The morning light spilled through tall windows, dust dancing zily in the beams. Lea sat cross-legged at a table in one of Zangrill’s side chambers, a space that smelled faintly of ink and wax. Spread across the polished wood were strips of parchment, small metal ptes, chalk, and bowls of strange powders.

  Across from her, Auger leaned back in his chair, cane banced on his knees. His expression was that infuriating blend of teacher and amused onlooker.

  "Today’s lesson...", he began, tapping the desk with the cane’s tip, "Is talismans and sigils. Containers, you might say. A way to hold a Path’s power outside of the body."

  Lea’s eyes narrowed, "Like branding?"

  He shook his head, "Not quite. Branding is an extension of your will."

  He gestured to the spread before them, "These are more neutral. Anyone can activate them, provided they know the trigger. The catch, each can only hold one Path at a time. No mixing, no clever combinations. Try, and you’ll get a pile of useless ash, or worse."

  Lea picked up a slip of parchment, running her thumb over its surface, "So they’re… batteries for power?"

  "Crude metaphor, but yes.", Auger said with a smirk, "Utility-focused. Traps, wards, charms. Not glorious, but very practical. A clever man with talismans can outwit a brute who wields raw might."

  She scowled, "Sounds unfair."

  "That is precisely the point.", he chuckled, "The key to it, as popurized by Charlotte the Heretic, is willpower, channel your intent as you draw, let your power seep into the ink.

  Lea chewed on her lip, then dipped the quill into ink mixed with seastone dust.

  The air felt tense as she began sketching, lines, curves, interlocking circles. She didn't know the patterns, but her Path whispered in her hand, tugged at her instincts. A sigil began to form, not a full one, just a spiral with no discernible feature...

  Her scars burned faintly. She ignored the itch under her skin.

  When she finished, she pressed her palm to the parchment and whispered...

  "Sickness..."

  The lines fred with a faint, sickly green glow before fading into the fibers of the paper.

  She gasped softly, lifting the talisman as if it might bite her, "…It worked?"

  Auger's brows rose.

  "Hm, Interesting...", he leaned closer, peering at the parchment, "Hexes don’t usually anchor this cleanly, not without… corruption."

  Lea froze, "So it's because of…"

  She touched the faint, bck ridges on her arm where Corruption had once cwed her body.

  "Indeed.", Auger said. His voice was lighter now, but the look in his eyes was sharp, searching, "Most Pathstriders would struggle weeks to stabilize a talisman on their first try. You did it in one."

  Lea looked back at the parchment, conflicted. It felt good, too good, to succeed. But she hated the reason why.

  Still, she muttered, "If Corruption left me with something useful… I’ll take it."

  Auger ughed quietly, shaking his head, "Practical to the st. You may loathe your scars, but you’ve just proven they make you exceptional. Lean into it, Lea. Even cursed flesh can be sharpened into a weapon."

  Her grip on the talisman tightened. She didn’t like the way his words resonated with her, but deep down, she knew he was right.

  "Up next, I want you to create all Hex variants.", he stated, putting a book down in front of Lea.

  She stares at the book, eyes twitching.

  "Are you serious?", she looked back up at him.

  "Yes, and I want there to be at least five of each type buy the end of next week.", he gave Lea her assignment, "And try to create your own symbol, that would help you anchor better."

  "But wouldn't give me away as the culprit?", Lea frowned, hearing what he said. Something that points toward her certainly defeats the purpose of Cloak.

  "You should really borrow one of the books Lady Keter gives, it'll give you more idea about. There was a book named 'V for Vendetta', its a good thing to know there is someone behind the action, known yet unknown. Oh, and there is a collection called 'Moon Knight', you should definitely read that one if you want to be a shadowy hidden fighter."

  After that, he left the study, leaving Lea to practice on her own. Letting out a deep sigh, she returned to drawing talismans, drawing upon her burning hatred, malicious intents.

  It wasn't long until she finished making ten Sickness talismans. It made her mentally exhausted, staring at the book of curses, Lea felt like she didn't want to learn.

  So she chanted Lady Keter's Honorific Title...

  "Alchemist of Infinity;Embracer of Origin, Child of Purity and Silver;The Monarch cd in Argent Light."

  She opened her eyes, finding herself in the monochrome world. As usual, Lady Keter was in her seat, calm and collected as ever.

  Lea's heart tightened a bit, recalling her conversation with Auger a few days before... do not trust Lady Keter.

  "What brings you here, Dantes?", she asked.

  Lea steadied herself, "Auger told me that you can lend me some books to help with my ritual."

  Lady Keter tapped her fingers along the table, musing, "He is quite right, this is a library, after all. So what genre do you enjoy? Science fiction, fantasy, or some thriller?"

  Lea didn't expect a full-on recommendation. But she kept herself composed.

  "Auger mentioned 'V for Vendetta' and 'Moon Knight', Lady Keter. Do you have those books in this library?"

  "Yes, but I have a better one for you.", she smiled, snapping her finger and a book appeared in her hand.

  The cover was a ship in front of an isnd, the title said 'Count of Monte Cristo'.

  "For someone chasing vengeance, this book fits you perfectly. And it is the very origin of my name to you."

  Lady Keter slided the book over to Lea, who picked it up. Opening it, she realized it was a... novel. But the opening line made her furrowed her brows, as it said that this book is the "short version".

  "Could I have the full version?", she asked.

  She was not a reader by any means, but it still feel wrong about reading a book that have the full version while not reading it.

  "I could give you that, but are you ready to spend sleepless nights reading a book that has close to half a million words?", she questioned Lea, almost teasing.

  That is a huge number... Lea thought, her mind went back to the requirement for Erudition. But she shook her head, knowing that she doesn't need to memorize it all...

  With all the things happening, from the Tome of Light to becoming a "servant" of Auger, Lea wants something to blow off steam.

  "I would like the full version, please.", she respectfully asked.

  "As you wish~", with another snap, three thick books appeared on the table in front of Lea.

  Each one was as big as the short version.

  "And please return them in a month, this is still a library, after all.", Lady Keter stated, turning to the countless books inside this pce.

  Lea nodded slightly, "I will, Lady Keter..."

  Closing her eyes, she returned to the real world. On the table now y three books.

  She started reading the first volume...

  =0=0=

  Dawn enters the meeting room, her eyes sharp and fierce. She just got back from the expedition, her clothes were still dirty from dirt and grime. No way for a princess to conduct herself.

  In the room were only two people, the king, Alberto V, and the Crown Prince, Lindel Ryteline, her younger brother. Both are refined men, fitting for the leader and future leader of a country.

  "What kind of emergency had you called us for?", the king asked, being gentle with his eldest daughter.

  "There is an unknown god in our nd from my discovery.", she outright stated as she quickly sat down.

  Pcing the bone piece on the table, she began to expin her reasoning. About what she found in the ruins, the abnormally younger ground, her insight on Regression, and... what Lady Keter told.

  Her father and brother, the Crown Prince, are the only ones she confides the secret of Lady Keter. The Eyes of the Void and the One hidden in the Cracks of Time were the documents she found over three years ago after she met the Lady of the Library.

  Seeing how Lady Keter revealed her domain to be Time, it seems so obvious now.

  "A god with the authority over the domains such as Regression, Correction, and Legacy...", Lindel sank into deep thoughts.

  A god wielding these Paths is more dangerous than one might think. It doesn't sound like a dangerous god, but who knows with the whims of the divine?

  "Regression is understood as the weakest Path.", Alberto V commented, "But that is because nobody could fulfill the Third Step ritual."

  Regression's main benefit is the complete immunity to any and all types of abnormal affliction, and that was all. It disallows the Pathstrider to take on any other Paths when performing the ascension rituals.

  Lady Keter had identified the problem to be something wrong with the rituals id out by The Heretic, that there is truly only One Step to Regression. Even what she said was vague...

  "Regression, to return to a former state... the vilge's pgue, people resurrecting, I initially thought it was reted to Salvation's miracle creation, but turns up it was the power to revert the entire area to a previous state.", Dawn stated, looking at her father and brother, "A singur bone fragment id there, so there could be more out in the wild."

  They discuss some more about Regression, moving onto Correction, which is a familiar Path to them all. It has simir but more active power compared to Regression, and the ability to correct the things around, akin to healing.

  And they finally move on to Legacy.

  "This god might hold the secrets of the world itself. If we find them, they can reveal so much.", Dawn said, her eyes glued to the bone piece. Ambition burns in her eyes, "If their body parts were scattered across the world... what would happen when we collect them all?"

  Lady Keter had mentioned this god holds power over the very concept of Absolution. Dawn wonders what that could mean for this world as a whole.

  After some thinking, the king of Ryteline issued a decree for his daughter.

  "Dawn Ryteline, I put you in charge of finding reted matters to this god. Spare no resources to uncover the secrets of this god."

  Standing up, she bowed with her right hand on her chest, "I oblige, Your Majesty."

  "Also, I would like to visit Count Maxwell.", she said.

  Alberto V widens his eyes in surprise, she wanted to visit the old hero of Ryteline. But instead of admiration, there was something else she had in mind.

  "I'll arrange a visit for you.", he replied.

  Then, after a moment, Dawn began to speak again.

  "And I want to make an announcement...", her voice was low, drawing the attention of the two, "Father, brother... I want to enter the inheritance race."

  A brief silence fell between them. Then Lindel spoke up.

  "But sister, you are already over 40, no man would want to marry someone that old, even for power."

  Silence befall them all. It is true that she, despite being a princess, was not engaged to anyone. She was too obsessed with her research and development to even respond to letters unreted to research.

  "..."

  "..."

  "..."

  The king coughed as his face visibly became paler, standing up and quickly heading to the door, "Ehem, I have other business to attend to, you two talk to each other."

  Without another word, he slipped out faster than dignity should allow. The door closed behind him as though fleeing from the storm to come.

  While the Crown Prince betedly realized he had messed up, he reached out for the exit. But Dawn grabbed his hand, her sunset colored eyes glowed with power, and she Mimicked the Path of Carnage.

  There is no fury like a woman's rage.

  =0=0=

  The study was dim save for the flicker of a mp. Shadows stretched long across the walls, and the smell of ink and parchment lingered heavily.

  The door creaked open. Auger stepped in, cane tapping against the wood, his coat slung carelessly over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed when he saw the sight before him.

  Lea sat at the desk, hair messy, face propped up by one hand, the other gripping a thick tome. Her eyes were wide, tracing each line feverishly. A half-finished talisman y forgotten beside her elbow, parchment curling at the edges.

  "…Already on volume two?", Auger raised a brow, leaning against the doorframe.

  "Shh." Lea waved him off without looking up, lips moving silently as she devoured the words. "Dantès is pnning something big, I can’t stop here."

  Auger chuckled, walking over and peering down at the mountain of paper stacked beside her. "You’re more than halfway through the second? That’s… impressive."

  "It’s not impressive, it’s necessary.", Lea muttered, eyes darting frantically across the page, "Every page I read, I can feel him... his rage, his patience, his pns. This is… this is everything. I get why Lady Keter calls me Dantes."

  Auger sighed, tapping her book with the cane’s tip, "And yet, it’s past midnight. You’ll burn yourself out. Even vengeance needs a good night’s sleep."

  "No!", Lea snapped the book closer to her chest, gring up at him like a child caught red-handed, "You can’t make me stop now, not here! They just—he just—"

  "Lea.", His voice carried the weight of command, smooth but firm, "Close it."

  Her lips pressed into a tight line. For a long moment, she gred at him, knuckles whitening around the novel’s spine. Then, with a groan, she smmed the book shut, the sound echoing in the quiet chamber.

  Sulking as she leaned back in her chair, Lea muttered, "You let me carve curses until my hands cramped, but gods forbid I read a few books."

  "A few?", Auger smirked, picking up the remaining untouched volume and testing its weight in his hand, "At this pace, you’ll ruin your eyes before you reach the st page."

  Lea crossed her arms, gring sideways, "Worth it."

  Auger chuckled, setting the book back down. "Tell you what. Finish your assignments by tomorrow, and I’ll let you read until sunrise the day after."

  Her eyes lit up, only to narrow suspiciously, "…That’s a trick."

  "Of course it is.", he said with a grin, heading for the door, "But it’s also a deal. Come along, before you start branding sigils into the margins of your precious novel."

  Lea groaned again, hugging the book tightly to her chest as she reluctantly stood, "You aren't my father... I'm an orphan for gods' sake."

  Auger’s ughter followed her as they left the study, the mp’s fme dimming behind them.