I march until I’m sure I’ve got nothing but raw bones for feet.
I march until my body shivers with cold and hunger.
I march until I no longer feel the stone path beneath me, but the cool, comforting texture of wet earth. Dirt and moss and things that grow. Waxy green leaves dotted with bright red berries brush over the fabric of my dress.
Gingerly I make my way through the thicket, doing my best not to destroy the bushes, hoping there’s a clearing on the other end. Hoping for some clue that will lead me to my brothers.
“Ani!” I call out, but again I’m met only with the echo of my own voice. “Baz!”
No one responds. Not even the damn breeze.
Where am I?
In response, a trickle of fear slides down my spine, and I whip around in the bushes, scanning for the source of the bad vibes. But there’s nothing there. Nothing but swirling silver mist as far as the eye can see.
The mist settles down around me again, blanketing the bushes until only the tallest branches poke through. The visual reminds me of another place, another time… I close my eyes and try to bring it back.Saguaros, I remember now. Their limbs reaching up through the desert mist like the masts of old ships.
Am I home? In Tres Búhos?
But I thought…
I shake my head.
Thisis my home now. Arcana Academy. I need to find my friends.
No longer concerned about the welfare of the bushes, I open my eyes and pick up the pace, stomping through the thicket until the tangle of leaves finally releases me, spitting me out onto a wide swath of bare dirt. I try to brush the dirt from my dress, but it’s no use; the berries have stained it red.
The Princesses have vanished, but movement up ahead captures my attention—a rabbit darting across my path, disappearing in the mist.
“Wait!” I call after him, a clear sign that I’m losing my shit.
Get it together, Stevie. This is insane.
I stop and take a deep breath. Prop my hands on my hips. Look around at my surroundings.
Why am I talking to rabbits? Whose dress is this? Where the hell is everyone?
As if in response, the mist begins to fade away, revealing a massive rock wall before me. It isn’t red sandstone. In fact, it doesn’t look like any of the rock formations I’ve seen on campus. It seems older somehow, untouched through the ages. The surface is carved with spirals, and at the base, mistletoe and holly grow wild.
I place my hands against the rough stone and close my eyes, feeling for its energy. Its heartbeat. Deep within, I sense the thrum of ancient magick stirring to life.
A gentle breeze ghosts over my hair, releasing the scent of the roses still tucked into my braids, and I let out a breath.
But the peaceful moment is instantly shattered by the blast of an ancient horn—my only warning before the rock beneath my hands rumbles and cracks, breaking away to reveal a small doorway.
I stumble backward, bracing myself for some new threat.
But there, emerging from the darkness, is only a child—no more than a toddler.
He’s naked, his movements slow and sluggish like he’s just woken from a long nap.
“Are you okay?” I ask tentatively, reaching out for him. But the child doesn’t acknowledge my presence, and the moment my fingertips touch his baby-soft skin, the air around me explodes with warm, golden light.
Magick hums across my skin, and I gasp, understanding dawning in an instant.
Not a lost child.
The Fool reborn. The Source. The Zero.
