Akhile couldn't sleep.
The estate had long since shut down, and everyone had retreated to their quarters. She lay still for a while, trying to listen out for any sound, any distraction to keep her from sleeping.
The Redcliff Estate had a different silence from the Meadowlands. It was inorganic silence. It was made to be that way instead of being a typical night. In that case, she often felt unsafe, like anything could happen at any time.
This particular night, Akhile felt unsettled, maybe from the weird supper she shared with the Redcliff brothers.
Both brothers had just watched her leave without a reaction. Maybe that was a test, or maybe her dream with Princess Cora had kept her on edge and suspicious about everything.
She wasn't sure anymore.
Akhile slipped from her bed and wrapped a robe around her shoulders. She checked the time on the nightstand, and it was 3 am. The corridor lights sensed her movement and illuminated one by one.
Maybe a light walk would clear her thoughts. She started walking out of her apartment wing and across the central foyer, making sure her footsteps were as quiet and undetectable as possible. Both the west and east wings were dark, meaning the brothers were asleep.
She walked past the dining hall, recollecting when she stormed out. Akhile noticed a dim light in the distance. It was coming from the library.
She could hear voices. For some reason, she tiptoed in their direction, towards the library doors.
"…you shouldn't have let her answer like that," Norman was saying.
"I didn't let her do anything," Nathaniel replied calmly. "She clearly has her own mind, and she is stubborn."
"She's not fully aware of what she's walking into."
"And we were born into it," Nathaniel said.
Akhile's caught her breath. They were discussing her and the supper.
What was she walking into?
She inched closer to the doorway, careful to stay within the shadows, and she remained very quiet.
There was a long pause inside. Then Norman spoke again. "Have you told her?"
"No."
"You can't keep delaying it. The new cycle of the moon is coming."
"I'm aware of the calendar," Nathaniel said, his tone sharpening just slightly.
A chair scraped faintly against the floor.
"She deserves to know about our bloodline," Norman pressed.
"She will, eventually," Nathaniel replied. "I don't trust her yet. But you...you care about her?"
Norman's voice lowered further. "And what if I do?"
"My little brother. You never cease to amaze me," said Nathaniel, walking slowly and standing near the door.
Akhile panicked, but he hadn't seen her, he was just looking in the distance. He was disappointed.
There was silence.
"Is this about our father?" Nathaniel asked. His voice remained calm, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
Akhile's pulse quickened.
Norman looked away and folded his arms. "Everything is always about our father. This is all about him. Your betrothal is…about him."
Him? Neilelis Redcliff?
"…the last blood moon was different," Norman continued. "The barrier is weakened. I felt it."
Another silence.
This one was heavier.
"You need to grow up, Norman," Nathaniel said finally. "After this, I cannot defend you anymore, not even to him."
The air inside the library darkened. Akhile leaned closer, heart beating in her temples. She couldn't piece together what they were talking about, but she understood it was something to do with their father.
"What if she refuses the marriage?" Norman asked.
"She won't."
"You don't know that."
"Yes," Nathaniel said. "I do."
The certainty in his voice unsettled her more than anything else.
Norman exhaled sharply.
"You're asking her to do something she doesn't understand."
"I am asking her to fulfil her duty," Nathaniel replied. "Norman, whatever you are up to, do not jeopardise this."
Akhile stepped back instinctively. She could hear footsteps. She quickly moved down the corridor just as the library doors opened and light flashed on in the dimmed hallway.
Norman exited first, tension carved into his posture. She hadn't been seen. He walked toward the east wing without looking back. Nathaniel followed seconds later.
He paused at the edge of the doorway for a brief moment, and he stood completely still.
Akhile sank deeper behind the door where she was hiding, holding in her breath. Finally, he turned and walked toward his wing. The corridor fell quiet again.
Akhile waited and initiated a countdown in her head. She had read somewhere that counting to 60, without observing any motion, meant that the coast was clear.
Only when she was certain they were gone did she step into the library.
The Redcliff library did not feel like the rest of the estate. It was not configured or automated, and there was no robotic system inside. Certainly, no surveillance mechanisms.
The finishes were made of darker wood for bookshelves and hardwood floors, without the anxiety-filled glass walls and holographic projections.
The shelves were built high, from the floor to the ceiling, filled with different types of books of all sizes, and ledgers bound with leather binders and letters sealed in locked cabinets. In between, there were ladders that led all the way up for easy access.
This room was normal, unlike anything in Neilelis Industrial. She carefully stepped inside.
The air smelled of...books and paper and dust?
Akhile trailed her fingers along the spines of some books.
Redcliff Pharma Accounts 1st Cycle
Redcliff Pharma DSMB Charter 2nd Cycle
Redcliff Estate Records – Confidential
She pulled one of the older ledgers from the shelf. It was heavier than she expected.
Inside, the handwriting was a little illegible. It was cursive. Akhile paged through anyway and came upon on a Table of Contents section.
Neilelis Redcliff Founding Mandate.
The Sharman files.
Her stomach churned. Sharman?
Her mind drifted back to her dream when Princess Cora said, Beware of the Sharman.
She turned another page. At this point, she had just left things to fate. Anything was possible. Any information she would come across…it could be anything. Another Table of Contents.
The Necromancer Files.
Inheritance is confirmed within male heirs. Her fingers traced the words on the paper.
"What the hell is a necromancer?" she whispered to herself. Akhile imagined a dragon of some sort? A scary abomination. What were the Redcliffs involved with?
This wasn't folklore or a mythical analogy. These were records, reports and manuals. Akhile thought about taking the ledger back to her apartment. She couldn't focus because she was concerned about being caught with the confidential file.
A soft sound echoed somewhere deep in the distance. There were footsteps.
Akhile froze.
The lights in the corridor flickered once. Then they steadied. She swallowed hard, her heart at her throat, before she turned another page and took a glance.
The Meadowlands Files.
The Betrothal.
The Sacred Peak.
A sudden, sharp pressure flared at her temple, stronger than before. She gasped softly and gripped the edge of the desk. The air in the library felt heavier now, like too much information flooding her head all at once.
She heard the footsteps again. Her fingers trembled slightly. She had to run before someone caught her. Akhile slowly closed the ledger and slid the book back into its exact position on the shelf. She quietly rushed to the door, her breathing uncontrolled.
Curiosity killed the cat, she reminded herself. "I'm not a cat." She thought.
The corridor outside was dimmer than before. The estate was shifting to recalibrate the simulation of dawn. The motion lights flickered on as she stepped forward. She had barely taken three steps into the corridor when she heard a voice.
"Couldn't sleep?"
Her body jolted.
Norman leaned casually against the archway near the east way, with his posture relaxed. He was still in his suit, his shirt untucked, his hair messy.
"Yeah…h-how about you? Well, of course," she replied.
He smiled. "Yeah." He tried to mimic her.
She studied him carefully. Obviously, he was lying. But there was no way she could admit that she was eavesdropping on him and Nathaniel.
He looked tired. His eyes were dark and droopy. It was as if something was weighing heavily on his conscience, something he could only hold to himself.
"You were in the library," he added gently.
"Yeah."
"How do you like it?" he asked lightly.
She shrugged. "The place is full of old books. I like old books."
He chuckled. "Good. I was hoping you'd go exploring and enjoy this place."
"Yeah," she replied with a nervous laugh.
His gaze lingered on her a fraction longer than usual. "Yeah," he said. Imitating her again.
She tilted her head slightly. "Is there a place I should avoid, while I'm exploring?"
He hesitated. "I encourage you to have no boundaries. This will be your life soon, after the marriage."
"I'll keep that in mind," she said.
Silence stretched between them. Akhile suspected that he knew, or he was on to her. However, he was edging her on to dig deeper.
"Come," he said after a moment. "I'll walk you back to your apartment. The sun is almost out," he said jokingly.
She fell into step beside him. The estate floors were cool beneath her feet. Their footsteps echoed softly in rhythm.
"You seemed really disturbed at dinner," he said casually.
"I was."
Norman took a deep breath and stopped walking
She also paused.
His gaze caught hers. "Cora, I would like to apologise for earlier. I know I was being a jerk."
She chose her words carefully. "Yeah."
His jaw shifted slightly. "Yeah?" he looked away, breathing heavily from frustration. "Is that the only word you can say?"
"That is the only word I can say."
"I didn't mean to ruin it for you," he said. He leaned against the wall, his gaze shifted to his shoes.
Akhile sighed.
"Why were you being a jerk anyway?"
"Maybe it bothers me that I can't have you," he said.
Akhile's heart stopped.
He continued. "Maybe it bothers me that you get to marry him, and it's not me. He couldn't care less about you, he only cares about duty and pleasing our father and his wishes."
He continued walking, and she followed behind him. Akhile had no thoughts in the moment. She should have said something, but she didn't. She could have tried to console him or meet him halfway, but she didn't.
This wasn't what she wanted. Another complicated life filled with dilemmas.
When they finally reached her apartment, the lights responded to her presence, but her doors did not open yet.
Norman stopped in front of her.
"I think I might be in love with you, Princess Cora," he said quietly.
"What?" she whispered.
His expression hardened. He looked drained and even more tired than before. For a moment, it felt like they were on his balcony again. Like something delicate was building between them.
He reached out without touching her, his hand just hovering near her shoulder.
"Just be careful what you dig into," he said. "Some parts of this family may be…unbelievable."
The word lingered.
"Promise me you will confide in me before you make a choice."
"I'll remember that."
The doors behind her slid open. He stepped back and walked away.
"Good morning, Cora."
"Yeah."
She stepped inside. The doors sealed softly behind her.
The lights adjusted automatically.
"Good morning, Princess Cora," the intercom whispered.
She didn't respond this time. She didn't respond to Norman; did she make a mistake?
She leaned against her bathroom door and closed her eyes. Akhile was confused.
Something was building up to the next blood moon.
There would be a great awakening.
And she was awake.