A little while later, Agnus leaned against a stone archway overlooking the scriptorium courtyard. His weathered fingers rolled a quill absentmindedly between them, a wry smile tugging at his lips. He barely looked up when three scribes descended upon him, their robes rippling with an air of authority and tension.
"Agnus," the eldest began, his voice a thunderous reprimand. Through gritted teeth. "What have you done?"
Without so much as a pause, Agnus twirled the quill in his fingers and replied, "What have I done? Oh, nothing too dramatic. Just sent a bright-eyed pupil on a little field trip. Why, did I disrupt your tea time?"
The second scribe's eyes narrowed, their ink-stained hands curling into fists. "You sent her directly to that wretch! You know as well as we do it was agreed she'd be cast into the outskirts, where nature or the corrupted would end her!"
Agnus raised a brow, his grin widening. "Ah, yes. The old 'out of sight, out of mind' strategy. Brilliant as always. But tell me, where exactly was your moral compass when you decided to sacrifice her to wild beasts and chaos? I must have missed the committee meeting for that decision."
"You overstepped your bounds," the third scribe snapped, her voice sharp as a blade. "By taking matters into your own hands, you jeopardized everything. You've left us no choice. Agnus, you are hereby detained under suspicion of malicious intent. Surrender your quill."
Agnus finally stood straight, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for a sparring match. "Detained? Malicious intent? I'm flattered you think I'm so conniving. But tell me," he drawled, his voice low and menacing, "which one of you plans to die first?"
The world shifted. The cobblestones cracked beneath his feet, and the air grew heavy with an oppressive force. Around Agnus, the very fabric of reality trembled, symbols and ancient script unfurling in glowing lines across the ground.
The scribes braced themselves, their forms flickering as if struggling to remain solid. "Don't do this, Agnus," the eldest warned through gritted teeth.
Agnus stepped forward, his grin now razor-sharp. "You come here, accuse me of malice, and then demand I bow? No, my friends. You will disperse. Now."
The scribes exchanged wary glances before their forms collapsed, unraveling into streams of glowing words and symbols, fleeing into the ether.
"This isn't the end you psychopath, you'll hear from the council very soon"
Left alone, Agnus chuckled to himself. "Cowards." He turned back to the horizon, twirling his quill once more. "She'll be fine."
____________
William, still sitting at his earlier position in the white expanse, found his eyes shifting between the two unfamiliar figures who had materialized before him.
The first was a young woman with an aura of purity, though she appeared unsettled as her gaze flickered over him and his companions. Her scrutiny lingered a moment too long, her brow furrowing.
Xtofa's thoughts churned. 'I can't see their stories' Every soul carried a story—a visible thread Yet these four were blank, void of narrative origin. It was impossible…
Hope, too, stared at the group. Her ethereal glow dimmed momentarily as her dream essence recoiled from the strangeness of the trio. An unfamiliar dream essence clung to them, tangled and alien. It was as if their very presence bent the rules, shaking her understanding.
The tension thickened, but before either could speak, the woman in black cut through their thoughts like a blade.
"Eternal slumber, the old coot doesn't trust anyone me even less but sends his daughter to me," the lady said, her tone laced with amusement as she gestured at Hope. Then, her gaze shifted to Xtofa. "And as for you, little scribe, Agnus should have been equally cautious after our… last confrontation."
Their lips remained sealed, though their wary expressions spoke volumes.
The lady's sharp laugh echoed through the white expanse, a playful yet unsettling sound. She turned her full attention to William, who had been quietly observing.
Behind him, movement drew his attention as Joseph stirred, muttering groggily, "Weirdest dream ever…" He blinked rapidly, his gaze sweeping the room until it landed on the shimmering Hope, the wary Xtofa, and the enigmatic woman in black. Then landed on William
"Uh… Will? What's going on?"
Ellie awoke next, her panic immediate as she took in the bizarre scene. Annabel followed, her gasp sharp and frightened.
"Calm down," William said firmly, his voice steady. And surprisingly all three followed his instructions, he gestured for them to stay put, keeping his own unease in check. "Let's not lose it just yet."
He turned back to the woman in black, his expression unreadable but his tone still detached. "You said you had a deal. Let's hear it, I assume it has to do with all four of us."
The woman's smile widened, her eyes gleaming with a curious light. "As a matter of fact, it does." She rose gracefully and began walking toward William, her every step purposeful and measured.
"But first," she continued, her voice taking on a playful edge, "I want to see it."
William raised an eyebrow. "See what?"
"The tattoo on your back," she clarified, her gaze sharp and insistent.
By this point, William wasn't surprised. She had already shown terrifying abilities far beyond his understanding—plus he had witnessed someone materialize from thin air and another walk through a portal. Considering how he'd been thrown into the void, his mind had already started growing numb to the surreal events unfolding around him.
"Is an ink art really that important right now?" he asked, his voice blunt.
The woman smiled in return, unfazed by his skepticism. Her eyes glinted with something far older and more knowing.
In the silence that followed, every set of eyes in the room turned to him. The others were clearly just as curious about what the tattoo was and why it seemed so significant to her.
Xtofa, though unfamiliar with the woman, had a sinking feeling she knew exactly who she was. Internally, she was panicking.
Hope, on the other hand, wasn't at all surprised—she knew who the woman was and, despite the growing tension, hoped that her father's might would temper things. She guessed the woman would never offend him lightly.
however if something mundane like a tattoo could capture her curiosity, it only deepened her interest in these strange people.
As for the others—Joseph, Ellie, and Annabel—they were completely taken aback. None of them had known that William even had a tattoo, and now, each of them stared at him with wide eyes, silently questioning him.
Well Almost none of them, Josephknew already but had to pretend.
If the girls knew he had been keeping a secret about will from them!… he shivered thinking about it.
'take one for the team Will you'll be alright"