Damien woke with the dawn dressing and calling for something to break his fast and was in the carriage on the way back to the academy. Damien began his investigation in the restricted archives that held relics and documents relating to dangerous dark magics. Damien found the doors and secure cases were intact and worked but as he looked closely at the materials and could see signs of disturbance dust moved and signs of rifling. He had some skill in magic and could sense the magics that were woven around the archive to protect the content. Damien found that the major defenses had been disabled but an underlying network that showed places where disturbances had occurred. All this showed that something was happening in the archive someone was going through the archive but Damien was not yet able to determine why. He brought the catalogue of what was stored in the archive and was going through it determining if anything was missing when a man walked in. Damien looked up at the man standing in the door he unremarkable strangely so. He had the look that would cause you to forget him shortly after seeing him but as Damien looked at him, he could feel a creeping fear like as though in the presence of a predator. “You must be Damien the investigator” the man said, “my name is Malik I am a researcher I must say I expected you to be older”. “People have told me that before” Damien said as he went back to the catalogue. “I didn’t expect anyone would come in here today, but I guess you are the one who has been going through the archive”. Damien saw the expression on Malik’s face change quickly from startlement to anger and then go calm again. “Why do you say that anyone has been going through the archive” Malik asked. “I have seen signs that books and papers have been disturbed, this gives me reason to think that someone has been going through the archive,” said Damien. “Ah that it was part of my research; my I ask what you are investigating is it the rumors that are going around or are you after something more specific?” Malik asked. “What more specific thing would I be investigating?” Damien asked back. “Well, there is that book that has a connection to the incident that occurred almost a year ago” Malik said. Damien stared at Malik he was very well informed. “I am just here to investigate the rumors” Damien said. Malik smiled “As you say Damien I am sure I will speak to you again.” Malik left the archive as Damien watched and wondered as to who this Malik was.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.