“I’m bored!”
Shana lay back on the couch, gazing up at the ceiling. Her legs were draped over the arm of the couch, and she kicked her feet as she made her selfish proclamation. Altair lay on her stomach, curled up in a ball, asleep.
“You said you were going to read every single book here before you got bored,” Shias said. “And you haven’t even read every book in this room.”
The twins were in one of the smaller libraries in Alexandra’s mansion, a space only a little bit bigger than Shana’s large bedroom back home, filled with neatly organized bookshelves.
“Yeah, but!” Shana said, not knowing what to say so leaving it at that. She sighed heavily, dramatically.
Shias lowered the book he was reading, turning his full attention on Shana. “You want to go back to Dreamworld,” he said. “But you know you need to spend some time away to avoid losing your grasp of reality. You just gained new powers to purify Nightmares, but now you’re stuck in this house and unable to leave because it’s the safest place in the universe right now, and you know that you’ll need to be here when the time comes to turn the Key of the World. You can’t even be allowed to roam around Sunset Square, a city you’ve never been to but heard about from Caleb, because one, humans aren’t welcomed out there and we don’t want you causing trouble if you’re discovered, and two, while the Lord of Night can’t see into these walls, he can see what happens in Sunset Square, and if he notices you there, he might start to figure out part of our plans.”
As Shias listed these items off, Shana turned her gaze to him, expressing her displeasure with her eyes.
“Basically,” Shias said, not the slightest bit cowed by Shana’s look, “you understand why you need to be cooped up in here, and you know you shouldn’t be bored because this is a huge house with all sorts of things to do and all of your friends are here, but you’re sick of being cooped up anyway. It’s an emotional thing.”
“So what if I’m emotional?” Shana asked, sitting up suddenly and disturbing Altair’s sleep. She scooped him up before he tumbled off of her stomach and onto the floor.
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing,” Shias said. “I’m just observing.”
“You’re the best at observing,” Shana said with a sigh. “Whoever thought I’d be sick of reading? I love books! I founded the freaking Literature Club at school! And here I am, not even wanting to look at another book.” Shias raised an eyebrow. “Shut up. I like libraries. It’s still a calming space, even if I can’t stand doing anything in here.” Altair stood on his hind legs on Shana’s lap, licking her face, and she stroked his ears and neck. “No one understands me like you do, sweet pup. I’d actually lose my mind if you weren’t here.”
“You’re not alone in that,” Shias said. “Ben’s been extra jittery lately.”
“Yeah,” Shana said, giggling. “I saw him running laps in the halls earlier. When I asked what he was doing, he said ‘fleeing insanity!’”
“Ooh, that’s a good phrase,” Shias said.
“Yeah, his nervous energy is making him more eloquent,” Shana said.
“Well, considering what’s got you down… when do you think we can go back to the Dreamworld?”
“I want to say tonight, so…” Shana let out a heavy sigh, “tomorrow night.”
“Want to see if we can find something to do?”
“Like what?” Shana stared at the book in Shias’ lap. “How come you’re never bored? Never at home, and now you’re still so calm here. We’re twins! You’re supposed to share my energy!”
“You’ve always had enough energy for two,” Shias said with a small laugh. “Come on.” He stood, setting his book aside, and held out his hand. “Let’s go explore.”
Shana felt her heart leap. “Let’s go explore” was their phrase, ever since they’d been little. It usually led to trouble — the fun kind of trouble. They knew more about Greyson Manor than any of their siblings, that was certain, and they might even know some things their parents didn’t know from all the exploring they’d done as kids. And as they’d gotten older, “Let’s go explore” had taken the twins out into the city of Grimoire, and the mountains and forest beyond, all over the place.
“You haven’t said that in too long,” Shana said, pouting slightly as she took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Altair hopped down to the floor, wagging his tail as he watched the twins.
“I was saving it for a day like this,” Shias said, smiling. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Yeah!” Shana eagerly followed after Shias, leaving the library and making their way through Alexandra’s mansion.
Where should they go? What should they do? Was it an improvised scavenger hunt, or just freewheeling exploration? Would they roleplay, or take it seriously? These were never questions asked aloud, but things that were answered through action and intuition.
And, though Kathryn, Rae, Ben, and Annabelle were here, the twins didn’t seek them out. Exploring was their special thing, just for the two of them — and Altair.
“Remember when you tried to take the ‘go’ part out?” Shana asked.
“Yeah, because ‘let’s go explore’ sounds too childish,” Shias said.
“You came up with it! And you came up with it when you were a child, so it makes sense.”
“But you wouldn’t let me change it when we got older.”
“Because you don’t spit on tradition like that!”
“So there are acceptable ways to spit on tradition?”
“You never spit on tradition in any way, shape, or form!” Despite the argument, Shana was smiling. This may not be the manor she knew — it was big enough for ten or more Greyson Manors — but this expedition, this banter, made her feel at home.
And despite the banter, they followed one of the cardinal rules of “exploring”: be stealthy. When they neared others, they were careful, quiet, and cautious. Altair sometimes scouted out passages first, and other times Shias used Divination Magic to keep track of the people in the mansion.
This cardinal rule helped them observe others unseen. They watched Adelaida and Andrea train with their fascinating weapons, long staves that could also shoot out weighted chains and then retract them just as easily. Kathryn trained with them, learning some moves and adapting them for her ribbon wands. The “A-twins,” as Ben had taken to calling them, were stoic individuals, but they seemed to be establishing a good rapport with Kathryn.
No doubt won over by her enthusiasm.
There was Ben, a few halls over, running laps even still. He’d even take “breaks” to do… jumping jacks.
How the heck is that a break? Well, at least he’s working off all that energy.
They spotted Isla and Dama, her multi-tailed fox Summon, and decided to follow them. After all, Isla was a master of Illusion Magic, and she was such a mysterious figure — what would they learn about her if they followed her in secret?
But after just two turns in the halls, Isla and Dama suddenly vanished.
“Where’d they go?” Shana asked, looking to Shias.
“I… don’t see anything,” Shias said. “How did they —”
“Allow us to explain.” The words were spoken directly behind them, in Isla’s voice. The twins wheeled around, and there was Isla with a small, amused smile on her face.
“I lost you,” Shias said. “Even with Divination Magic, I…”
“Divination is a powerful counter to Illusion,” Isla said. “But you expected one Illusion. You used Divination to see the truth, but you also came with your own expectations. We lay down not one, but a vast web of many Illusions, and that tricked you into thinking we had truly vanished. You will undoubtedly learn, though. After all, we never can seem to fool Deirdre, can we, Dama?” Dama swished his tails back and forth, and Shana watched them, fascinated. Every moment it seemed like there were more or less tails — three, then six. One, then four, then seven. Even Dama’s color was inconsistent, unique to Summons — was he white? But no, that moment he looked yellow, then pale blue, and now silver.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to reach Mom’s heights,” Shias said.
“Your doubts may be well-founded,” Isla said. “She is not just a current master of Divination, but the master. The greatest the world has ever seen. But greatness is meant to inspire. Do not let it dim your ambitions, especially when you are still so young, yet already so talented.”
“Thanks,” Shias said.
“How’d you know we were following you in the first place, though?” Shana asked. “You didn’t even look back, and we were so quiet!”
“Sixth sense, perhaps?” Isla mused. “Though we did not know who it was that followed us. We knew we were not in danger, and when we saw you, well… it seemed perfectly appropriate to surprise you.”
They spoke a little more, then went their separate ways. “Mom always says she’s a joker,” Shana said, smiling. “I can sorta see it. She speaks so softly, and she doesn’t do big pranks or reactions. But she was having a lot of fun, I think.”
“I thought so, too,” Shias said.
Maxwell and Tock were gone again, seeking more individuals to aid in this long-term mission. But the twins were able to watch Rae and Annabelle help sort through documents that Maxwell had indicated, pieces of research and theory, as well as profiles on potential candidates for this project. Alexandra often helped them as well, but she also continued her focus as the gracious host, always ready with tea, cookies, or a meal when the need or desire arose.
She takes so much joy in helping others and making them feel at home.
A lot of Shana and Shias’ explorations turned into following and observing Alexandra. Mister Midnight’s sister couldn’t be any more different from her brother. Elegant, charming, sociable, she seemed to instantly become friends with anyone the moment she met them, and she had a magnetic quality that had charmed Shana and the others of her group. In less than a day, Shana had already started thinking of Alexandra as one of her best friends, even though they’d just met.
But Alexandra was also entertaining to observe. At first, Shana had worried about her host’s temporal displacement, but Alexandra had waved off her concerns. “Don’t trouble yourself with it,” she’d said. “This home keeps me safe, and I want for nothing — except, perhaps, to see Lance more often. Certainly, I do experience time in a less linear fashion than everyone else, but I’ve found that it is often entertaining for others, so please, don’t be overly sensitive on my behalf. I’m certainly not troubled by my condition.”
The “entertaining” element came from Alexandra’s occasional confusion. Most often that revealed itself in Alexandra assuming she’d already done something that she actually had yet to do. It wasn’t uncommon for her to serve breakfast as lunch, or dinner as breakfast. There were many clocks in the manor, and she frequently consulted them, but even then, “Good morning” was her most common greeting, even in the evenings. “I was told once,” she’d said, “that ‘it’s always morning somewhere.’ So, in a sense, ‘good morning’ is always correct.” She’d said that with such a smile on her face that Shana and Kathryn had even started saying “Good morning” at all hours.
She’s magnetic. But not in a bad way. She just… has this kindness and joy that’s totally contagious. And such a pleasant sense of humor. She never makes fun of anyone, is never mean-spirited, but always finds something to laugh about, and she’s so good at getting others to join in.
If I was temporally displaced, would I be so well-adjusted? What’s it really like for her? I wonder if Caleb and Mister Midnight understand it better, being Time Mages. Like… does she think today is yesterday? Does she think the day after tomorrow happened years ago? What in the world is that like?
And yet… look at her. Always smiling. Always kind.
And here I am complaining about being bored after, what, a week?
The twins’ explorations took them to the highest point of Alexandra’s mansion, a central clock tower. Though it had tall windows on every side, and a balcony that ran a ring around it, there were no doors to exit and sit outside.
“She really does need to stay inside these walls, no matter what,” Shana said, taking a seat with her back to the eternal sunset. “It’s not just temporal displacement. She doesn’t get to feel the wind, or smell the grass. She has a lot of flowers in here, but…”
She trailed off, and silence settled between her and Shias.
“I feel kind of helpless,” Shana finally said. “Like… what am I supposed to do? Are we really here just to wait? We even ended up here by accident, just because the Woven Nest was attacked and we had to get picked up by Maxwell and Tock. I want to know how Grimoire’s doing. I want to help more people there, purify more Nightmares, get it to where there are no Nightmyrn at all. Sometimes… I think maybe we shouldn’t have left.”
“Heart told you that you needed to go to the Woven Nest,” Shias said.
“I know. But… I don’t have to just do whatever I’m told.”
“You’re quite good at doing the opposite, usually.”
Shana shot a glare at Shias, and he just laughed. But that brought a small laugh out of her, too.
“We… don’t actually have to stay here,” Shana said after a moment. “Right? I mean, I can go to the Dreamworld from anywhere, it doesn’t have to be here. Back in Grimoire, I could do more good, and besides, we’re not involved in the mission here.”
Shias was silent. Shana petted Altair gently as she continued. “I… I know. I get it. The mission here is really important. We’ll need them to succeed if we want the best chance possible at reaching and turning the Key of the World. If we leave… even if we go secretly, have Maxwell and Tock help us… the Lord of Night — Sal — might still notice, get suspicious, and come after us. And asking that of Maxwell and Tock would be inconveniencing this mission, and leaving and possibly causing suspicion is putting everyone at risk. I know. I know all of that. I just…”
“You’re not really bored,” Shias said. “You weren’t even when you said it.”
Shana bowed her head. “It’s really hard to just wait.” She let out a sigh and leaned back, gazing out the window at the distant skyline of Sunset Square. “Sal… I wonder if he’s like Leon?”
“How so?” Shias asked.
“Leon had the best intentions, he knew what was evil and what he needed to fight against. But he… lost himself. He burned so bright that he couldn’t see the Darkness that had taken root in him, and he possessively tried to control a power that wasn’t his to lord over. Sal… he was just a regular person too, like Leon. But the Radiance killed his mother when they attacked Sunset Square, so he went after them seeking revenge… and then disappeared. We still don’t know how he ended up as the Lord of Night, but he wasn’t always that. Maybe he did the same thing, only with Darkness itself — got lost in that power, claimed it for himself without realizing what he was doing. Maybe… I wonder if… someone can save him. From himself.”
“I don’t think he’s like Leon,” Shias said. “Maybe he did lose himself, but not in the same way. Leon was so obsessed with destroying Darkness, and so convinced that his way was the only way, that everyone else needed to obey him or die, that he destroyed his own quest. But Sal… he was never trying to defeat the Darkness. I think he probably had already started losing himself in the Darkness, before he went after Leon. After he failed in his revenge… that probably just made it worse. Just sent him into a spiral that he couldn’t come out of.”
“But there are so many people like that!” Shana said. “Chelsea was like that! We all have Darkness inside of us, and it’s so easy to give into it, to let it have its way. But that doesn’t mean we’re stuck there, right? Chelsea’s not chasing revenge anymore. So can’t he… can’t we… I know he’s turned himself into the worst villain imaginable. But just because he’s the worst doesn’t mean he’s impossible to save or turn back. I wish… I wish we could go to the Garden of Memory, find out all about him like we did Leon.”
“We can only view memories we’re allowed to view,” Shias said. “So we probably wouldn’t be able to. But… yeah. Lack of knowledge is hurting us in more ways than one. It’s not just about understanding his power. I think you’re right, at least in part. If we don’t really understand him as a person, then we’re always missing something.” He pulled out his pen Talisman. “Our powers aren’t just handed to us, they’re chosen by us. And even the Dreamer’s Heart, things like that… who we are defines how we use and react to these abilities. Who Sal is led him to where he is now. Without understanding him, can we really defeat him?”
“But how do we find out about him? We can’t go to the Garden of Memory —”
“Memory. That’s exactly it.” Shias stood, twirling his pen and then pocketing it. “We may not need the Garden of Memory. That’s a place for memories that people have tried to destroy, and Sal doesn’t seem like he cares if people know his past. He thinks he’s totally in control, why would he care what people know?”
“But how do we find out about his memories without the Garden?” Shana asked.
“Caleb said he could look into the past through the River of Time, now. Not travel there, but he can view memories, and they don’t have to be his. Delilah was shown past events from Solla and Lunos, either through their powers or through the Key, or some combination of them both. And dreams… what are dreams made of?”
“Our subconscious!” Shana said. “All our life experiences, our thoughts and ideas, and memories. Even memories we think we’ve forgotten.”
“All of us together,” Shias said. “We have pieces, and if we find a way to fit them together, we might be able to see Sal’s story. We might be able to see how he became who he is, and in there find the truth behind all of it. His incredible power, but also what drives it, what drives him.”
“All of us, huh?” Shana asked. Her excitement faded, and she bowed her head.
“What is it?” Shias asked, sitting back down.
“It’s just… me, you, Caleb, Delilah. We’d still be missing one.”
Shias nodded, bowing his head. “Fae.”
“Fae,” Shana said.