Chapter 11 — The Question
Ellian shut the door behind him a little too firmly. The hallway outside the professor's office was silent, save for the low hum of torches on the walls. His mind was racing, the professor's question echoing over and over in his head.
"What is the origin of understanding?"
He hadn't expected something so abstract. He thought it would be a riddle, maybe a logic problem, or even a personal challenge. But this? It was like being handed a mirror and being asked to explain what you saw without looking into it.
He didn't hesitate long. He turned sharply on his heel and made his way down the corridor, scanning faces as he passed students and staff. Eventually, just before the corner leading to the atrium, he spotted Keon leaning against a pillar, arms folded, eyes distant.
"Keon!" Ellian called, walking quickly up.
Keon looked up, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Hey, Ellian. Did you get it too? That weird question from the professor?"
Ellian nodded, still catching his breath. "Yeah. 'What is the origin of understanding,' right?"
"Exactly." Keon pushed off the pillar. "It's not just us, is it?"
"I don't know. But I was thinking… maybe the library? Some of the older texts might help."
Keon grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that. Let's go."
They walked side by side through the winding hallways of the Academy. The walls glowed with soft light, and occasional murmurs from other students echoed faintly through the marble corridors. When they entered the library, it was almost empty—just a few upperclassmen flipping pages and a librarian asleep behind a desk.
The two settled into the far corner, the section with the least light and the most dust. The books here hadn't been touched in years. Some were even bound in string to keep them from falling apart. They read in silence for hours, each lost in crumbling pages and shifting theories. Most of the books discussed logic, ancient philosophy, and the birth of cognition through sensation—but none gave a clear answer.
By midnight, the candles at their table had nearly burned out.
Keon yawned and closed his book slowly. "I don't think we're going to find it tonight."
Ellian leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "No. It's too vague. I think that's the point."
They left the library in silence, both weighed down more by thoughts than by fatigue. The dormitories were quiet when they returned, but Tamir was still awake, lying on his bed with his legs crossed, flipping through a notebook.
"Hey," Tamir said as they entered. "You two got the weird question too?"
Keon dropped onto his bed. "Yeah. Seems like it's not just us."
Tamir raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me the whole class is getting philosophical riddles now?"
Ellian sat on the edge of his bed and looked at the floor. "It's not just the class. It might be the whole Academy."
They were quiet for a moment, the weight of that realization settling in.
"So…" Tamir said after a pause, "Is this some kind of massive test? Or a selection?"
"No idea," Keon said. "But we'll figure it out. Together."
They talked for a few more minutes—light conversation about the books they'd read, jokes about the librarian's snoring, theories about the professor's motives. Eventually, Keon and Tamir drifted off to sleep.
But Ellian couldn't. His thoughts were still buzzing. The question hadn't left his mind. He stood quietly, grabbed his coat, and stepped outside into the cool night air.
The Academy grounds were quiet, bathed in pale blue moonlight. A breeze stirred the grass as he walked through the central garden. He passed the sleeping fountain, the stone benches, the towering white trees that only bloomed in the dark. And then he saw her.
Rielle.
She was sitting on one of the benches beneath the moonlit trees, a large tome open in her lap, eyes scanning its pages as if her life depended on it.
Ellian hesitated, then walked toward her.
"Hey," he said quietly.
Rielle didn't look up at first, but then slowly raised her head and gave him a nod.
"You're always reading," Ellian said, trying not to sound awkward. "Even at night."
She looked back down at her book. "I don't sleep much."
"What are you reading?" he asked, sitting a respectful distance away.
Her eyes flicked to him, then back to the page. "A book on the origins of the Void. And Void itself."
Ellian blinked. "Wait. You mean… the Void? You're interested in that too?"
Rielle finally closed the book and turned her head fully toward him. "Yes."
Ellian's face lit up slightly. "Keon, Tamir and I—we've been looking into it as well. I mean, not just the question from today, but... the Void fascinates us."
Rielle studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she stood, holding the book close to her chest.
"I prefer to study alone," she said softly, and without another word, she walked back toward her dormitory.
Ellian remained on the bench, feeling the air grow colder. He sighed, then stood and walked back to his room. He sat by the window for a while, watching the stars shimmer through the clouds, then eventually, sleep pulled him under.
---
The next morning, Ellian woke first. He moved quietly, washed up, then shook Keon and Tamir awake one by one.
They made their way to the dining hall, sharing tired smiles and short conversation over breakfast—mostly grumbling about lack of sleep and how unhelpful the library had been. Then it was time for class.
Ellian walked slowly down the corridor to Room 2A. When he entered, most of the students were already seated. He slipped into the last row, sinking into his seat.
Then the door opened again—and Kiara walked in.
She scanned the room with her usual bright energy and, spotting Ellian at the back, waved at him with a cheerful smile. He hesitated, then gave a small wave back. She made her way to a seat in the third row, directly in his line of sight.
The teacher entered soon after—a tall, thin man named Professor Lenn. His robes shimmered faintly, stitched with constellations, and he carried with him an aura of meticulous precision.
"Good morning," he said. "Today's lesson is on symbolic logic and its influence on modern metaphysical thought."
Half the class groaned. Ellian, however, leaned forward, curious. As the lecture began, he could feel his attention drifting back to the question from yesterday. The professor's words almost seemed connected:
"Logic is not simply a tool. It is a mirror to the way we structure our reality. But what came before logic? What made us think in these ways?"
Ellian's hand tensed around his pen. Was this related? Was the entire curriculum subtly shifting to point toward the same enigma?
Next to him, someone whispered, "This is too much for a morning class."
He ignored them. His eyes were on the board. He jotted down every phrase that sounded even remotely philosophical.
At the end of class, as students began to leave, Ellian stayed seated.
Kiara passed by and turned her head. "Hey," she said. "You looked really focused."
Ellian blinked, then nodded. "I think… this lesson was connected to the question."
Kiara tilted her head. "You mean the one they gave you in the private meeting?"
"You got one too?"
She hesitated. Then smiled. "Maybe."
Then she left, her braid swinging behind her.
Ellian remained behind a few more moments, lost in thought.
After class, Keon and Tamir found him outside.
"We heard some students from the west wing talking," Tamir said. "Turns out the question has been given to everyone. Even the seniors."
Keon added, "It's like a school-wide challenge. No one's said what it means yet, though."
Ellian nodded slowly. "But something's happening. This isn't just a question. It's a shift."
They stood together for a moment, watching as more students filed out of classrooms. Ellian's thoughts returned to Rielle, sitting in the garden with her book, reading about the Void.
What was she trying to understand that the rest of them weren't seeing?
What was he trying to find?
And where did this question truly lead?