Chapter 82. And So It Begins
He glanced at the timepiece in his pocket. Nine minutes left.
On the fourth level of the Academy's grand library, hidden behind the section on pre-empire farming techniques, there was a narrow passage. So narrow you had to turn sideways and squeeze through, which made it hilariously impractical as an entrance to anything. But Adom knew what lay beyond.
He gathered his notes and the three books he hadn't finished yet, carefully marking his place in each. He returned the other nine to the re-shelving cart, then made his way back to the passage.
"Excuse me," he muttered as he squeezed past a tall shelf that seemed determined to make the already tight space even more claustrophobic.
And then, like stepping through a curtain, he was out.
Blue sky stretched overhead. Not the dark stone ceiling of the library, but actual sky with wispy clouds and birds circling lazily above. Green grass carpeted the ground, dotted with wildflowers in purples and whites. Butterflies drifted between the blooms, and the air smelled of spring.
This wasn't a room at all. It was a portal to another part of the Academy—the private gardens of former headmistress Athena Ravenshadow.
Well, "private" was a bit of a misnomer. Anyone could access it with a reservation. Four hours max per reservation, strictly enforced by the garden's enchantments. Which meant in approximately eight minutes, Adom would be unceremoniously ejected back through that narrow passage, probably right into some poor confused first-year student.
The garden had been designed to replicate the environment of Elhar, an elven land where Headmistress Ravenshadow had been born. She was a founding member of the Academy along with Law, as they had been comrades. Some even said they were lovers, but there was never any proof of that. Suffice to say, she was an elf—the only one who had ever served as headmistress of Xerkes Academy.
Adom settled back down on the bench he'd claimed hours ago. The garden's soothing effect was something he'd come to rely on—the ambient mana in the air made it easier to focus while simultaneously refreshing the mind. You could study for hours here and feel like you'd just had a nap.
And study he had. Twelve books on mythical creatures, all searched specifically for information on sphinxes. And what had he found? Almost nothing.
"Sphinxes are guardians of ancient knowledge," he read aloud from one text. "They are known for their riddles and their merciless treatment of those who answer incorrectly." He snapped the book shut. "Yes, thank you. I discovered that firsthand."
What he needed was information on sphinx physiology. What their body parts could be used for in alchemy. How to process the golden blood he'd collected, or what properties the claws might have.
He'd even asked Professor Mirwen but she'd just blinked at him in surprise.
"Sphinx parts? For alchemy?" she'd said, adjusting her spectacles. "My dear boy, no one has successfully harvested sphinx parts in over three centuries. They're nearly extinct. Maybe are, already. Where would you even get such materials to study?"
Adom had mumbled something about theoretical research and made a hasty exit.
A soft chime sounded throughout the garden. Five-minute warning. Soon he'd be forced out to make room for the next student with a reservation.
He looked down at his mostly empty notebook. Four hours of research, and all he had to show for it were three lines of actual information and several doodles of sphinx anatomy based on his memory of the one he'd killed.
His four hours hadn't been entirely in vain, though. He'd at least confirmed that sphinx studies were an academic dead end. Which meant he was on his own with his experiments.
The golden blood and claws sitting in his inventory just became a lot more valuable. And a lot more mysterious.