Lukas, in a foul mood, finished his morning training preparations. He had ensured William woke him early, but the late-night council meeting left him struggling to get out of bed. William had to wake him up twice before he left his warm bed.

  After regaining his senses, Lukas quickly had a few slices of toast with cinnamon butter. Though he couldn’t savor the food, he ate enough to satisfy his hunger. Realizing he wasn’t prepared with suitable clothes for training, he had forgotten to have some acquired for him amidst the chaos of the past week.

  Most of his clothes were unsuitable for any training or labor, having been lost during the ambush, and they hadn’t been replaced.

  In the end, Lukas changed into the only practical clothes he had: his riding pants and a simple white shirt. They would withstand the wear and tear of his upcoming training.

  As he finished lacing the final boot, William finally entered, knocking on the door before entering.

  “Enter,” Lukas said quickly, turning to the servant.

  William bowed. “Sir, you have a visitor.”

  “Has Desmond or Reza already arrived?” Lukas glanced at the window, but there was no sign of light outside. He still thought it might be a bit early.

  William shook his head. “No, strangely, Alexander Tarimage is in the entryway. He said he might have found some information on your wraith.”

  Lukas smiled. “Really? I didn’t expect him to find any information so soon. We only left him yesterday.”

  Lukas walked past William and exited his room. It finally crossed his mind that it was extremely early in the morning for Tarimage to bring the information. He wondered if the man had slept at all last night.

  The house was quiet, with most of the family likely still asleep and only a few servants were in the hallways starting their day. They passed through the house, moving past walls adorned with paintings of every famous ancestor of the Sulli family. Marie had pointed out many of their names, but Lukas had forgotten almost all of them, especially since there were so many of them in the hallway.

  Tarimage was seated at a side table, where one of the black-dressed servants handed over a steaming cup of something. The servant turned towards Lukas as he approached.

  “Sir, would you like a tea? I’ve brought a cup for you as well.” She gestured towards the second cup on the table.

  “Thank you,” Lukas grasped the cup and took a small sip. The tea was robust, but the slightly bitter and roasted flavor invigorated him. “Very well done. You may go now.”

  She bowed and hurriedly left through a side door.

  Tarimage set his cup down and stood with his arm outstretched. “Lukas, it’s great to see you. I hope this isn’t too early. I discovered something late last night, and I only had a short time before other urgent matters took over my day. So, I thought I’d better give you a report,” he smiled easily.

  “Not at all. My door is always open to you.” Lukas shook his hand, inviting him to return to his seat at the table before taking the second chair. “I hope it’s nothing serious. I wouldn’t want you to be working for me when something more pressing comes up.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it; it’s nothing I overlooked while researching. The head librarian acquired some books from an estate, and I must collect them this morning before they depart the city. One of the noble families is relocating to their estate in the north for the remainder of the year. I’ll dedicate several days to adding them to our library catalog and finding suitable locations within the library. Im not sure how long it will take, depends on the number of books purchased.” Tarimage dismissed the matter with a casual shrug, as if it held no significance. “I anticipated being in the district, so I thought I’d make a stop before retrieving the books.”

  Days. Echoes. Lukas couldn’t fathom the amusement in such a tedious chore. The prospect of moving books to expand our collection seemed utterly absurd. However, having witnessed the library’s grandeur, he understood why such a task could consume considerable time. Even adding a few books could necessitate relocating entire sections up or down a floor of the imposing walls.

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  Fortunately, it wasn’t something he had neglected to find information about. While Lukas wanted the name, it wasn’t a prerequisite for initiating his training. It would merely enhance his collaboration with his wraith and facilitate their commencement on a more favorable footing. Ultimately, the powers would determine the course of his training, aiming to harmonize his wraith’s power with the fighting style he, Reza, and Desmond developed. It appeared to him that this was the most crucial aspect of their training. Elana’s movement-based abilities required Reza to wield daggers and a sword, allowing him to strike swiftly from any direction. In contrast, Sabine harnessed her powers through ranged attacks, aligning her abilities with her wraith’s capabilities.

  Each developed its own unique fighting style based on its Wraiths, specializing in a particular form of combat. Not all Wraiths altered the way you fought; for instance, a Wraith that accelerated the growth of flowers didn’t necessarily change your fighting technique. However, many Wraiths had great synergy with certain fighting styles, making the more they learned, the more likely they were to succeed.

  “Well, then, I won’t keep you here any longer than necessary. William mentioned that you had some information.” Lukas took another sip of tea, eagerly awaiting the news.

  Tarimage became animated. He pulled a book from his small bag and placed it on the table. “Yes, I’ve delved into the rest of the books. It was captivating, and I’m eager to continue exploring the Wraiths. I believe for something so crucial to our society, we’ve conducted limited research on understanding its origins.” He shuffled through the pages, searching for what he had found. “I’ve been searching for a focus for my research at the library, and I might have discovered my calling. Xyron, the head librarian, has already approved the preliminary research with some hesitation.”

  With good reason. A shiver ran down Lukas’s spine. Researching the Wraiths, such as delving into the origins of the city’s power, seemed both daunting and concerning. He had always been taught that it was a divine gift bestowed upon the gods who sacrificed themselves to defend the cities from their adversaries. Their final gift was the ability to continue aiding Arkhen even in death.

  In many people’s eyes, delving into such a sacred topic appeared like an easy way to attract the wrath of the churches and the divine themselves. Lukas also harbored concerns about the reaction to such research from the citizens of the city, particularly the pious individuals and the esteemed Noble families.

  Last night’s meeting revealed the ruthlessness they would unleash against those who obstructed their power.

  Lukas remained silent, allowing Tarimage to locate the page and continue their conversation.

  “Alright, almost there, I started writing ideas of how I would start the research, but I’ve strayed from the reason for my presence here.” Tarimage paused on a page and turned the book over. “I believe I’ve found your wraith.”

  Lukas began reading aloud. “Severin, a mysterious wraith there is limited knowledge of its powers. There is only one recorded pact between the wraith and a citizen of Arkhen with no mention of abilities.“

  He had continued reading the rest of the book, which contained a detailed description that matched his wraith quite accurately.

  “Quite an intriguing name, isn’t it? He bears almost the exact description of your wraith. The same military uniform and numerous scars adorning his body. It even mentions the prominent scar across his neck. This was the only wraith I discovered that closely resembled his description and mentioned the neck.”

  Lukas continued reading, and every detail seemed to align perfectly with his wraith. He seized upon the power and summoned the wraith beside him. He gazed down at the two of them. Lukas pointed at the name.

  “Is this you, Severin?” Lukas asked, his eyes locked onto the wraith’s. The wraith remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lukas. The tension in the room was palpable, neither man willing to break the gaze. Finally, Severin nodded, signaling the end of the silent standoff.

  Lukas pondered Severin’s power, but the description of their sole other pact, forged approximately 900 years ago, offered no concrete details about Severin’s abilities. Instead, it provided only vague hints suggesting a possible connection between him and the cards he possessed. Disappointed and uncertain about how to proceed with this newfound knowledge, Lukas was unsure where to go from here.

  “Well, it’s wonderful to finally know his name,” Lukas said, looking up at Severin. The wraith shrugged in response and leaned against the wall. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he looked down at the book once more. It seemed that he found something intriguing in its pages; perhaps they were unaware of his powers. Lukas could only speculate.

  “Yes, I apologize for the lack of further details,” Tarimage said. “As you mentioned, a name is indeed of utmost importance. I had considered attempting some research on the first pact holder. If there is a history of Jak Cython, it may provide you with additional information. I intend to use your wraith as the initial component of my research to explore the extent of the web surrounding him if you have no concerns with that. Nevertheless, before I embark on this endeavor, I believe it would be beneficial to formulate a comprehensive plan for our research.”

  The man was overexerting himself. “I’ll help you with that. It might be beneficial to investigate the person who held your pact.” Lukas glanced over to Severin, who shrugged and nodded in agreement. “Give me a few days, and I can assist. Perhaps after All Hallows Eve, we can dedicate a day or two to research.”

  “I don’t mind starting sooner.” He said, returning the book to his bag.

  Lukas shook his head. “No, that’s out of the question. You’ve already done enough. Use the time in between to focus on your other library duties, and we can begin our investigation after the holiday next week. We have ample time; a few days won’t make a significant difference.” Lukas stood up, and Tarimage followed suit.

  “Very well, I’ll meet you next Tuesday. Allow yourself a day or so of rest after All Hallows Eve, and then we can delve into our research.” Tarimage scratched his beard, contemplating the matter. “I’ll at least compile a plan for how we’ll investigate the man. If there are books written about him, it could be straightforward. However, if not, we’ll have to explore city records, which will initiate a lengthy research process. But don’t worry; I’ll have a plan ready.”

  We stepped onto the front portico. Lukas extended his hand, and Tarimage grasped it firmly. “Thank you for the information. Knowing his name is a significant revelation.”

  “You’re very…” Tarimage trailed off, his attention suddenly drawn to a group of people rapidly approaching him and Tarimage standing just outside the Manor’s front door.

  Lukas noticed two Sulli guards holding someone between them, dragging him along. As they drew closer, he observed deep red stains spreading across the unconscious man, almost completely soaking his shirt in crimson. Without hesitation, Lukas rushed towards the group and recognized Reza, lying unconscious with a substantial amount of blood covering his body. What in the depths of the abyss had transpired?