Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

36. Ever Heard of Confidentiality?

Elaine quickly followed Fearne as they darted across the Archives. Fearne's brown ponytail swung from side to side like the tail of a cat, and Elaine struggled to keep up. She couldn't make sense of it—something was wrong with Custas and he was in danger? Frustration and confusion filled Elaine's mind, but she pushed them aside, determined to remain optimistic. She gritted her teeth and focused on chasing after Fearne, hoping to grasp ahold of answers as soon as she could.

She sprinted alongside Kliff, their breathing ragged and labored. Kliff's dark blonde hair bounced with each hurried step, but his demeanor was calmer than Elaine's. Despite this, the tense expression on his face conveyed his unease. Elaine could tell that he was just as worried as she was, but there was something else too, a hint of intrigue coagulating in his eyes.

Fearne and Elaine turned the corner and saw Custas lying on the floor, his limbs splayed out and his breathing inconsistent. The row they were in was cluttered with folders and scattered documents, making it difficult for Elaine to navigate without tripping over something. The chaos suggested that they had only just begun to tend to this area.

"I don't understand," Kliff said. "What happened to him?"

"It's like I said," Fearne replied, partially exhausted from her rapid sprint but worried nonetheless, "one moment, we were just stacking folders as per the instructions. Custas mentioned something to me about Fulcudo, and the next thing I knew, he collapsed and started behaving like...well, like that!"

Elaine stopped next to Kliff and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle her surprise. At first glance, Custas appeared to be normal, but as she looked closer, Elaine realized why Fearne had been so distraught. Custas' eyes were unnaturally wide open, causing his eyeballs to bulge out of their sockets, and he had a dazed look in both of them. Additionally, there was a strange hue to his normally dark-colored eyes, turning them a pale blue that almost seemed white.

The atmosphere was tense as Kliff knelt down beside him. Custas' breathing was heavy but otherwise appeared normal. Elaine noticed how still he was, giving her cause for alarm. White-faced, Kliff, who was closest to him, moved his hand towards Custas' ear and snapped his fingers twice, hoping for a response. The clicks echoed in the silence, but there was no reaction. Elaine joined Kliff on her knees, folding her legs underneath her. Fearne followed suit, her face drained of color as she watched the scene unfold. The three of them exchanged concerned glances, each hoping for a sign of life from the motionless mage.

"This isn't good," Kliff muttered as a muscle twitched in Custas' jaw. "I've never seen anything like this. It's almost as if...no, no his Essence is fine."

Elaine frowned. "How can you tell?"

"I've got Magic Sense. An instructor of mine taught me how to do it when I was very young. Now, it's practically second nature."

Elaine had heard of Magic Sense before; it was the ability to detect another mage's magical signature or Essence within any given vicinity. Apparently, it was extremely difficult to master. The fact that he had done it at such an early age, well, Kliff was considered by most to be a prodigy. Realistically speaking, she shouldn't have been surprised at how skilled he was.

"He's right," Fearne agreed. "If his Essence truly was in jeopardy we would have known by now. As it stands, we can only pray to Aeris that it remains stable. Otherwise, we'd have a new problem to deal with, one with very low chances of rectifying."

"Fearne, you're a Medical Mage, aren't you?" Elaine asked desperately.

Fearne flinched, squeezing her eyes shut. "Yes, but I'm only a novice."