Vaelwyn answered by withdrawing a small object from her coat—a puzzle box, it looked like. It was made of dark wood and etched with black runes on each side, about the size of a jewelry box. She set it on the bench between us. "Arcane puzzle," she explained. "This is a hobby of mine solving puzzles that require a mix of logic and a touch of intuition that's almost supernatural needed in order solve them. Don't worry, you won't need to use magic; that part is self-contained. What I want to see is how you approach a problem."
I felt a spark of interest despite my exhaustion. I picked up the box, running a finger over the engravings. There were six sides, each with a different rune and pattern. One side had sliding pieces like a tile puzzle, another had holes of various shapes, another side bore numbers written in an unfamiliar script. The top face had a circular dial with symbols around its edge. It was an intricate little contraption, clearly hand-crafted.
I looked back at Vaelwyn, a question in my eyes she smiled encouragingly. "The goal is simple: open the box. Everything you need to figure out how is already in your hands. Take your time."
I nodded, focusing on the box It felt solid, but there was a faint rattle inside, suggesting something was in there waiting for me to free it. I started with the sliding tile side, as it was a familiar type of puzzle. It depicted, as I rearranged the pieces, an image of a tree with a sword buried in its roots. When the picture was complete, there was a soft click and one of the runes on an adjacent face briefly glowed.
Encouraged, I examined the numbered side though he didn't recognize the numerals, there were dot patterns beneath them reminiscent of constellations. Perhaps a sequence or combination was needed. I rotated the box, checking the holes on another face there were three holes: a triangle, a circle, and a square. I recalled the symbols on the dial face some matched those shapes.
Vaelwyn watched quietly, her hands folded in her lap, as I methodically tried one idea after another. As I worked, my mind sharpened, growing more absorbed in the task and less on my existential problems. I placed the triangular hole face upward and tried turning the dial to a triangle symbol. Another click then the box hummed faintly, as if acknowledging the correct steps.
I found myself smiling a little I'd always loved puzzles and games on Earth—Legend of Zelda, Resident Evil. The context here was fantastical, but the principles of logic still seemed to apply. Next, I tackled the numbered face again. Maybe the numbers corresponded to positions of the dial. Or maybe.
I noticed now that the constellations under the numbers matched stars he glimpsed through a gap in the clouds above. Velduros's night sky was strange yet familiar constellations entirely new to me. But one pattern of dots on the box looked just like the stars I saw framed by the open sky above the plaza. Seven stars in a hook shape. On the box, that pattern sat under a symbol that looked like an "XIII". Thirteen?
Suddenly I remembered an old puzzle principle: sometimes a clue isn't on the puzzle, but around you. Vaelwyn did say the box had a touch of intuition of a supernatural kind. Could it be sensing the actual star's or to be correct the constellations? I stood up, holding the box up toward the sky, aligning that face with the actual constellation. To my amazement, the rune on that face glowed when the stars and the pattern aligned. I heard another click, and a tiny compartment sprang open on the side with the holes.
Vaelwyn raised an impressed eyebrow as I pulled out three tiny crystal pegs from the compartment each shaped like the triangle, circle, and square. I then inserted those into the matching holes. The box shuddered lightly; the dial on top spun of its own accord, the runes flashing in sequence. With a final pop, the lid of the puzzle box cracked open.
I felt a surge of triumph. "I did it," I said, perhaps unnecessarily. I opened the lid fully to see what was inside. Nestled in velvet was a small metal pin shaped like an eye with a number six etched into the iris—the symbol of the Order of the Sixth Eye, identical to Vaelwyn's insignia. It appeared to be a badge or brooch.
"Well done," Vaelwyn said warmly. I handed her the box back, but she waved her hand. "Keep the pin. You've earned it. That puzzle is not trivial; it tests observation, reasoning, and a willingness to look at things from different angles literally in your case." Her eyes glinted with approval. "All qualities I admire."
I held the pin, its metal cool in my palm. I felt a swell of pride that I'd been able to figure it out. It had been a welcome distraction from the fear of my current situation. "It was cleverly well made. Thank you Vaelwyn." I corrected myself from saying Lady she had asked for informality.
Vaelwyn stood, smoothing her coat. "Jasen, you are clearly intelligent and adaptable. Those traits will serve you well here in Velduros. But raw talent and wits aren't always enough. You'll need knowledge of this world and training to truly survive and find your place." She met my eyes with a steady, earnest gaze. "Velduros happens to be home to one of the greatest institutes of learning in all realms: the Academy of Mystical and Rational Sciences. It's a mouthful, I know we just call it Velduros Academy." A hint of fondness colored her tone when she spoke of it.
I recalled seeing imposing stone and semi glass buildings in the distance when I entered the city was that the Academy. "Are you saying I should study there to what learn magic?"
Vaelwyn clasped her hands behind her back, pacing a few steps as she talked. "Enrollment for the new term which is just about to start. There's an entrance examination coming up in a week's time. Under normal circumstances, an outsider with no background would have slim to no chances of passing let alone being accepted." She turned to me, a mischievous spark in her eyes.
"But these are not normal circumstances and I can help your probability of gaining access to the examination test the rest is on you. I suspect you have potential beyond what we've seen tonight. After all, you managed to survive a night in the Velduros wilderness and solved my little puzzle without any known magic or training of your own. Not to mention." She paused, as if weighing whether to say something, then she decided. "I sense a dormant sigil within you."
I frowned slightly. "Dormant sigil? I'm not familiar with that term."
Vaelwyn approached me and gently tapped his chest, right over his heart. Even through his wet shirt, he felt a slight warmth at the point of contact. "In Velduros, and many parts of this world and others individuals touched by certain magic bear a sigil a unique mark of the soul. It's usually invisible to the eye, but those trained can perceive it. A sigil can manifest as a magical affinity, a guardian spirit, a particular talent for arcane and more. Dormant means it hasn't awakened yet you likely have not tapped into it. That's not unusual; many people awaken their sigils through training or a moment of great need but not all sigils are blessings some are seals for protection and wards against certain evils or powers."
She gave me a reassuring smile. "I suspect crossing worlds and surviving what you did tonight has already started stirring it within you. With guidance, you could unlock it and whatever abilities it holds."
I absorbed this new information with a mix of wonder and disbelief. I might have some magical soul mark? It seemed unreal, yet everything tonight was unreal by standards I use to know. "How do you plan to unlock it?" I asked slowly, trying not to get my hopes up in case I misunderstood anything . "Also why would you help me, a total stranger, what do you get out of this?"
Vaelwyn looked momentarily away, eyes resting on the statue-lit plaza. "Consider it partly professional curiosity. A man from another world appearing in a grave I can't ignore that mystery, and." She looked back at me, a flicker of something personal in her eyes. "We at the Sixth Eye believe that knowledge and power, in the right hands, benefit everyone. If left unguided, someone with latent power can become a danger to themselves or others especially someone like a transmigrator unaccustomed to our world's ways and laws. I'd rather guide you and see who you become than ignore you and your potential."
She took a breath and continued, voice confident. "So here is my proposal I will sponsor you for the Academy's entrance exam. That means I'll make sure you have the preparatory materials, some basic training and orientation over the next week. If you pass the exam and are admitted, I will take you on as my protégé. In practice, that means while you attend the Academy, I will also personally mentor you in the arts of investigation of the supernatural and more.
I'll teach you how to survive, how to solve the mysteries you'll inevitably encounter, including the mystery of your arrival. In return, you'll assist me on certain cases when needed, nothing beyond your capabilities, of course. You will strive to uphold the principles of me and my of the Order while under my tutelage: to seek truth and protect the innocent."
My jaw nearly dropped. The offer was far beyond anything expected a few hours ago, I had been terrified and alone, convinced I might die in a forest in some alien world. Now this random woman was offering me a path not only to survive but to find purpose and seek answers to my questions. It sounded almost too good to be true. But as I studied Vaelwyn's face for any sign of deceit, I found none. She looked truly earnest, hopeful even though clearly trying to appear nonchalant, as if it didn't matter to her one way or another yet I sensed it did matter.
I realized from the start that I wanted to trust her. She hasn't given me any reason not to. "You'd do all that for me? We just met," I said, voice tinged with awe.
Vaelwyn chuckled. "In my line of work, you sometimes have to make quick judgments about people. My instincts tell me you're worth the effort and perhaps you'll prove me wrong, but I have a feeling you won't." She extended her gloved hand to me, not just as a gesture to shake, but as if sealing a pact. "So, do we have a deal, Jasen?"
I looked at her hand, the black leather glove, the faint scars on it, the emblem of the Sixth Eye staring back at me. I thought of the alternative, a lone foreigner with no money, no knowledge, stumbling through a dangerous city I wouldn't even last long. Even if I found a way to survive, what then? This world was rich and wondrous, but also clearly perilous If he ever wanted to understand why I was here and how to perhaps find my way home (if that was even possible), I'd need allies and knowledge and especially resources, money and power.
Deep down, a part of me felt a spark of excitement. The Academy of Mystical and Rational Sciences it sounded like something out of my wildest fantasies. Magic and science together, structured learning in a place built exactly for someone curious like me. Could he belong there? With Vaelwyn's mentorship, maybe I had a chance.
I met Vaelwyn's gaze, squared my shoulders, and grasped her hand firmly. "Deal," I said, a hint of a smile forming despite the rollercoaster of the night. "I'll do it. I'll aim to pass that exam."
Vaelwyn's grip was strong and confident she returned the smile with one of her own proud and perhaps a touch relieved. "Excellent. I suspect you won't regret it." She released my hand and added, "Welcome to Velduros, Jasen. Your story here has just begun."
I smiled, then Vaelwyn pulled out a silver, engraved pocket watch from her coat. "Normally, I don't do this on the first interaction, but I believe you're not fit to travel, halfway across the city back to my residence." She looked at me with a semi-serious and stern look, the first time she looked like that since the cafe incident. She stepped close to me, placing her arm onto my shoulder. "This will not be pleasant for first timers, so please aim for my bathroom, first door down the hallway on the right. There is a trash bin to your right of the sink and the toilet. Make sure not to miss either."
I was nervous and curious about why she said that. She clicked the pocket watch open and clicked the top. Many black runes started to circle us until the space around turned blacker than the night sky. Then they disappeared in an instant as I saw around us a home, but before I could admire the dimly lit room, we just appeared. I felt sick, like unnaturally sick. "What the hell?" Vaelwyn just pointed to the door down the hallway, and I ran, holding my stomach and covering my mouth with my hand. As I sat down on the toilet and grabbed the trash bin, the rest of the night became a blur.