Ariah parts ways with me before lunchtime, having promised to help a teacher with a project. We agree to meet up later with Nate and Celeste, but for now, I’m on my own.
Deciding to use the head start, I head up a flight of stairs toward the library. I’m desperate to find the Book of the Divine and decode the meaning behind my mark—assuming I don’t get lost in this labyrinth first. The sheer scale of the academy is enough to give me nightmares; I can already imagine being late for class and wandering these endless stone corridors without a map.
Thankfully, my luck holds. When I round the corner, I find the heavy double doors of the library. My heart sinks, however, when I spot a hand-scribbled note taped to the wood: Be back in an hour.
I sigh and lean against the wall, weighing my opti
