THE VOID BEAST

CHAPTER 14: THE RECORD 2

The rabbit blinked.

I didn't know if that was an answer. But I was starting to think it might be.

I sat there for a long time, the book open in my lap, the rabbit curled beside me. My mind raced with questions. What was she? Why had she chosen me? And what did the violet light mean?

Maybe I need to do something before she can evolve, I thought. Maybe the book is just the beginning.

I closed my eyes and tried to reach out again. The warmth was still there—faint, but present. Not Darian's presence. Not my own. Something else.

I didn't know what it meant. But I was determined to find out.

---

The next morning, I woke before the others.

The rabbit was already awake, sitting at the foot of my cot, her cloudy eyes fixed on the window. She was watching the mountains again.

I dressed quietly, my mind already turning over the previous day's events. The class. The mana test. The violet light. Vasa's reaction.

I needed to know more.

Jace stirred as I was lacing my boots. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep," I said.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Thinking about yesterday?"

I nodded. "The mana test. The violet light. I can't stop thinking about it."

Jace was quiet for a moment. "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know. But I need to find out."

He studied me for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly. "Alright. But we need to be smart about this. We can't just stumble around asking questions."

---

The class passed in a blur. I attended the lessons, answered when called upon, and kept my head down. But my mind was elsewhere.

After the final session ended, I caught up with Jace in the corridor.

"I need to go to the Eastern Library," I said.

Jace blinked. "The Eastern Library? That's where they keep the historical records. What do you need there?"

"I want to know more about the mountains. The Emberbloom. The expeditions." I lowered my voice. "I need to prepare for the future."

"The future?" Jace's eyes narrowed. "Darian, you're not still thinking about—"

"I'm just curious," I said quickly. "I want to know what's out there. That's all."

Jace studied my face for a long moment. "Just curious?"

I didn't answer.

"I don't believe you," he said finally. "But if you're not ready to tell me the truth, I won't push. Just... be careful, Darian. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I will," I said. "I promise."

He sighed. "Fine. The Eastern Library is open to students, but most people don't go there because the records are old and boring. It's the perfect place to research without being noticed."

He glanced around, then lowered his voice. "But we need to be careful. If anyone asks, we're working on a class assignment."

I nodded. "Understood."

We walked through the corridors in silence, weaving past clusters of students. The Eastern Library was at the far end of the academy, tucked away behind a row of unused classrooms.

The door was old, the wood worn smooth by years of use. Jace pushed it open, and we stepped inside.

The library was small—much smaller than the main one. Shelves lined the walls, crammed with dusty tomes and rolled-up scrolls. A single lantern flickered on a desk in the corner.

"Okay," Jace said, scanning the shelves. "We need records about the mountains. Expeditions. Anyone who went in and came back out."

I started searching.

---

The records were old. Some of the papers crumbled at the edges. The ink had faded to a pale brown. But slowly, I began to piece together a picture.

The Northern Mountains were forbidden for a reason. They were home to wild beasts—creatures that had never been tamed, never been bonded. They were dangerous. Deadly.

But people had gone there anyway. Explorers. Researchers. The desperate.

I found a record of an expedition from years ago. It was brief—just a few lines on a yellowed page.

Expedition to the Northern Mountains. Purpose: Research. Members: Five. Outcome: Four dead. One returned.

I read the line again. One returned.

I squinted at the paper, tilting it toward the lantern light. The ink was faded, but the scratches weren't deep enough to completely remove the letters.

I looked at the bottom of the page. The name had been scratched out— But beside the ruined name, a small crest remained untouched. A crest the scratching hadn't bothered to destroy, because whoever did this had only cared about hiding the name itself.

I knew that crest. I'd seen it carved into the gates of my own house.

A raven, wings spread, clutching a broken chain.

The House Vex sigil.

"Jace," I called. "Look at this."

He walked over, peering at the page. "Four dead, one returned. That's a grim survival rate."

"There's more," I said, scanning further. "It says the survivor was found wandering near the mountain base. He was incoherent. Couldn't explain what happened."

Jace frowned. "Did they identify him?"

"Not by name." I pointed to the scratched-out line, then to the crest beside it. "But that's our house sigil. Someone erased his name. They didn't erase which family he belonged to."

Jace leaned in, studying the raven and chain. His face went still.

"That's House Vex," he said slowly. "You're sure?"

"I've walked past that crest every day of my life," I said. "I'm sure."

---

Jace was quiet for a long moment.

"Okay," he said finally. "This is... bigger than I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's one thing if you're just curious about the mountains. But if someone from House Vex went there and survived—" He shook his head. "That changes things."

I stared at the paper. The scratched-out name. The faded letters.

Why would someone from House Vex go into the mountains? I wondered. What were they looking for?

And more importantly: What did they find?

I looked down at the page again. My eyes scanned the faded ink, searching for more details. Then I saw it—the date, written in the margin.

Seventeen years ago.

I read it again. Seventeen years ago.

The same year I was born.

The same year Darian was born.

My hands started to tremble.

Someone from House Vex went into the mountains. Four people died. One survived. And the survivor's name had been erased.

Seventeen years ago.

"What is it?" Jace asked, noticing my expression.

I couldn't speak. I just pointed to the date.

Jace leaned over and read it. His face went pale again.

"That's..." He trailed off.

"I know," I said.

Jace placed a hand on my shoulder. "We need to get back to the dorm. It's getting late, and we have training tomorrow."

I nodded, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.

"Darian."

I looked up.

"We'll come back tomorrow," Jace said. "We'll figure this out. But right now, we need to rest."

I closed the book slowly. My hands were still trembling.

Seventeen years ago. The year I was born. Someone from House Vex went into the mountains. Someone survived. And someone erased their name.

I had to know who it was.