Elara Vance
I finally reached the archives.
The heavy oak door loomed in front of me, its surface darkened with age, faint carvings etched so deeply they felt more like scars than decoration. I pressed my palm against it, feeling the cold seep into my skin before pushing it open slowly.
The hinges groaned—soft, but loud enough to make me wince.
I slipped inside and closed it gently behind me.
The air inside was stagnant, thick.
It smelled like time itself—aged paper, worn leather, dust that had settled decades ago and never been disturbed.
It wrapped around me, settling into my lungs, grounding me in the moment.
I inhaled slowly.
I flicked on my flashlight.
The beam cut through the darkness, illuminating towering shelves that stretched impossibly high and outward, disappearing into the shadows. Rows upon rows, packed tightly with books, records, and forgotten knowledge.
Hidden truths.
Knowing it's just a normal uni’s archive. But looking at the shelves surrounding me, nothing about them felt normal.
For a moment, I just stood there.
Just listening.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No voices.
No movements.
Good.
I moved forward carefully, my fingers brushing against the spines of books as I passed.
Each one felt different—some Cold. Some rough. Some smooth. Some are fragile with age.
Searching.
Always searching.
Time blurred. Minutes passed.
Then more.
I checked shelf after shelf, scanning titles, pulling out ledgers, flipping through pages filled with meaningless data. Like the last 10 years of hockey tournaments.
Nothing.
I moved faster. Another row. Another section. Still nothing
No hidden compartment. No out-of-place ledger. No sign of anything remotely resembling what I was looking for.
My frustration built slowly, tightening in my chest.
“Come on…” The word slipped out, louder than I intended.
I winced slightly but kept going.
I swallowed, forcing myself to stay calm as I checked one final row—lower shelves this time, crouching slightly, scanning every inch.
There had to be something.
A pattern.
A clue.
A hidden section, something just something.
I crouched near the lower shelves, running my fingers along the edges, checking for loose panels, hidden seams.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
My grip tightened around the flashlight.
“DAMN IT,” the word slipped out, louder this time.
I froze instantly.
Listened.
nothing.
And yet—
Something felt off. Different.
Like the air itself had shifted. I swallowed, forcing myself to stay calm as I checked one last section. Empty. empty.
I was wrong.
Or worse—I was too late?
I stood there for a moment, chest rising and falling, the weight of failure settling over me like the storm outside.
But beneath it—
Something else.
Determination.
Cold.
Unyielding.
I straightened slowly, forcing my breathing to steady.
“No,” I said quietly. But this wasn’t over.
Not even close.
I took one last look around the archives, committing the layout to memory. Every aisle. Every shelf. Every gasp. Every shadow.
“I’ll be back,” I murmured.
Because I would.
I always came back.
Turning toward the door, I slipped out as quietly as I had entered, easing it shut behind me.
When I stepped back into the corridor, the silence greeted me again—but it didn’t feel as oppressive anymore. Just… temporary
The walk back to my dorm was long, slower, colder, and heavier. My soaked clothes clung uncomfortably, my sneakers still squelching with every step.
The rain had softened outside, but it hadn’t stopped.
Neither had I.
I stepped back into it without hesitation.
The cold didn’t bother me anymore.
Failure did.
I tilted my head slightly, letting the rain hit my face, washing away the frustration—but not the determination.
“I’ll find it,” I said quietly, more promise than thought.
Tomorrow night.
The night after that.
No matter how long it takes.
Because I don’t give up.
And neither does the Eclipsed Court.
And if the Obsidian Circle thought they could bury their secrets forever—
They were wrong.
By the time I reached the dorm, my clothes were still soaked, my hair dripping, my body exhausted.
But my mind?
Wide awake.
Sharp.
Focused.
I pushed open my dorm door quietly and slipped inside, the warmth hitting me almost instantly.
Still—I didn’t relax. Not completely.
Not yet.
Because somewhere in that archive—The truth was waiting and I was going to find it.
No matter what it takes.
I stood leaning against the closed door. Why? Why couldn’t I find it there? Did I miss a spot? Did I miss something? something that could have at least led me to the ledger if it wasn’t in the archive.
Ugh—goddd. I ran my fingers through my wet hair. I push off the door and head straight to the bathroom.
The university didn't just offer me a dorm; it was more like an apartment with 3 bedrooms with an attached bathroom, a kitchen, and a damn massive living room.
Like I know I'm in this university because of my straight A’s since high school. And I'm on scholarship—but this, the so-called dorm, was not what I expected when the headmaster of the uni told me. Miss Vance, you’re one of the top students in our uni…. And I know that the foster care you’ve been living in since you were 10 is paying the uni’s fee, along with the tuition fees, and how long it takes to travel from there to here. So I want you not to worry about it anymore, it's all on us, it's all taken care of for the rest of the years, and I have allotted you a separate dorm. If you wish to have roommates or not, pls do inform the dorm in charge.’
I step into the bathroom. Ready to take a warm bath.
I took my wet top off the laundry basket, slipping out of the jeans.
I fill the bathtub with warm water, then pour some amount of lavender-scented bath salt. Once it had dissolved, I stepped into the bathtub.
—--------------------------------------
I was in my pajamas, and I went to Nina’s bedroom hoping I could sleep with her tonight. As I was about to knock, the door opened. There she was in our matching pj’s.
God, she was gorgeous without any of her makeup. The captain of the university’s cheerleading team. How someone like her would even consider me as her best friend.
“Ell, what are you doing up at this time?” Nina is a 3rd year. I'm in 2nd.
“Will tell, but can I sleep with you tonight?” I already knew her answer, so I just slipped past into her room.
“Sure—” I throw myself onto her bed.
“I just now came home— I went to uni,” I sigh, remembering everything I did tonight. She closed the door. Sitting beside me on the bed
“Before you ask why I went to uni at this time, it's because I figured that sending others to retrieve the ledger was wasting a lot of time.” I turn my head away from the ceiling to look at her.
“So—what? You thought you might take matters into your own hands? Well, how did it go?” god, even though she sounded pissed about me going alone, she also knew it's what I had to do.
“I–i, well.”
“Well, that's what I thought. Okay, leave that. Tell me, no one saw you, right? And I might have found some leads today… but I'm not sure about it.”
“No, I don't think that Anyone might have seen or followed me. I'm pretty sure I would’ve known before someone even thinks about looking at me.”
“Good Ell, I'm really pissed at you for not telling me, I know, and I get that you are our leader, but still, I might not ever forgive myself if anything happens to you, neither will Liam.” I shifted slightly, so Nina could lean back against the headboard as I placed my head on her lap.
I look up at her, “What is it that you mentioned you’ve found some leads?”
Her hand stills the movement on my hair as she looks down at me seriously. “Yeah, about that, Ell, the ledger might be in the new archive, not the old one. "
“What? Why do you think it would be in the new archive, Ni?”
“Because the old archive doesn't have outdated philosophy texts, from what I found out today, it might be in the third row, fifth shelf, behind the philosophy texts. And guess what colour the spin is—of course they had it to be grey-black.”
“ ni….damn, that's a huge lead we have had for the past few weeks. I had a feeling it might not be an accident if the obsidians left the ledger in the old archives.” I stare at the ceiling as the earlier feeling of failure turned into calm, awareness, and something I couldn’t put my mind at, curiosity maybe?
I move my head from Nina’s lap, giving her some space on her side of the bed as she lies beside me. I turn off the lights, taking my phone from the pocket of my pj’s and placing it on the bedside table.
I lay back down … I didn't know when I drifted back to sleep.
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