very thing. The man waited a few more seconds before snapping his fingers.

"Mellony! Turn off that thrice-damned Skill before you lose a finger."

Frowning, I scanned the kitchen, catching sight of a bowl of fruit. I went over, grabbing a couple of pieces of citrus, before turning back to the pair. The girl, Mellony, had finally stopped chopping and was looking blankly at the man. It took another couple of seconds before some kind of recognition crossed her face, and she gave a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, uncle, I did my best." When Mellony spoke, she went slowly—as if it was an effort to get the words out.

I decided whatever was happening here was probably none of my business if the man was her uncle. Carefully, I left the kitchen. I closed the door lightly, so as not to make a sound, and broke [Silent as a Shadow] when I left the dining room. There was no point, as the halls were empty except for the knights.

As I walked, I caught sight of Noir slipping out of a shadow nearby and waving before running away. I laughed and followed, wondering where he was going. As we went, Noir led us up a side stairwell that went up and up and up—past what had to be the third floor. We were very nearly up far enough to be on a fifth or even sixth floor.

"Wait," I called to Noir. "Are we headed up the bell tower?"

Noir paused and said, "Shhh, don't ruin the surprise."

Then he ran off again, climbing up the stairs.

I followed him up another turn of the spiral stairs when we finally got to a landing with a simple wooden door. There were no emblems of Dawn, no gold embellishments, no fanciful purple accents. Just a brown wooden door with an iron knob.

I heard Noir laugh as he slipped underneath the gap in the door, moving into its shadow. Shortly afterword I heard the knob wiggle and then the door opened of its own accord. Or, rather, Noir's accord.

My lips twitched as I fought back a smile and walked through the doorway, only to find myself frozen in shock at what I saw.

All three spirits were standing, surrounded by a dozen knit animals I'd made. They were placed on a spread-out blanket—the very one I'd wrapped myself up in the night before. Decorating the pillars were intricate loops of iridescent yarn, and hanging from them were some of the gems from my first excursion in Twilight. As I took in the scene, with the light reflecting off the colored gems from the near-morning light, I felt so incredibly loved.

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>You know, I think you are incredibly loved.< When Eunora spoke, there was no jealousy, no envy, just a deep, bitter tinge of sadness. >I wish we could have been, too.<

"You know," I said, to the spirits and Eunora both, "I think little Eunora deserved a life like this. Filled with warmth. She would have appreciated it more than anything else, more than power or money or status. And so do I."

I stepped into the little nook my spirits had set up, sitting down in the center before lying on my back.

One day, I'll figure out a way to share that warmth with you.

I said it to the Eunora in my head, but it was for both the woman trapped in [Eternal Communion] and the girl trapped inside my heart.

Eunora and I had a ways to go before we became friends, or sisters, or whatever we could become. But that didn't mean we weren't on our way.

I had planned to spend the morning in Twilight, training another Skill. But being here, surrounded by Noir, Haze, and Shade, felt right, so I curled up with the knit animals and called the rest of the spirits,

[Shadow Animation]

So many of them came alive, moving and dancing and speaking with those of them that had become more.

That was when I heard a new voice.

"Hello." It was small and childlike, and it inhabited a frog I'd made that was half my size.

"Hello," I whispered back. "What is your name?"

"The others call me Entertainer."

I smiled, gentle and soft and so new. "Then you have some big shoes to fill—but someone to guide you on your way."

Drowsily, I made my way back down to the entryway. I'd taken some time to right myself before leaving the bell tower, but I could feel the loose hold my braid had on my curls. And I was sure one had escaped, though I had yet to pass a mirror to verify that.

And while yesterday it had felt like a rock was in my stomach at the very thought of the Academy, the Nora of today was ready for the Tower. Despite the events of First Day, time moved on. I couldn't remain trapped in the toxic thoughts that sprang up when I thought of a Divine —whether it was Abelia or Scylla or those twins, they were all the same to me. I couldn't yet say if Frill was an exception or if Morloch would prove himself just as bad. He was the one to help the most, after all.

Become the God of Nora, he had said.

Isn't that blasphemous? I had replied.

I clenched my fist at the memory. The first time in this life that I was told it was okay to turn my head away from what hurt me, to reject those who would do me harm in a world filled with people who would do so. It was liberating and suffocating both.

Finally, I passed by a mirror in the hall—a hulking thing that went floor to ceiling with an ornate trim—and I could see the damage.

It wasn't too bad, a few loose curls and an indent along my cheek from where I'd been lying. It would go away soon enough, but I would have to re-braid my hair entirely.

With a sigh, I got to it, holding out my hands, I looked myself in the eyes.

[Shadow Manipulation]

The threads woven through my hair came alive, wrapping themselves around the sections of hair they had to undo and molding the braid to my desire. The chain-like threads shone as the light reflected off them, their iridescent hues sparkling as they moved. The threads undid my work and reformed the braid on my behalf.

Looking at my handiwork, I ended the Skill with a smile.

"Much better."

Heading the rest of the way downstairs, I caught sight of Gristle waiting in the entryway with a small black book. I was reminded of the oversized spellbook I had back in my room for some reason. As I examined the book, I used [Inspect].

[A Theoretical Primer on Magic by Hiram Kroll, Uncommon, Tier 1]

[Bound in Mitr leather, this edition of A Theoretical Primer on Magic was handwritten by Hiram Kroll himself.]

[Crafted by Hiram Kroll]

As I read the System notice, Gristle raised his eyebrows at me.

"You could have just asked what it was," he said lightly.

I twitched, looking back up at Gristle. "This was easier."

"And also rude."

I flinched at his quick response. "Sorry, I'll keep that in mind."

With an indulgent smile, Gristle handed me the book. "This is for class today. It's from the library here, and written by someone from the local Tower. It's the baseline for magic classes in Fellan."

Taking the book, I held it up in front of my face. The title was embossed in silver lettering with an emblem of a tower standing in a circle at the center of the cover. The leather was soft to the touch.

"Thank you, I'll take care of it."

Gristle inclined his head. "I'm sure our [Librarian] will appreciate that."

As we were chatting, several people rounded the corner—two I recognized and one I didn't. Or, rather, I couldn't recognize. Something was stopping me from seeing any definition on the woman's face or skin, though I could make out the purple leathers of a Dusk Knight anywhere.

As soon as Sir Neil and Arlen saw me, they paused and waved, but the third member of the Dusk continued approaching me. As she got within a half-dozen feet, she dropped to her knees.

"My Lady, I have the response to your letters." Her voice was androgynous, as if even that was being masked as well.

I blinked.

"The response?"

"Yes, my Lady, from Philip Ugar, as well as Clara and Clarence of Ugar."

I whipped my head up to Gristle. "What are they talking about?"

Gristle looked mildly confused as well. "Your letters. I had them delivered. What's the matter?"

Mentally, I ticked off the days since I sent them and turned back to the kneeling knight.

"Four days? How did you get there and back in—actually, stand up and then answer that—four days?"

Standing, the knight's eyes continued shifting shape and color, never settling into one enough to be called that.

"I have a movement Skill, my Lady. I am a designated [Courier]."

I stood there, relief filling me.

So, there wasn't a faster way to Fellan.

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