So much had happened. So much was still happening. The journey that had wound so long, so far, felt like it was nearing an ending.
Though Caleb wondered just what shape that ending would take. There was no denying there was still a great deal left to do.
Time was strange in the Library of Solitude, and the reprieve here felt like a real reprieve, almost dreamlike. Without the use of his eyes, Caleb often found himself dozing off, and that also wasn’t too surprising considering he’d just been through some of the most intense and harrowing events of his life. He was tired, very tired, and in and out of sleep, his mind wandered.
But it didn’t wander aimlessly. It almost felt like he was taking a journey, going back over his entire path since meeting Isabelle that fateful night in Grimoire. And not just his journey, but the journeys of his siblings, much of which he hadn’t been present for.
We’ve been apart so often. And yet somehow, it all fits together.
His own journey had been strange and unexpected. He’d promised to get Isabelle home, but that had swiftly been taken out of his hands, as he’d been spirited away to Chronoshin, and from there met Mister Midnight, and…
And so much has happened since then. I’ve… made quite a few mistakes. And it’s not like I’m done making them — if I’d kept my head against Nyx, I’d still have my glasses.
But I’ve learned a lot. I’ve grown a lot. I think. I hope. Sometimes it’s hard to grasp, because of…
A smile creased his lips as he thought of his siblings. Fae, Shana, Shias, Delilah.
They’ve all been through so much, too, and changed and grown so much along the way. I’m the oldest, but I feel like… I’ve been left behind. That sounds so stupid. But it’s weird, being caught between being so, so proud of my younger siblings, and feeling like… I don’t matter.
What’s it even mean to be the oldest child, anyway? I guess I didn’t really think about it, just charged ahead doing my own thing. There was a vague sense of responsibility, of needing to be a role model, and there have been times when I helped them out, but…
They were all so capable so quickly. So smart, so mature, so able and willing to do their own thing and do it really well. Fae and I never really clicked, so I’ve always felt like I was watching her from a distance, hoping one day I wouldn’t have to sit so far away, but she was also totally different from me. She’s an artist, and she’s so quiet and introverted, and I’m… not any of that. She’s amazing, and knowing all she’s been through recently, and all the ways she’s grown… she’s just more amazing.
And what can I say about the twins? Shias is way too humble for his own good, even though he’s basically a prodigy with Guardian Magic. And with how hard he works at it, how committed he is to improving, only enhances those talents. He’s so quiet, and he avoids the spotlight, but when people see what he can do, they never forget it. He’s so smart, so clever, and he and Shana both have that crazy perfect memory that just blows my mind.
And Shana’s the ultimate ray of sunshine, she always has been. I’m pretty sure she learned to smile and laugh before she learned to cry, but she learned that pretty fast, too. Such a wild bundle of emotional energy, with the biggest heart that she wears boldly on her sleeve. She’s faced things no teenager should have to face, and it’s hurt more than I can know. But she’s back, and she’s still moving forward. She hasn’t lost herself.
He heard the voices of Hestia, Galahad, Artemis, and Athena. They spoke only now and then, mostly reading and waiting. But the tension that had filled the hub room when the four had arrived had swiftly dissipated.
Shana had such a big part to play in them breaking free from the Radiant King’s hold. She helped Hestia see, and then to share with the others, the truth about Annabelle — that she wasn’t a guest of the Radiant King’s, but a prisoner.
Without Hestia and her group, the battle for Grimoire might have gone very differently. And Athena…
Caleb couldn’t imagine what Athena had been through — what she was still going through. She’d been so devoted to Leon, to someone who had been her dearest friend since they were children, a friendship lasting for lifetimes thanks to their Eternal state.
But he’d turned into something very unlike the hero he’d started off as. And she’d made herself into his second Gold Knight, and come out of that Contract only to find out…
That he was gone.
She was still mourning. Caleb could hear that in her voice. She still had a lot to work through.
But she’s here. That’s a huge step.
And slowly, Caleb’s thoughts turned to the last of his siblings, the one who was in this Library with them and yet not with them, in a totally different wing, focused on a totally different mission.
Delilah. My baby sister, and she looks like she’s the one in charge of everything right now. The Key of the World, our greatest hope for getting out of this alive, for preventing the Endless Night and defeating Sal… is up to her. It’s her responsibility, and she’s taken it up so well.
And it was so easy to forget about Alice — not about Alice herself, but about who she had been, what she’d been a part of. She’d been the ace in the hole for Blaise’s shadows, a monster in a child’s body that frightened even Blaise Mathers himself.
But Caleb had never seen that power used the way it had been intended. Because Delilah and Alice had clicked so quickly, and Delilah had reached out to her without fearing what Alice could do, without fearing what she had done. She’d given Alice the love that Alice needed, and Caleb’s baby sister had become someone else’s big sister.
She’s always been way too mature for her age. And I didn’t really see it until right before we were all swept away to Hollow Island. She’s been training with those Feline Summons since she was ten? That’s crazy! I can still vividly remember holding her as a baby, and even though she’s still quite small for her age, she’s so freaking grown up. My baby sister is the biggest hero in the universe.
Tears stung Caleb’s eyes, trapped behind his squeezed-shut eyelids.
They grow up so fast.
It was such a silly, cliché thought that he almost burst out laughing, but he held it back.
I shouldn’t get too caught up in their achievements. I’ve got a lot left for me to do, too. Back to Grimoire as soon as Mister Midnight comes back, to the final piece of this Time-Magic-quest puzzle. And then…
And then, I have an idea. For how to find out about Ophelia, and for how to find out more about Sal, maybe even about the Key of the World. It’s nice to have a no-eyes-allowed break so I can think up stuff like this.
Whatever comes next, wherever things are going… I just have to do the best I can. I have to learn from what I’ve been through, and what everyone else has been through, and make better choices going forward. I’ve kinda been the problem child out of all of us, getting wrecked by my own overuse and incorrect use of Time Magic, by my own fear, by my own insistence on just smiling, laughing, pretending like everything’s okay.
No more of that. No more of —
“Deep thoughts over there?” came Chelsea’s voice, and a moment later Caleb felt her finger press against the bridge of his nose, right between the eyes. “Care to share?”
“Just reminiscing,” Caleb said, smiling. “Thinking of everything we’ve all been through, and… getting ready for what’s next.”
“For what’s next?” Addie asked, plopping down beside Caleb.
“Hey, that’s my spot,” Chelsea said.
“You should’ve sat here, then, instead of standing in front of him,” Addie said.
“Switch to the other side,” Chelsea said.
“Nope.”
“Yup.”
“Don’t wanna.”
“You know I can just pick you up and put you there, right?”
“Then do it.”
Despite the words, Addie had a very jovial tone in her voice, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth with Chelsea. Chelsea let out a long sigh, and then sat on Caleb’s lap, twining her fingers behind his neck. “Guess I’ll just have to sit here, then,” she said with a resigned sigh.
“You won’t get any complaints from me,” Caleb said with a grin.
“So?” Chelsea asked, clearly directing her question at Caleb.
Caleb chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m just… resolving to do better,” he said. “To be better.”
“There it is,” Chelsea said, leaning against him. “And for the record, I know you will. You’re already much better than you were before we found ourselves in the Enchanted Dominion.”
Hearing someone else say that meant a lot more than Caleb trying to tell himself the same.
Hearing Chelsea say that meant the world.
“You really think so, huh?” Caleb asked.
Chelsea brought a hand around to his face, then reached up and playfully tugged on the section of his bangs that was permanently dyed blue. “Try and look at your own path again, a little more clearly,” she said. “But, yeah — you’ve still got a ways to go. Don’t we all?”
Caleb smiled, knowing just how true that was.
“Yes, we do.” Delilah’s voice broke into their conversation, coming from behind Caleb.
“Hey!” Caleb said, grinning as he turned towards her voice. “I was just thinking about you. Everything going okay?”
“Yeah,” Delilah said, a hint of hesitation in her voice. “We, well… it looks like we’re ready to go. We’ll be leaving soon, so… we wanted to make sure we said goodbye.”
“Oh, you’re here!” said Isabelle, and Caleb heard the excited pitter-patter of her bare feet, rushing past him to the other side of the study area. “Thanks again for helping with Anna and Sara!”
“Hello,” said Hestia, a smile in her voice. “We were glad to help.”
“But what brings all of you here?” Delilah asked.
“We’re hoping to go to Grimoire with them when Mister Midnight returns,” Hestia said.
“Were you now?” asked the strong, clear voice of Mister Midnight, with a bit of an edge to it.
“You’re back!” Caleb said, grinning as he turned towards the sound of Midnight’s voice. “How’d it go? Did you —”
Did you see Shana and Shias? That’s what he wanted to ask, but he remembered the important warning that Midnight had given him. Sal couldn’t see into Alexandra’s mansion. If he didn’t know the twins were there, it was best to keep it that way.
“I got your glasses,” Midnight said, but there was no sound of footsteps. “And an extra pair. So? What’s with the new friends?”
“They want to go to Grimoire, too,” Chelsea said. “We offered them a ride on the Goodnight Express.”
“It’s my train,” Midnight said, a keener edge in his voice.
“And we’re well-acquainted with your generosity,” Chelsea said. She slipped off of Caleb’s lap to stand. “Well? It’s not like they’re gonna hurt anyone, right?”
“It’s not a train accustomed to freeloaders,” Midnight said.
“Please, let’s not fight,” said Hestia, her voice warm and soothing. “It’s all right. If we aren’t welcome on the Goodnight Express, we can find other ways to Grimoire.”
“You got that right,” Midnight said.
“Mister Midnight,” said Gwen. “I think it would benefit us all if we help them.”
A long pause followed. Into the silence, Caleb heard faint, soft whispers from voices he just barely recognized as belonging to Mineria and Ingrid. Finally, Midnight let out a sigh. “Fine,” he said. “But they ride in a different car from us.”
“Thank you, Mister Midnight,” Hestia said. “We won’t forget your generosity.”
“I certainly wouldn’t forget if you did,” Midnight said. His footsteps sounded softly on the carpeted floor, and then a strong hand tousled Caleb’s hair. “You okay there, kid?”
“Hanging in there,” Caleb said with a shrug.
“These might help.” A familiar object was pressed into Caleb’s hand, and his heart soared. Slowly, ever so slowly, he put the new glasses on, keeping his eyes shut. He took a deep breath, then let it out…
And opened his eyes.
Color, and light, returned to his world. It had only been… well, he wasn’t sure how long. Quite a number of hours, at least. Snacks and a meal, quite a ways apart from each other, so at least half a day. Probably more.
It had felt like so, so long.
As Caleb’s eyes adjusted to seeing again, his gaze landed on Chelsea. She was smiling at him, her green eyes glittering. They’d never seemed so green before, nor her raven hair so black.
“Better?” Chelsea asked.
“Yeah,” Caleb said, breathless.
“Second pair,” Midnight said, and Caleb stared for a long moment at his teacher, taking in all the details — his long black duster coat, his black hair tied back in a ponytail, his strong, squarish jaw, and those eyes. Completely white, save for tiny black pinpricks in their center, pinpricks that seemed to open up the longer you stared at them, threatened to swallow you whole. Caleb took them in for a moment, reminding himself of that sensation.
And then he looked down, at what Midnight held out in his hand: a smooth, white metal case with golden leaf. When Caleb opened it, he found a second, identical pair of glasses to the ones he wore.
“She also sent a message,” Midnight said. “Wanted to let you know that she’s proud of you for keeping your eyes shut, even though we were in the middle of a battle. It’s easy to forget because those glasses work so well, but your eyes are on a precipice. You didn’t tempt fate.” A smirk slowly touched Midnight’s lips. “Good job, kid.”
“Thanks,” Caleb said, smiling. He slowly looked around, taking everything in. Addie, beaming up at him, as cute as ever. Will, headphones on as always, platinum-blonde hair appearing silver in the Library’s lighting. He paused his writing to stare straight back at Caleb, the smallest of smiles touching his lips. Lorelei and her steady, ice-blue gaze, and Gwen with her shimmering golden eyes.
And there were Hestia, Artemis, Athena, and Galahad, all together, silent, not recognizing the meaning of this moment, but not interrupting it, either.
And there was Delilah, and Alice, Isabelle and Maribelle and Sarabelle, Marcus, Terevalde. Delilah was beaming at him, and Caleb took in just how much she’d changed. Her thick, curly blonde hair that she’d for so long let grow down to her waist and sometimes longer was now a little shorter than shoulder length. She’d cut it herself, a drastic change that was even more compounded by how she’d cut the right side extra-short, sweeping whatever remained long to the left. She was still short and small, but cutting her hair had made a huge difference in making her look older, matching the rare maturity she held at just fourteen years old.
Caleb was glad to see everyone. And to see the Library of Solitude properly again. This hub room was the perfect way to see it, with its high, domed ceilings, and its numerous tiered landings full of bookshelves. This single room was nearly the size of Grimoire’s entire public library, and there were hundreds — maybe thousands — of these rooms here.
It’s good to be back.
Handling the case with his spare glasses with reverent care, Caleb placed it in a secure pocket inside his suitcase, and then he stared at that for a moment, and at the jacket he wore. The suitcase had a dark red lacquer and golden accents that shone differently from every angle. And his jacket was a custom fit, blue to match the locks of his bangs and the glow of his eyes, hooded and light. Both suitcase and jacket were made by Gwen, both matching those of his teammates — Chelsea, Addie, Will, Lorelei, and Gwen. And though his jacket had taken a beating on the journey, from fighting a Dragon to fighting Nyx and the Beast, Gwen had repaired it as good as new.
It’s really, really good to be back.
And then, a sudden peal rang out through the Library, a single note, high and clear, and then… it was over.
For a moment, all were silent, staring at each other, wondering what it meant. Even Mister Midnight didn’t seem to know.
It was Maribelle who spoke up, clearly stunned by the sound. “It’s… an alarm,” she said, slowly turning to look up at the arched doorway at the edge of the hub room that led to the Library of Solitude’s entrance hall. “A call for all to gather at the entrance.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Isabelle asked, rushing up the stairs.
“Wait, Belle-Belle, let’s go together!” Maribelle called, racing after her, shaking off the shock and uncertainty.
“Let’s all go,” Caleb said, leaping to his feet and running to follow, everyone else joining him.
“We’ve never heard that warning bell actually used before,” Sarabelle explained as they hurried up and out of the hub room. “It’s only been rung in a few drills as long as I’ve been alive.”
“Something’s happened,” Midnight said in a low voice, as if he knew what was coming. “Did some of them actually make it back?”
Lady Kodoka. And another Paladin, one Caleb didn’t recognize, but he looked like a warrior who had fought many battles, with armor pitted and scored, his white beard matted with blood, his eyes, though he grimaced in pain, showing with a keen, focused glint.
The man was limping, his right leg streaked with blood, but he helped Lady Kodoka stand. One of her arms was clearly broken, and she bore several more terrible wounds, and yet she stood tall, eyes fierce and proud… yet there was grief mingled there, and regret.
“Mommy!” came the cry from Isabelle as she raced into the entrance hall, ran straight to her mother and hugged her waist. “You’re hurt! I’ll help you, let’s get you to the healers!”
“In time, dear one,” Lady Kodoka said, stroking her daughter’s hair once before she turned a regal, fierce gaze on Midnight. “So you come to us at last, Lancelot. And all too late.”
“You fools,” Midnight said in a hushed, hollow tone. “If I’d known… if I’d known you were going to march off to war, and when, I would have been here, I would have stopped you, I…” But he trailed off, lowering his gaze for a moment.
“What happened?” Maribelle asked. “How did you escape?”
“Escape?” Lady Kodoka asked, coughing out a laugh. “He let us go, the blackheart.” She turned her regal gaze on Caleb and Delilah. “The Lord of Night wants you and your siblings to know — he is coming to Grimoire. He did not say when, only ‘soon, very soon. You will know when my arrival is nigh. The signs will be impossible to ignore.’ As if there is anything you can do where we could not.”
“Sal’s… coming to Grimoire?” Caleb asked, reeling as the implications of both that message and what he was seeing right before him sunk in. Neither Lady Kodoka, nor the man in armor, talked one bit about the battle. But he realized now, remembered them being told when they’d arrived at the Library of Solitude, that the Paladins — all that could be mustered, a huge number, in the thousands — had marched off to war under Lady Kodoka’s leadership.
They had gone off to fight Sal, to put an end to him and the Endless Night.
And now, standing before him… only two. Two who did not escape, two who Sal let go, so they could deliver a message.
It could only mean…
They’re all dead. Thousands of Paladins, trained for this kind of fight, this kind of foe…
All dead.
And now Sal’s coming to Grimoire?
Grief swept over him, grief for people he didn’t even know, whom he’d never met. And grief for the future. Because if thousands of Paladins couldn’t lay a finger on Sal, then…
No. Don’t think like that. It’s…
It’s too soon. But Sal said he’s coming soon, not immediately. There’s still time. Time for…
Caleb looked down at his side, to his sister, who was staring at Lady Kodoka and the armored man, a horror in her eyes slowly turning to determination.
Time’s running out, faster than we expected.
Delilah… it’s up to you, now.
And Caleb realized what that meant — for all of them.
They Key of the World likely wasn’t ready to be turned, not yet. Delilah and her team — and Shana and Shias, and Fae, and their respective teams — would still need more time. Time to find the Keys, time to figure out what they needed to do to turn them.
Time that Lady Kodoka and her army of Paladins had failed to buy for her. The Enchanted Dominion’s forces had failed.
Now, it was up to Grimoire to hold back the Endless Night.