The Academy Of Space And Time

Where I finally have a new purpose

I did not get to meet the person Brady mentioned, at first.

I briefly saw Vitaly, though. He was shocked at what I'd done. I was afraid he was angry I struck at Set, but he was convinced the god would reform, confirming Brady's doubts.

No, I realised later, with a shock. He was worried about me. He insisted I was cured immediately and spent at least a week in bed, recovering, and without distractions.

I wanted to argue. With my ADHD, I can't even take afternoon naps. But the moment my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep immediately.

And later, I've been told I switched off from sleeping and being barely conscious for days. Sometimes I recognised my friends when they stopped by the hospital bed. They all came there, but Edgar most of all...

And then one day I woke up, and I was told by Mr Winter the winter holidays were almost over and the Academy would start soon.

"We have a new student," he announced, and I realised it was the person Brady Doyle had been talking about.

The door opened, and a girl wearing a pink parka waltzed in, excited. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Risa.

"Your friend, Vitaly Malinov, saved me," she said. "I don't remember much of my time as a captive in Set's lair, so I'm sorry, I can't give you directions on how to find it."

I smiled at her. "You're... you're alive," I said. "That's all I care about."

"And I'm studying with you now," she added. But what she didn't say was that I had other friends now, and that I'd been through something she couldn't imagine. We were so different from where we left each other in September.

But I still wanted her close. And to be her friend, if she let me.

"Have you met the other students yet? How are they doing?"

"Jeff told me Lucretia was probably upset because of Jake, but to tell the truth she isn't," Risa reasoned. "Maybe it is because we haven't heard the result of his trial yet... She keeps asking your friends details about the quest. Bill is sort of a big fan of you now."

"Why?" I winced.

Risa looked at me with seriousness in her mischievious brown eyes. "Ryan, you decapitated a god at fifteen years old. You're some kind of legend now."

"I want to see the others," I said, trying to stand up. "I think my legs can hold me now."

"Wait a minute," Risa put a hand on my chest. "I owe you the truth. The reason why I didn't want to study here... I've been trying to tell you a few things about the gods, and the war that always rages between them and between the Enchanters, but I couldn't be truthful. And from what I heard, so many people already lied to you before. They will not the last Enchanters to lie to you, by the way. Gods have many oaths of secrecy... There's no easy way to say this, is there? My father is a god."

"Your father?" I exclaimed. "The way Vitaly is one, and Samuel Winter is one? Is any god even not a normal person?"

"The power they host is what's important. I think there used to be gods, maybe years ago...  Eingana or Asclepius could still be. But the person who was Tyr died at some point in time, and you realise gods cannot die, in the eyes of people. My father took the place of Tyr."

"I don't think I can literally take any more of this," I ruffled my hair.

"I haven't told you everything! He's been training me, my father. In the week-ends. I am not simply home schooled in spells like I told you. He wants me to take his place in the council of gods... if something happens to him. Or if he goes mad with power first."