Gilded Cage (On Hold)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Sibrian's inn disappeared as Corliss rounded the street corner, barely seeing where she was going and yet somehow not running into anyone. It was mostly because everyone maneuvered out of her way, noticing her eyes were distant, lips slightly parted, and her footsteps that took her down the winding streets toward the Archive.

She needed answers. More than Dessa and Destan were willing to give her just yet. It had been hours since they'd locked themselves in Dessa's room with the others, so there was no way to go in, demand they all tell her who they were and what they were doing there.

Even in their relief of seeing one another again that morning, of making sure they were all right when they reunited, they didn't seem surprised of where...and when...they found themselves.

Almost like they knew it would happen.

They did, Corliss had to tell herself.

Elys...he was the Seer of Ikreus.

He'd known.

Two years, Dessa whispered to him whenever they held each other close.

Two years. Did that mean they'd be with them for that long? Was there a reason?

There had to be a reason.

Then there was the implied fact that Corliss wouldn't be a part of their lives in the future.

Having all but slamming the doors to the Archive open in her haste, all eyes lifted to her as she strode in. Passing through the stacks, she searched for the archivist Talib, finding everyone but him. Finally, after going through the entire building once more, she asked someone. Her voice trembled with her question and she barely registered the female's look of concern as she told her where he was.

After that, it didn't take her long to find the male. He was in the once place she hadn't checked. She quickly made her way through the stacks, heading toward the door settled between one shelf and large windows. The ancient magic that kept it closed knew her as soon as she touched it. Usually, she would need Talib to access it, but it immediately recognized her and unlocked, given that he was in the restricted area below.

The etches of the histories of their world flickered in the torchlight as she descended the steps. With the stone door at the bottom already open, she went through without issue.

Talib sat at the singular table, the text of the history of Ethran opened in front of him. Instead of the usual fountain pen she'd been used to writing with, he held a gold tipped quill as he dipped it in a pot of ink.

Before he could touch the page, his eyes lifted to hers, wide with surprise.

"Lady Corliss, I wasn't expecting you today," he smiled.

Corliss stared at the text in front of him. "What are you doing?"

"Adding to the history text, of course. Did you not see what happened outside yesterday?"

"What...?"

Excitement lit in his eyes. "Snow. In Ethran. Never did I think I'd see the day..."

"Do you believe time travel is real?"

Her question caught him off guard, quill paused in the air just as he dipped it into the ink. "What?"

"Time travel...do you think it's real?"

Talib stood slowly, joints creaking, but he kept his eyes settled on hers. "Time travel...no, I have never known it to exist. Time manipulation, yes. That's an ability of the Seer of Ikreus, though it's quite rare. I believe the last Seer to be able to do it was three cycles ago. The others after...were never alive long enough to learn the skill. As of right now, the Seer magic is between cycles. We can never determine when the next will be born or, if they already are, when they'll come into the magic. There's no pattern to it."