To find their Diviner, the monks shared all their secrets. 

Why wouldn't they? The cenobium and the royal palace shared close ties. Many of the cenobium had relatives living in the palace and vice versa. For centuries now, second-born noble children have been retreating into quiet, scholarly lives in the cenobium. And those born in- or surrendered to the cenobium with strong magic are adopted by noble families once they reach a suitable age to enter into knight apprenticeships. 

Karis, the light-demon, was far from the first or the only to be adopted. His magic was strong, but his mind weak and too trusting. Sheltered from the outside world for so long, he forgot his days on the street and that not all adults could be trusted to have his best interests at heart. He was used to the monks, who spoke no lies and passed no judgement. 

They called the bond between the cenobium and the royal palace a 'friendship.' But in a friendship, there shouldn't be an unspoken hierarchy. One who needs to compromise and yield more than the other. And while the two places treated each other with kindness and respect on the surface, and seemed to give and take in equal measure, both knew the palace triumphed the cenobium and would crush it under its feet if it disobeyed. 

The moment the cenobium would stop offering powerful magic users, or dared to openly disagree with the palace, the 'friendship' would immediately sour. It wasn't a bond based on love and trust, but obedience. Obedience. Obedience. Obedience. Like a dog to an owner. Sit, boy. And when I feed you my scraps, you will say thank you. 

The monks should have known better. Then again, I should have known better too. 

Excerpt (4/8) of an anonymous letter hidden in the wall of the Diviner's cenobium. 

**

Chapter 4

When Karis found the Diviner's bedroom door already open before sunrise, it was not immediately a cause for concern. Sometimes she got up before everyone else to take a walk in the gardens, or to meditate in the inner sanctum. On such an important day as today, Karis understood she couldn't sleep. Karis hadn't been able to sleep well either in his excitement. It was the reason why he was up early too, hoping for a moment alone with the Diviner before they left for the palace together.

Karis went looking for the Diviner in the gardens first, but they were deserted. The inner sanctum was empty as well, and so was the kitchen. Karis' pulse quickened further with each vacant room he found, until he had searched every communal room they had. 

Fifteen minutes later, Karis rang the alarm, calling all the other monks out of their beds. The next half hour went by in a rush as everyone helped Karis search, until they all had to conclude the Diviner was no longer on the premises. 

Cleone, who bore the responsibility for the cenobium in absence of the Diviner, took it upon herself to search the Diviner's bedroom with Shara and Karis watching. 

"There is no sign of a struggle in her room or elsewhere in the building," Cleone said, after carefully studying the floors and windows. "The magic wards are untouched. There are no scratches in the windowsill, none who have heard a suspicious noise in the night, and none who have seen shadows in the cenobium's gardens. Her clothes are neatly in the closet, safe for the ones packed for the palace in her suitcase, and her bed is made. She left no notes behind." 

The silence that fell after Cleone stopped summing up their findings was telling. Karis glanced at the two older women. None of them wanted to say it out loud, least of all Karis, but all the evidence pointed at that the Diviner had up and left by herself without telling anyone. 

"I will inform the palace immediately," Shara said, before marching out of the Diviner's room. 

Within the hour, the cenobium grounds was swarmed with knights and guards from the palace, including Tanith, Karis' new sister. Karis estimated each and every individual who could be spared was sent here; as many as the palace and the city could miss, without becoming vulnerable to attacks itself. 

Cleone spoke to their leader, a stoic-looking older knight who had the most elaborately decorated armour and uniform of all. Karis recognise him as a member of the Eyku family, as he wore silver and black. 

"We combed out the entire cenobium. She's not here," Cleone said. 

The knight commander nodded, but still ordered his troops to enter the cenobium and search every nook and cranny again. The summoner knights called forth spirit dogs from portals that could smell where she went. The dogs followed the Diviner's trail to the river, where they lost it. No other scents were detected beside hers. A kidnapping was unlikely, yet, all monks from the cenobiums were still ordered into the living quarters. 

The leader of the knights, Sir Eyku, suspiciously eyed the monks on the front row one by one. "Is there anyone here who knows anything about the Diviner's disappearance? If so, speak now or you and your family will face execution if we found out you lied," he barked. 

"Sir," Cleone spoke firmly. "No evidence was found that point at a crime from within this building. And there was no reason for her to leave. She planned on going to the palace—her bags are packed in her room, and she had agreed on traveling there with our young Karis, who is to be adopted into the Damaryl family." 

Karis' cheeks flushed, as suddenly a lot of eyes were on him, from monks and knights alike.  His skin prickled as he saw the suspicion in some of their gazes, but Thom, who Karis shared a room with, immediately stepped in. 

"Karis didn't leave our shared room until right before the sunrise. And your summoner dogs didn't pick up his trail near the river. Karis has nothing to do with this," he said. 

The knight commander narrowed his eyes, and while he didn't speak, Karis knew what the man was thinking. Light magic was diverse, which made it coveted in this world. Actually, light magic was the wrong term; it was only the tell-tale sign that someone had the ability to manipulate vibrations in the air, by creating little ruptures to let magic bleed into the world. There were light mages who sang like sirens and made sailors walk off a cliff in a trance. 

Tanith stepped forward. "Pardon me commander," she spoke with a bowed head. "But if Karis needs to be taken in for more questioning later, could this happen inside the palace?" Tanith looked at Karis. "I have strict orders from Lord Damaryl to take him to the palace before noon. His new family is very eager to meet him." 

The knight commander's nostrils flared. Karis could read in his expression that wanted to refuse, and Karis shared that sentiment. He couldn't just leave! If the Diviner was missing, he couldn't act like nothing had happened and proceed to go to the palace as planned. Why would Tanith suggest such a thing? Everyone in the entire world needed to be out searching, even if Karis knew there wasn't much he could personally do right now. He wasn't a summoner, who could order their wraith animals to comb the city, nor a scryer who could try to locate the Diviner through visions. 

The knight commander and Tanith were caught in a staring competition. The tension could be cut with a knife, but finally, the knight commander gave a curt nod. Tanith's hand was on Karis' shoulder within seconds and she hastily escorted him outside the cenobium's living quarters before the knight commander could change his mind. 

Karis allowed Tanith to lead him into the gardens, unsure of whether he was even allowed to protest. If he were ever to become a royal knight, let alone the personal bodyguard of prince Calan, he had to learn to be stoic despite what he felt. A true knight did what he had to do, and didn't get overwhelmed by emotions. If his duties led him away from the Diviner, and there was no way he could help her right now, then his path was clear. 

No matter how Karis tried to calm himself with rational words, however, he couldn't help glancing over his shoulder at the Diviner's bedroom window. Leaving felt like betrayal to the woman who saved him and Karis' heart pounded in panic and fear. 

"Hey, Karis, little brother," Tanith said softly, squeezing his shoulder, making Karis' gaze snap to her. "I understand this is not how you imagined this day to go, and I'm very sorry. But the best knights we have are now looking for the Diviner."

Karis swallowed thickly. He turned his face away from Tanith so she couldn't see him blinking back tears. "Do you think Lord Damaryl will allow me to join the search after meeting him?"

Tanith was quiet for a moment. "I am sure Lord Damaryl will be understanding," she offered. "As I said: all our best and greatest are now looking for the Diviner. She will be found, I promise." 

"Thank you," Karis replied politely, even if his voice trembled. 

He still couldn't understand how this had happened. He couldn't believe the Diviner had left on her own—that was completely unlike the steadfast and wise woman he'd come to love as a mother over the years. She wouldn't abandon the cenobium, and she wouldn't abandon the world. 

She must've been taken from her bed, somehow. Despite all the powerful magic wards placed as security measures. 

Tanith promised the Diviner would be found, but if she was taken from her bed by someone powerful enough to sidestep and trick everyone... in what state would she be found?