Chapter VIII

  “I’m going to confront Grunly. He’s old and he can’t quite hide things anymore. If I approach him bluntly the way I just did with you, I don’t think he’ll be able to effectively lie. So by all means, come with me, Album. See for yourself that I’m not crazy… I’ll wait until the end of the week! That way, you’ll have time to give it some thought!”

  Album clicked her tongue with annoyance, the realization suddenly striking her that it had already been one week since her aggravating conversation with Nigreos, and to her disgust, she couldn’t deny that she’d pondered it once or twice since. That wasn’t to say she believed him, for there wasn’t a single reason she could think of that would lead Ryokumo and Ilirianna, her two most trusted and beloved friends, to hide something as earth-shattering as Abigail surviving Stellareid. After all, why would they keep it from her? She wasn’t sure why Abi would go into hiding anyway if she wasn’t dead, but Album would never betray Abigail Reiner no matter what her reasoning was. If she needed to slip away from the Citadel, then as painful as it would have been, Album would have accepted that and done everything in her power to keep that secret. Ryokumo and Ilirianna would know that, of course, so she refused to buy into Nigreos’s lies and delusions.

  However, she couldn’t help wondering if Nigreos was onto something, for Grunly’s retirement announcement was rather abrupt, and if he was telling the truth regarding Ilirianna and Ryokumo speaking to him that one night, then it wasn’t impossible they had something to do with it. She merely did not think Abi was relevant.

  The problem is that Nigreos plans to confront Grunly with or without me… When he visited the other day, I truly didn’t want anything to do with this nonsense, but as I’ve sat on it, I can’t help feeling bad for Master Grunly. How is he going to feel when Nigreos starts accusing him of things he didn’t do, and reminding him that his dear pupil is truly dead and gone? The fall of the Kosah-Rei should be an occasion for celebration, and Abi was finally avenged, so I shouldn’t allow Nigreos to spoil that for Grunly.

  That was the reason she was considering actually going with him. She could not stop Nigreos from doing this, so the best thing she could do was be there for Grunly and take his side—to prove to him that the Master of Darkness was the only one losing his mind and that everybody else knew he had done nothing wrong.

  That’s the right thing to do, for his sake, but… I just loath Nigreos Noctis, with all my heart… I don’t want to look at him. I don’t want to hear his voice. I don’t want to sense his mana. I just wish he could be dead, gone, removed from my life so that I never need to think about him again, because every time I do, I just remember that night…

  It was frustrating that he decided to throw this problem into her lap when he did, because ever since Ankalla, she had been sleeping a little better. She felt like it might be possible to stop dreaming about Lunara and Stellareid now that the Kosah-Rei was gone, but just as she was settling it, he came back. Ever since Nigreos spoke with her, the nightmares had returned. She found herself once again recalling the way her father and brother were mercilessly taken from her by two people she had once considered family. It was the worst betrayal of her life, and perhaps not something she could properly escape from. Maybe Ankalla was just providing her a brief respite, but if not for Nigreos, she suspected that freedom could have been a little longer.

  So do I join him? she asked herself over and over. Do I bite back my hatred for the sake of Master Grunly, or should I continue to distance myself from Nigreos and leave Grunly to deal with it alone?

  One option was noble, one was selfish, and unfortunately for her mental health, she considered herself to be a good person.

  I can’t abandon Grunly.

  That was the decision she came to, so when the sun set on that rainy night one week after the initial conversation, Album Luz prepared herself for the inevitable knock on the door—one that came not long after dinner.

  “So, Album? Are you coming?”

  Nigreos’s question was quick and to-the-point, indicating that he wanted this stop by her quarters to be fast so that he could move things along, and as she gazed up into his pale white eyes, she glared right back at him and spat,

  “Yeah, I’m coming. And if you step out of line even once, I’m kicking your ass.”

  The Master of Darkness’s lips curled into a sneer, making it obvious he understood she was not joining for the reasons he hoped. “Fine, then let’s be off. I’ve made an appointment with Master Grunly and it starts in five minutes, so he’s expecting me.”

  “Wonderful.”

  Concluding that tense exchange, Album pulled the door shut behind her and joined Nigreos as they stalked off through the residential corridors. They didn’t speak to one another, just as she preferred, and for once, it felt as if he didn’t want to talk either. Usually, she could sense his desire to reach out and bridge the gap between them, but now, it was like he was finally accepting that she hated him, but had little interest in telling him why.

  Nigreos and Album reached the floor containing Grunly’s office rather quickly, and before she knew it, they had stepped into the repurposed classroom that was now the Master of Nature’s personal room. Multiple rows of desks stood between themselves and the front, with vines bearing brightly colored flowers wrapped around the walls and trim of the room, and a large windowed wall spanning the right-hand side, a balcony just beyond it. Edwar Grunly himself was sitting at his own, much larger desk in the far right corner, and sitting beside him was a tea set with two ceramic mugs placed next to a kettle with the same flowery design. Album also noticed a small plate of cookies adjacent to the kettle, causing her stomach to churn with even stronger hatred for Nigreos as she witnessed the wholesome prep Grunly made for this visit.

  He’s just excited for a guest…and Nigreos is here to ruin his night.

  “Ah, Nigreos, welcome to…” Grunly trailed off, having noticed Album enter beside the Master of Darkness, causing his smile to fall with embarrassment. “And Album? Oh goodness, I didn’t realize you were coming. I didn’t brew enough tea…”

  Album jumped to reassure him, insisting, “I-it’s okay, Master Grunly! I was kind of a last minute addition, so don’t worry! I’m not thirsty.”

  “Nonsense!” he stated. “You took the time out of your evening to pay me a visit, so I’ll be damned if I don’t behave like a good host. Here, you take mine, and I’ll brew some more. Please, come in and sit!”

  Beckoning them, Grunly hopped to the ground and carried the tray of tea and cookies over to the student desks before placing them down. As Nigreos and Album took their seats in adjacent spots, the Master of Nature shuffled around the room as he retrieved a spare cup and grabbed a tea bag from a small box he kept on his desk. They patiently waited for him to finish his business, but while they did, Album ensured she kept a chilling gaze on the side of Nigreos’s head, wanting him to know she disapproved.

  “Would you mind not staring at me?” he grunted under his breath, to which she hissed,

  “Do you feel guilty yet? Are you excited to accuse this man of crimes he didn’t commit while he runs himself rampant preparing tea and cookies for your sorry ass?”

  Nigreos shrugged. “If I’m wrong, I’ll apologize immensely.”

  “Die in a fire.”

  “Alright, here we are,” Grunly declared as he turned the desk in front of Album around to face her, then pulled himself into the seat. Now that he had his own cup and tea bag, he poured water from the kettle and smiled to himself. “Well, it was already a pleasant surprise to see you, Nigreos, so I’m more than happy to have a visit from Album, as well. I know we don’t talk often, but my respect for you both is higher than I can articulate.” He chuckled. “I still remember watching your orientation duel at the Academy, and now look how far you’ve come. The Masters of Darkness and Light… I truly am proud of you.”

  Since Nigreos didn’t respond, Album smiled back at him. “Thank you. That means a lot coming from you.”

  “Oh, don’t mention it. You’ll always have a special place in my heart.” The Master of Nature’s eyes grew distant then as he certainly began to think about the past. “When I retire in a few weeks, don’t forget me. Just do me that honor, and I’ll be content.”

  “Of course! I could never forget—”

  “What sparked your sudden retirement, if you don’t mind my asking?” Mercilessly cutting her off, Nigreos leaned forward and eyed Grunly with a soulless smile. “It just seemed rather abrupt given your prior insistence you were healthy enough to continue.”

  Grunly tensed, almost certainly due to how intimidating Nigreos suddenly seemed. “Er, well, you know? I was stubborn… I didn’t want to accept that my time had passed, because if I retire, then… Well, what’s left for me, you know? Retirement felt like the end of the road. But Princess Ilirianna and Mr. Caeli talked some sense into me, as expected of those two.”

  “What did they say?”

  “Nigreos, cut it out!” Album snapped, her fierceness clearly startling Grunly.

  It’s exactly as I suspected. Liri and Kumo spoke to him, and that’s all it took. There’s no mass conspiracy, there’s no secrets… It’s as simple as that.

  “I-I’m sorry, but am I missing something?” Grunly stammered, his eyes rapidly flickering between them. “You two seem a tad on edge?”

  Album recovered as swiftly as she could, once again trying to cover up for Nigreos’s attitude as she turned back to him and said, “No, it’s okay. He’s just being rude, that's all.”

  Nigreos snorted. “Rude, am I? Fine then, I’ll stop beating around the bush and just say it. Abigail’s alive, isn’t she, Master Grunly.”

  “Nigreos, stop it!” Album snarled, jumping to her feet with rage as she glared down at him, but the Master of Darkness didn’t so much as acknowledge her presence, his pale eyes fixed on Grunly and a knowing grin twisting his face.

  “How did you…? Er, um…?”

  The old man stuttered, but his words sounded off to Album, and when she tilted her head to look at him instead, she found Grunly’s eyes wide and his skin pale, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “How did I…what?” Nigreos pressed. “How did I find out Abi survived? How did I find out you knew? Are these the questions you’re trying to ask?”

  “Er, n-no, I, um… Don’t be ridiculous Nigreos. Abigail is not alive, she’s… She’s been gone for years… I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

  What the hell? Album straightened her posture, her heart starting to beat a little faster as she watched the old man stumble over his words. His reaction…doesn’t seem right? It’s like…he’s attempting to cover something up? I expected him to be baffled or angry, but…he’s scared? He’s scared of…us finding out something? There’s no way… Right?

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  The Master of Darkness continued to push the conversation in his favor, his tone going lower and more threatening. “Let me tell you what I think. I suspect you retired because you found out Abi was truly not an option, that she’s alive and unwilling to succeed you, and…” He leaned forward, causing the old man to move backwards out of instinct. “I think Princess Ilirianna and Ryokumo were the ones who told you.”

  It was with that final accusation that the office went deathly silent as Nigreos and Album tensely awaited Grunly’s response. However, the Master of Nature looked like his mind couldn’t quite keep up with what was going on, as he instead merely sat there and blinked at them, his lower lip trembling. In fact, he almost seemed on the verge of tears.

  “M-Master…” Album managed to say. “You don’t need to let him talk to you like that. He’s wrong, isn’t he? He’s a delusional freak! You don’t need to—!”

  “I’m not wrong, though…” Nigreos growled. “I can see it in his eyes, and I could hear it in the way he tried to respond. Master Grunly, you gave yourself away when we spoke on the march north to Ankalla. Your responses to me…were suspicious at best.”

  Grunly’s breaths became faster, as if he was on the cusp of hyperventilating, and though Album felt terrible for him, she hated how much Nigreos’s claims were beginning to seem plausible. The Master of Nature would have reacted differently if Nigreos wasn’t accurate, or at least that’s what she would have expected. At that point, all Album could hope for was that he was so thrown off that he behaved suspiciously by accident. That still seemed more reasonable than Ilirianna and Ryokumo deceiving her for all these years.

  “Nothing to say?” Nigreos inquired.

  Grunly licked his lips. “I… I don’t…”

  “Very well.” The Master of Darkness got to his feet, seeming satisfied despite having not confirmed his theories. “I guess I’ll broach the matter to King Markreas, and we’ll see where that gets us.”

  “NO!” Grunly shrieked, bolting to his seat and nearly toppling off of it due to the abruptness of the action. “Nigreos, please, there’s no need for that!”

  “Why? If you’re not lying then you should have nothing to fear!” Nigreos roared. “Or is Abigail alive? Is she still out there somewhere?!”

  “Fine you win! Abi’s alive in Omaruo!”

  That shout of Grunly’s rattled through Album’s ears, echoing into the depths of her mind as she watched the old man breathing heavily from the exertion of his desperation. She couldn’t believe what she had heard, and still wondered what the catch was, for there had to be a catch. She wasn’t sure what that catch was or what it even could be, but it existed.

  Ilirianna and Ryokumo would never lie.

  They wouldn’t.

  Not about Abi.

  Not to Album.

  Right?

  “Omaruo?” Nigreos uttered, his brow furrowing in confusion as he latched onto the one part of Grunly’s confession that had not been a part of his theorizing. “What do you mean? Tell me the truth, Edwar, and maybe I’ll consider not dragging you to Markreas.”

  This time, Album couldn’t bring herself to reprimand Nigreos for his tone. All she could do was shut her mouth and gaze at the now sobbing Grunly, whose head was lowered with his hands grasping his scalp.

  “Nigreos… Do you care for Abi?” he breathed.

  “I do. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

  “Then I beg of you… Don’t stick your nose into this… If you do, it’ll be over for her…”

  The Master of Darkness narrowed his eyes. “That’s for me to decide once I have all the facts. Explain why she’s in Omaruo? Explain how she got there… And tell me what the Princess and Ryokumo had to do with it.”

  “Please…”

  “Answer the fucking question, Grunly!”

  The old man flinched, his eyes drifting up to gaze at Album with a silent plea to save him, for she had been defending him moments ago. But now, Album Luz had no room in her heart to take his side, for she wanted the truth spilled to her as well. Grunly must have realized that since he looked away from Album and stared at the untouched tea and cookies placed upon the desk.

  “She has a family—a husband she met when she traveled there in your first year at the Academy…and a son she had with him…” He was choking these words out, sounding like he died a little every time he said one. “She left for them! She got pregnant in the weeks before Stellareid, wanted to have her child, and used the chaos to flee! If Markreas finds out, they’ll erase her family! They’ll take everything from her and kill her anyway! So if you’re telling the truth, Nigreos Noctis, that you love her, then you’ll forget this conversation ever happened.”

  As the Master spoke, Album watched him the entire time, finding herself utterly stunned as pieces began to click into place. Abi went to Omaruo when the Kosah-Rei debuted in Hiriech, and when she returned, there was certainly something different about her. She even recalled some theorizing that Abi had a secret boyfriend she hadn’t told anybody about, so was that true? Was she using their realm dagger to see a man from another world—a realm dagger that suspiciously disappeared from the Academy around the time she did? Was it even in the Academy like Album believed or was it smuggled to Stellareid?

  “Recall our trip to Noctalus and Stellareid,” Nigreos had told her the other day. “Recall the days before Abi allegedly died. Do you remember how Ryokumo, Princess Ilirianna, and Abi all started behaving strangely—as if they knew something they weren’t sharing? From what I recall, even Glaus commented on it. Did you ever learn what was bothering them? Because what if it’s related to her abrupt disappearance.”

  She became pregnant, Album realized. That’s what changed while we were at Noctalus, wasn't it? Kumo and Liri knew, and they didn’t tell me? But why? I’m their friend. I’m Abi’s friend. Or I thought I was…

  She wondered then if The Angel was in on it all, for it vanished in Stellareid as well. Had they told that strange being of Cansi before they told Album? What about Faye and Jessi? Abi often disappeared to their dorm room for extended periods of time. Were they covering for her? Did they tell Faye and Jessi, but not her? That didn’t make sense. Album was on her team, and they were just friends from another. Of course, Album understood trusting them since they were good people, but why trust them and not her?

  I… I don’t get it… What did I do wrong?

  Album slowly glanced at Nigreos, only to find his previous expression of anger and persistence replaced by one of pure and utter shock. What was he thinking? Was Nigreos Noctis experiencing the same things as her? Was he going through the same awful spiral into the past? Her gut instinct was to laugh at him, for in her mind, he deserved it, but then if Nigreos was the only other person kept in the dark, what did that say about her? Was she the same as him, in their eyes?

  “Who else knew?” Nigreos finally spat, venom practically flying from his lips.

  Grunly flinched back yet again, appearing like he’d been struck across the face. “I don’t know… I only know that Princess Ilirianna and Mr Caeli did…”

  “And why tell you?!” Nigreos suddenly shouted, his features morphing back into an expression of pure rage. “Was I correct?! Did they let you in on their little fucking secret to convince you to retire?!”

  “I… Yes…” Grunly weakly shook his head. “They…brought me to Omaruo…to see what became of Abi… They wanted me to know she was alive, and—”

  “So they wanted you to be at ease, did they?” Nigreos laughed softly, his jaw clenching so tightly Album wondered if he was feeling physical pain. “But Album and I can just go fuck ourselves, is that it? Did they tell you why we were lied to? Do you know that, too, Grunly?”

  “I do not… I did not pry further than I felt was necessary…” He sniffled, his earlier plea reentering his eyes as he looked between Nigreos and Album before he stepped back and dropped to the floor to prostrate himself before them. “On my honor as a Master of Ijiria, I beg of you… Please keep this a secret. Please don’t tell Markreas…or anybody else… They’ll kill her… They’ll kill Abigail, and I… I can’t have her blood on my hands… I couldn’t handle it… Her son is such a sweet, innocent boy… He doesn’t deserve the punishment Ijiria would throw upon him…”

  “Beg all you like,” Nigreos breathed, a low rumble slipping into his tone. “But we’re done here.”

  Grunly exhaled sharply, his head snapping upwards as he exclaimed, “Nigreos, where are you going?!”

  “The royal suite,” he called back, already in the process of stalking past the rows of desks and towards the door. “I need to have a chat with Ilirianna…and only then will I determine how many Iijis need to be informed.”

  “No, stop!”

  The Master of Nature jumped to his feet, only for his mana signature to abruptly expand into every vine wrapped around the room, a silent but obvious threat that caused Album to clench her fists with alarm. Meanwhile, Nigreos stopped in the doorway, his own mana now interwoven with the shadows of the night beyond the window.

  “I would advise against stopping me with force,” the Master of Darkness stated. “Because you wouldn’t come close to winning that fight, and I’d rather not beat an old man bloody. Not even a liar like you.”

  Chills went down Album’s spine, and for the first time in three and a half years, she found herself gazing at that same man who threatened to kill her and her brother—like he had never left. She was terrified of him, but at that moment, she was so scatterbrained that she did not know what to do.

  Nigreos was livid, that much was obvious from the fact that Album knew he was not bluffing. If Grunly sent those vines after him, he would retaliate, and he was not wrong. Edwar Grunly could not defeat him, so attacking him in this situation would only make his fate even worse should Nigreos approach Markreas. Grunly knew this, so perhaps that was why his mana soon faded from the environment, leaving the old man sobbing on his knees as he gazed at Nigreos with one last plea—a plea the Master of Darkness ignored.

  “Are you coming, Album?”

  He asked that question for the second time that night, but now, it held such a different meaning, but she did not wish to confront Ilirianna. She was meant to be elsewhere.

  “No,” she answered.

  “Very well. But at least now you know… I was never crazy.”

  With those parting words, he stalked out into the corridor, leaving Album standing alone with the crying Grunly. She had been so confident—so certain—that her dear friends would never hide such a massive truth from her, but she was not going to just sit and accept this. She believed Grunly was telling the truth, but unlike her friends, she would not come to any firm conclusions without giving them the opportunity to explain themselves first.

  She wanted Ryokumo Caeli to look her in the eyes and tell her why he lied to her.

  Only then would she decide how to feel.

  Album walked forward, making for the doorway as well, but before she reached the end of the room, Grunly called after her in a meek voice.

  “Would you do it, Album? If ordered to erase Abi’s family, would you do it?”

  She paused, and as much as she loathed herself for having such an immediate and genuine answer, she did not feel in the mood to lie to him.

  “To be perfectly honest, at this point, I don’t know.”

  And then she was gone, her destination, Ryokumo Caeli.

  ***

  Abi has a husband? Abi has a son? And she…married a magicless? She fell in love with some random subhuman and chose that world over ours—choose him over us? How could she do that? All those years of lying to my face? All those years of letting me think a person I loved was dead, and for what reason? For what reason was I not trusted?! I’ve never done anything wrong, and yet everybody around me regards me like I’m fucking garbage?! I don’t understand how this could keep happening to me?! What the fuck is all this bullshit?!

  Nigreos Noctis was fuming.

  He was more angry than he had ever felt in his entire life, for he had just been betrayed in a way he never had before. Abigail Reiner, Ryokumo Caeli, and Ilirianna Iiji—his old team—had never trusted him. Abi met this magicless man on their very first mission together, so for nearly the entire time he had known them, they were lying to his face, smiling and pretending he was one of them while laughing behind his back as they considered him a fool worth deceiving.

  And somehow, the one who clearly hated him the most wasn’t even in on it.

  It was all a bad joke.

  When Album declined to join him, he had a feeling she would be heading for Ryokumo, so Nigreos decided to shove that man from his mind as he ascended the lift towards the royal levels above. One needed a guide to reach his destination, so he wasn’t really sure what he was planning to do, but if he had to linger at the entrance to the corridor for the entire night, he would do so if that was what it took to face Ilirianna.

  A part of him wondered if that Princess was the puppet master behind it, if she was whispering lies into Ryokumo and Abi’s ears to convince them not to trust him. She had, after all, always favored the other two. She made it clear she chose their Academy team not for Nigreos and Album, but for her precious commoners, so was it unthinkable that she would claim the Noctalus were untrustworthy? He wanted to look her in the eye and force her to be honest, and if she didn’t satisfy him, he would gladly bring this issue before her parents.

  I don’t intend to let Abi die, of course, but I will drag her back from Omaruo, back to where she belongs, if that’s what it takes. We don’t need to worry about any of that, because Album won’t erase Abi’s family and I’ll make sure the Masters and the King don’t execute her. She belongs here, in Ijiria… Not in some magicless shithole.

  The disk beneath him began to tremble, his anger causing his control over the wind magic to waver. Nigreos clenched his teeth and forcefully stabilized it just as he came to a stop at the entrance to the golden corridor.

  And as luck would have it, somebody was there.

  “Oh, Nigreos?” Reigious greeted with a pleasant smile. “What brings you here? Did you need a guide?”

  The Master of Darkness couldn’t even pretend to be in a good mood as he gazed at the Prince darkly, clearly startling him, and replied,

  “I do, actually. My Prince, would you be so kind as to bring me to Ilirianna? She and I need to have a chat.”