Tundra heaved a sigh and leaned on her chair. Her eyes wandered from the encyclopedia on historical alchemy to Niran, who immersed herself in articles on designing environmental magical arrays. Few others frequented the zone they chose. The grand library was vast and winding; only those familiar with its layout would find this small zone.

  “Found anything?” Niran said. She didn’t look up from her articles.

  “I might have to go up to the third floor.”

  Frowning, Niran looked at her friend. “Are you really going to use your quota?”

  “It’s important to me.”

  “We came here to change our environment, yet you keep going back.”

  “I don’t want to drag you down. Your project is going at a steady pace. Mine will be fine.”

  “Aren’t we the best of friends?”

  “We’ve already shared our secrets.”

  “Yet you don’t let me share your burden.”

  “Not now.” Tundra shook away the trembling of her voice. “I need to confirm it first. I … need some time to prepare myself.”

  Niran hesitated to speak. She mulled over her question, but she swallowed her suspicion upon seeing how distracted her friend was. Since the day they experienced each other, Niran had been paying more attention to Tundra.

  She no longer felt strange when she found herself staring at her best friend’s lips. This change didn’t elude her; she merely gave it little thought.

  “I’ll go up too,” Niran said. “There are also records I’d like to read.”

  Tundra had no right to stop her friend. She forced a smile and accepted the company. The two tidied their table and made their way to the reception table at the first floor. They passed by onlookers who, upon seeing Niran, withdrew their gazes and whispered among themselves. Their inaudible words reached Tundra, but Niran stopped her from confronting the noises.

  “They’re right,” Niran said. “I betrayed them.”

  “Your choice doesn’t matter!”

  “I helped her in exchange for her guidance. It’s an opportunity I found and grasped.”

  “I … won’t blame you for taking it.”

  “That’s enough for me” Niran smiled.

  The two arrived at the reception area. They handed over their identification cards, gave their requests, and filled out the security forms. The quiet hall only had the scribbling noises of other visitors’ pens and the hushed tones of their conversations.

  While Tundra and Niran handed over the forms, a presence loomed over them. They turned around to meet their mentor, Melan. She donned an amused smile.

  “Going together?” she said. “Make sure not to overexert yourself.”

  “We’re fine. Right, Tundra?”

  “It was shocking, but fortunately nothing terrible happened to us. Professor, you should rest more than us.”

  “I’m planning to go to the third floor as well.”

  Tundra and Niran looked at each other before they thanked their mentor. Melan walked to the receptionist to revise the paperwork. She handed in her identification card, on which her status as a distinguished scholar presented itself.

  “How have you been, Tundra?”

  Tundra’s smile ceased. Shuddering, she turned to the sweetest voice she’d ever known. It tickled her chest and heated the amber in her heart. Two distinct yet similar silhouettes came to her mind, both shrouded in an air of equal mystery.

  Iris was there, as picturesque as the day she first appeared. The ghost of the wicked Black Rose vanished. No matter what Tundra imagined, everything became meaningless when she was before her tutor. That ambiguous mood seized her heart.

  “I’ve been diligently preparing for the final exam,” Tundra said. “Miss Iris, will I do well?”

  “You will succeed, my dear.” Iris reached forward and unfurled her right hand, revealing a silver rose-shaped ring. “An anticipatory congratulation.”

  The ring jumped from Iris’s hand. Its head, a shimmering ruby, flickered as snowflakes manifested on its surface. Its hue shifting to wintry blue, the ring gathered the surrounding air and flew toward Tundra.

  The invisible, permeative magical circles looked down upon Iris but did not rise from their slumber and activate their countermeasure. Their constant rotation never ceased, for nothing prohibited had happened. The ring, shielded in an icy fog, passed through the world in silence, in swiftness.

  Niran widened her eyes. The chill emanating from the ring cramped down upon her. She held her frozen breath and, summoning her wand, pointed at the ring before chanting her spells.

  But she could not finish her words before a similar power erupted beside her. A needle whose tip concentrated the distortive power flew at the ring.

  Their impact made no sound nor spectacle.

  The ring paused midair; its misty shield transformed into a delicate palm. It clasped onto the needle and crushed it, leaving no trace for the awakening magical arrays to detect.

  Tundra let go of her focus. She stumbled, falling onto her friend’s embrace. Her eyes stayed on her mentor, whose satisfied expression confused her.

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  The ring, its redness regained, gently floated in front of Tundra. She wore it on the ring finger of her left hand.

  “What … did you do?” Melan was behind Tundra, her eyes narrowed. “Did you know Lady Iris, Tundra?”

  Tundra turned to Iris, who gave her an approval, before she returned to her professor. “Lady Iris is the one who inspired me to pursue the path of instinctual spellcasting. She is also the one who helped me create Rose of Stillness.”

  “I merely nudged you toward the right direction; I wouldn’t dare to claim the position of co-creator.”

  “Was it not up to your standard?” Tundra said.

  “You can’t trick me with that.” Iris walked to Tundra. “Keep the ring well.”

  Tundra nodded while caressing it. She could feel a mysterious warmth radiating from its ruby. This ring was no ordinary, and she would do her utmost to uncover its secret.

  “External consult is always welcome, right?” Iris smiled at Melan. “Don’t worry. I don’t intend on stealing your pupils.”

  “I was just surprised you two knew each other. Did you know she’s my student?”

  “Would I be so cruel as to keep you in the dark?”

  “What about you, Tundra?”

  Tundra shook her head. “I … only know that she would join the academy as a distinguished scholar.”

  Tundra wished to ask Iris, but she held herself when she could feel her friend’s gaze on her back. She made way for Iris and Niran to exchange greetings. Niran suppressed the unease in her heart while introducing herself. After all, even her professor respected Iris.

  “I’m Niran Dorl. Professor Melan is also my supervisor,” Niran said. “Please forgive me for my overreaction. I … didn’t expect you to test your disciple so abruptly.”

  “It’d be a shame to let her potential go to waste; after all, she only needs a spark.”

  “Quite an aggressive spark, won’t you say?” Melan said. “However, I’m more interested in how you deceive the library’s detection.”

  Everyone waited for Iris’s explanation. Ignoring their expectant eyes, Iris ambled to the receptionist and handed her a gem-adorned purple card.

  Melan gasped while the two students blankly stared at the card. The receptionist carefully received the card, checked its seal, and vanished into the staff room. Muffled whispers leaked through the gaps between the doors, along with frantic sounds of footsteps.

  “I was lucky to have acquainted myself with the high nobility,” Iris said.

  “Mere luck wouldn’t grant you such favour.” Melan tried to pry the emotions behind the pair of sapphire eyes, but nothing could slip through the formal mask. “Not even my family could afford it.”

  “What kind of card was it?” Tundra said.

  “The purple cards are reserved for the distinguished guests of the great powers; they command respect of all but the highest nobility.” Melan chuckled. “Lady Iris, your background isn’t so simple after all.”

  Iris gave an empty smile. “It seems my friend has been too extravagant.”

  The receptionist returned with a pair of beautiful and handsome guides. After introducing themselves, they returned Iris her card and guided her to the elevator to the third floor. The others followed Iris after thanking her generosity.

  “Please forgive us,” the female guide said. “Although your privilege exceeds the third floor, we cannot authorise the entrance to the higher floors. Only the Department Heads and above could do it.”

  “I only intended to look around.”

  “To compensate, we shall issue privilege cards for your three followers. They’ll be able to enter the third for free of charge, so long as you do not revoke their access.”

  Melan shook her head. “There’s no need to go to such length.”

  Iris looked at her future colleague and the two pupils before stopping the guides. Although gifting them access privilege would benefit their career and learning, the price they must pay far outweighed the gain.

  Tundra and Niran rigidly agreed with their mentor. They couldn’t understand why, but they could guess that Iris’s status was sensitive.

  The elevator’s gate opened, revealing a misty membrane separating the third floor from the outside world. The guides each carried a candlelit lantern and proceeded forth. Their silhouettes merged with the membrane, which pulsated upon sensing foreign bodies.

  The lanterns brightened. The insignias inscribed on their shells flew out. They vanished into the darkness, and the mist calmed its curiosity.

  Iris followed the guides. Her body passed through the membrane. Cold winds blew past her without leaving any trace of her existence. She triggered no alarm nor reaction, not even the slightest pulse of acknowledgement.

  Melan and the rest entered. They experienced the peering gaze from beyond, the gaze that always unnerved them. It weighed upon their spirits, compressing their minds until knowledge and perception mixed. They channelled their powers to resist the confusion, but the gaze withdrew as swiftly as it landed on them.

  Merely entering the third floor was already a blessing.

  “What would you like to peruse, Lady Iris?” the female guide said. “Please inform us or the librarians of your topics, and we’ll do our best.”

  “You can also use the protective formation as your catalogue,” the male guide said. “However, it might be too rigid and slow compared to us.”

  “If needed, I’ll request your assistance.” Iris smiled. “You should serve them instead. After all, I do not intend on staying for too long.”

  The guides received the command and, excusing themselves, went to help the students. Everyone separated at the centre of the floor, with Tundra going with the female guide and Niran with the male guide. Iris and Melan stuck together, strolling through dust-free shelves and stacks of mystical texts.

  “You don’t have to follow me,” Iris said. “After all, the time spent here is precious.”

  “With your permission, I could come here at any time. Now, accompanying you is much more important.”

  “Would you like to do more than just that?”

  Iris quietly passed rows of shelves. Melan stayed behind her, keeping silent. She was going to lead the way, but Iris made her way through a particular path, trying to find a particular destination; this was the first time she had been here, yet her movement indicated otherwise.

  “Where have you been all this time?” Melan said.

  “Drifting to wherever fate led me.”

  “With such an unforgettable presence, how could you leave so little traces?”

  “Even the northern light leaves behind only mere sparkles. People who know me, they know me alone.”

  Melan decided against probing further. She couldn’t read her future colleague’s emotions, nor could she confirm or deny her suspicion.

  Iris picked a book from an unremarkable shelf. She arrived at a literature section, specifically those of unknown authors and origins. The book’s cover depicted a featureless hand hovering above a pile of dolls, surrounded by strings and stage lights.

  “Do you know what this is?” Iris asked.

  Melan had no recollection of such a book. She shook her head.

  Behind Melan, a blurry figure walked past her and examined the book. Black Light narrowed her eyes. Her wings spread, covering the entire section from the world’s eyes. Black feathers fell all around, although seen only by two beings.

  “Quite an impressive display,” Iris said. “Is this necessary?”

  “Another hint of Divinity, how can we stay quiet?”

  “This one’s different.”

  Black Light tilted her head. “You’re never predictable, Dear.”

  “I wished it weren’t so.”

  Iris glided her fingers across the book’s cover. The strings and hand trembled, shaking the pile of dolls and the stage. Invisible dust scattered, revealing a forbidden name etched upon the page.

  “The Endless Division and Unity, Keeper of Myriad Arcane, Ruler Beyond the Void—Innumeral.”

  Everything stopped. Bubbling sounds of invisible tides, of the river of time, filled the air. The grand library’s third floor crumbled, giving way to an endless expanse of spacetime.

  The last of the Five Catastrophes laid his invisible gaze upon her Iris. It traced her existence, not just her body, but her history. Her naked moments laid bare before this being; she could not hide herself, yet he did not pry further.

  Within Iris was a dim spirit, a constant, singular radiance that endured through the river of time. No past could contain it, nor any future that had yet to arrive. Only the present Iris, who persisted against the gaze, could host this mark.

  She carried no fear in her eyes, no surprise in her heart. She tried to meet the being’s gaze, but it had already left.

  Black Light too had vanished, resuming the passage of time. Melan walked to Iris, and Iris turned to look at her friend. That one instant was enough to pierce her heart.

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