The Afterlife Academy Saga

Chapter 14

14

Seconds painstakingly ticked away, filling the atmosphere with tension and worry. We were in a real predicament here and the sustained injuries added a new kind of urgency to our rescue.

I looked at the girl next to me, reassured by her presence. Everything would be a lot bleaker without Ryoko here, but at the same time, I wished she wouldn’t have to go through this. If only I hadn’t gotten her involved…

But then, I hadn’t asked for any of this and nobody could’ve predicted Master Ryuga’s insanity. If he hadn’t assaulted me, none of this would’ve happened.

“I made coffee.” Ryoko placed a couple of cups down on the metal table and sat down next to me, her hands clasped around her own mug.

“Thanks,” Sim muttered, still drained from earlier.

I reached across the table for my own mug and inhaled the familiar roasted scent. It was a small comfort in a sea of problems. “Smells good.”

The Elf nodded, softly slurping from his. “Hmm… Just what I needed.”

“Are you feeling alright?” Ryoko asked.

“Drained…”

I pushed myself up straighter. “I’ve never seen any kind of magic like yours.”

“Elves have an affinity with nature, and as Rangers, ours is with rocks and earth.”

Ryoko smiled. “It was really impressive.”

“Hah.” Sim scoffed. “It’s nothing compared to the Elves of Old. The Keepers of the world are just… They’re legendary.”

“Keepers?” I echoed, my interest peaked. “Like the Keeper of Illusions?”

“Yes… How do you know about that?” he asked, seeming more curious than suspicious.

The little leaf on my hip burned from the mention, like a warning.

“I have a Wood Elf in my class. She told me about it,” I lied, earning a look from Ryoko.

She knew I was lying, but I hoped she wouldn’t hold it against me.

Sim adjusted his dark cloak. “Strange…”

Before we could get into it, the sound of a metal door interrupted the conversation.

Flavia emerged from the right wing and sank down on the couch, lines of exhaustion drawn along her face. Our bunker stay had stained her pristine white shirts and frazzled her tight braids. The lack of showers and the dirt all added to her tired and washed out look, portraying a tired Valkyrie. And yet, she’d never looked more like an Heir than now. Coated in the sweat of her efforts and the blood of her kin, she looked like someone worth following.

“Are you okay?” I asked, handing her a mug of coffee. “What about Astrid?”

“She’s steady, but still in critical condition. I’m doing all I can, but I fear that if we can’t get her to a proper doctor by tonight…”

“But the note from Professor Brynhild said they were days, even weeks off getting us out of here,” Ryoko reminded us.

“I know…”

The defeat in Flavia’s voice was enough to kill the mood, but it had the opposite effect on me.

I rose from my seat, balling my fists to strengthen my determination. “That’s not good enough.”

“But then what are we supposed to do?” The Dragon looked up at me, the question clear in her eyes.

“I don’t know, but there has to be something I can do…” I looked around the room, my eye catching on Sim and an idea sprouting to mind. The conversation we had earlier, about the Forest of Illusions, it reminded me of something I’d been trying to forget.

Var and his betrayal. How he wanted to use me so he could escape from the Keeper. I didn’t know exactly how he expected to do that, but there was an interesting idea there.

If he was right, that meant that, in theory, I could exit the Veil from a different place than where I entered and I could take someone with me.

But if we were going to try that, I had to tell them about my Shadow secret. And there was no guarantee that it would actually work.

I hesitated, deciding whether it was a mistake to tell Sim. But then… Astrid’s life was at stake and Flavia seemed to trust him.

“So this can’t leave the bunker, but I have something I need to tell you. Ryoko and Flavia already know. In fact, Flavia and I have been…” I looked at the third-year, making sure she was alright with me explaining. When she nodded, I continued. “We’ve been practising going into the Veil.”

Sim chuckled. “I hate to break this to you, but that’s the entire point of our studies?”

“No, I meant… We’ve been trying to recreate the guiding and the poisonous bonds.”

“Oh.” The Elf leaned forward. “And?”

“We managed once. But when in the Veil, I… I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but I changed tethers. When I exited the Veil, I was no longer at the Academy. I found myself in a forest. Well… Not just any forest. I think you’re familiar with it. The Forest of Illusions.”

His eyes narrowed. “That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“That’s a Wood Elf myth, a story they tell to scare their children. Plus, you can’t leave the Veil a different place then you entered.”

“You can if you’re a Shadow Walker.”

Precious seconds ticked away as Sim gaped at me with an open mouth. He crossed his arms, the disbelief clear on his face. “I don’t believe you.”

I reached to pull up my shirt, still unsure whether it was alright to show the leaf mark. But both Sim and Flavia had put everything on the line to save Astrid and now it was my turn, even if that meant revealing my secrets.

The Reaper gasped at the sight of the intricate design on my hip. The green lines swirled and danced together, following the details of a small leaf.

“That’s Elf magic…” he whispered in awe. “The Keeper of Illusions is real?”

I nodded. “Yes. I passed his test.”

He turned to Flavia, who reached out to him and placed a hand on his arm. “It’s true.”

The two locked eyes, touching for a little longer than friends would. There was definitely something between them if they could have a silent conversation like that.

It took another second before the Elf nodded. “Alright… So, you’ve pretended to be stuck with us, but in reality, you could leave?”

I pulled a face. “I don’t know how to enter the Veil on my own. That’s why I needed Flavia as my guide. But with your help, maybe we can find a way for me to go into the Veil and if I succeed, I think I can take Astrid with me… I can get her the medical assistance she needs.”

“Couldn’t you just take all of us?” he asked.

I stared at my mug, the coffee gone cold. “I don’t think I’ll manage. I’m not even sure if this is how it works… It’s a gamble, but if it works… I’ll make sure to get you out, one way or another. I promise.”

A sudden hand fell on my knee and Ryoko shot me a reassuring look. “I believe in you. I’ll help in any way possible.”

Gratitude flooded me, lifting some of my despair. “Thank you.”

Flavia sighed. “I wish we had more options… But I don’t think we do.”

All heads turned to Sim, the one that had the least reason to trust me. If he didn’t have faith in me, then this really had no chance of working.

He sighed and shook his head softly, seemingly conflicted. “If that’s the only way…”

“I don’t know what else we can do,” I admitted. Even if we had any hope that digging ourselves out of here would work, Astrid put that thought quickly to rest. There was no other way out of here, except through the Veil. If I could do it…

Sim exchanged another look with Flavia and then nodded. “Fine. What do you need me to do?”