The Grounds Keeper

Chapter 15 In The Jaws Of A Behemoth

Chapter 15: In The Jaws Of A Behemoth

Tatzurie combed her long hair in front of the mirror, gazing off in a quiet daze. She felt like this every 24th of February. Her birthday. A day meant to be full of joy—drinking, overeating, dancing, laughing, getting sung at awkwardly over cake. Twenty was supposed to be special. But instead, she was alone.

Worse still was the knowledge she carried: her birthday also marked the annual ritual that kept her only living relative locked away in the world's cruelest prison. Every year since she turned 14, this day had become a ceremony of dread and guilt.

"Mrs. Tendo, we are ready whenever you are. Take your time, we can all wait," said the Vice Dean gently as she entered.

Tatzurie stood, forced a smile, and bowed. "Of course, Professor."

Together they made their way into the infamous Behemoth. It wasn't just a prison. It was a living thing—an impossibly vast, ever-changing creature of architecture. Towers coiled like snakes, doorways shifted in size each time you blinked, and corridors folded in on themselves like tangled thread.

But the entrance was always the same: a monstrous stone serpent's face with jagged fangs and unblinking eyes that followed your every move. You could feel its breath as the great doors opened.

Inside, Behemoth distorted space and time like a dream turned inside out. A window might show a golden field of wildflowers, only to dump you into a freezing well if you stepped through. Then, without warning, you'd plunge into the sky and land in your room again—under a false moon and unfamiliar stars. It was madness incarnate.

Only the jailmaster, Professor Mavardo, could summon specific rooms with any precision. And only the most dangerous prisoners were kept here. Lesser criminals were placed in "timeout space"—boring, but safe.

As they entered the chamber prepared for the ritual, Tatzurie's hands began to sweat. Every professor in the academy was here.

Behemoth had manifested itself as a grand ballroom. A crystal chandelier sparkled overhead, and in the center of the room stood a barber's chair and tall mirror. A beautiful woman with flawless skin and pointed claws bounded toward her.

"My dear," said Lady Vanetta, stroking Tatzurie's cheek with a manicured talon. "You've done so well this year. Your hair is simply stunning."

Tatzurie stayed still, forcing composure. "Thank you, Lady Vanetta."

"Oh, don't be so formal," Vanetta said with a grin full of fangs. "Just call me your highness."

Tatzurie said nothing as Vanetta summoned a pair of ruby-handled scissors from the air. They shimmered with dark intent.

She cut the hair with skilled precision, shaping it into a sharp shoulder-length bob before weaving the strands into a thick, gleaming braid. Not one strand was allowed to touch the floor—professors scrambled to collect every one, treating them like gold.

Professor Michelle took the braid, chanting a spell that tightened it into a sleek, chainlike cord.

They handed it to Tatzurie.

Then Mavardo clapped his hands.

"Behemoth," he said in a deep voice, "bring to us the prisoner known as Akira Tendo."

A metal cell emerged from the air like it had been conjured from another dimension, the lock glinting with otherworldly menace. Tatzurie was thoroughly searched—her ID painfully extracted from her arm, her handkerchief unfolded and examined.

"Can I keep that?" she asked. "The pressure in there gives me nosebleeds."

Vanetta smirked. "Your blood always smelled so sweet. I'm sure we won't mind."

Michelle shot Vanetta a sharp look and then handed the cloth back to Tatzurie. "We'll be right here," she said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Tatzurie pulled away. "Thank you," she said. Then she walked toward the cell.

Her stomach twisted. She pressed her finger to the needlepoint on the cell's lock. A droplet of blood slid into the mechanism. The lock clicked open.

Inside, her brother hung in darkness.

Three thick braids of black hair held him suspended from the ceiling. His entire body was wrapped in bandage-like strands of their family's hair—Tendo DNA was the only material he couldn't destroy. He had sliced through everything else. Even orichalcum.

Akira Tendo. Her twin brother. Her last remaining family.

A Black-Class sorcerer. One of the most dangerous beings alive.

She sat in the single chair beside him. Her hands trembled. "Happy birthday, bro," she said softly. "I've got your favorite dishes cooking. I booked the place out. Like always. Everyone will be there... even Mom, Dad, little Ai, and Hakari."

Her voice cracked.

She buried her face in her hands. Tears poured out.

After some time, she composed herself and stood. Carefully, she touched what should have been his face.

"How long have you starved? How long have you begged to die? All I want is for you to rest. But I'm the reason you're still here."

She kissed his forehead, thinking of the brother who had protected them all growing up. The brave one. The funny one. The one who took beatings so the rest wouldn't have to.

And this was how she repaid him.

She wrapped the new braid of hair around his eyes. As she did, the pressure in her skull spiked. Her vision blurred. Her nose bled. She wiped it with her handkerchief, still keeping her composure.

Then she knelt beside him, forehead to the ground. "I'm leaving now, brother. Forgive me. But I'll be back. Next year. Like always."

She stood again, forced a smile.

"I love you, bro."

She brushed herself off and walked out.

As soon as she exited, the chamber locked and vanished.

The professors stared at her, trying to read her face. She glared at them all with steel in her eyes.

Michelle spoke first. "Would you all stop? She hasn't done anything wrong. She's saving the world from a catastrophe, year after year, and hating herself for it."

Michelle reached out to comfort her, but Tatzurie slapped her hand away. The room went tense.

"I can walk out on my own, Mrs. Santos," she said coldly. Then she turned to the others.

"Unless anyone else has a family member they'd like me to betray tonight?"

Silence.

Thought so.

She turned her back on the most powerful people in the world and walked out into the night air. For the first time in hours, she let herself breathe. The scent of water from the nearby canal was a relief.

She made her way to the little stone bistro where her birthday meal was waiting. The same as every year.

Alone.