There are a great many things that Lysabel's mother doesn't approve of a young woman doing. Speaking out of turn? Disgraceful. Desiring to not spend a life of domesticity? Frowned upon.

But snooping around a castle?

Absolutely, utterly unthinkable. Which is why Lysabel paces outside her dorm, debating internally whether or not to include Xara in her findings. The sun has just gone to rest, and students all retreat to their rooms, hunkering down for yet another night. October is just around the corner, and like the other first years, Lysabel has slipped into a routine. Get up, get dressed, go to class, eat, go to more classes, study until you feel as though your eyeballs may very well fall from their sockets, and hit the bed, exhausted.

Jupus moans lightly, bumping his nose against her hip. Nudging her along. She smiles weakly at him, patting his thick brown fur before squaring her shoulders. Xara is a friend, perhaps the only student Lysabel truly trusts. Other than her sister, of course. Why should she refrain from telling her? What she did see with the door had been strange, and day by day, her curiosity has expanded. What is behind the door, and why do the professors feel the need to hide it from prying eyes?

She gathers her buttery blonde hair over her shoulder, eyeing the dried ends with a grimace. She ought to get it snipped at the barber's soon.

"What are you doing?"

Lysabel nearly jumps out of her skin from surprise. But it's only Xara, standing there with a confused look on her face. Her long black hair has been wound into a messy bun at the top of her head, but stray tendrils escape and frame her face prettily. Her reading glasses, big, black frames, perch on the bridge of her nose. There is a squawk from somewhere inside their room. Lysabel peeks inside, and finds Lenore roosting near the window, ruffling her feathers with a coo.

"Vieva's not back yet?"

Xara shakes her head, smiling. "That's why Lenore's inside." She leans against the doorway, smirking slightly. "Do you want to come in or do you intend to sleep on Jupus for the night?"

"Oh." She giggles nervously. "Right." Lysabel crouches and plops a kiss on her bear's face. "You go on, Jupus. I'll see you in the morning."

With a baleful groan, he lumbers off. Xara watches him go, bemused. "For a young bear, he acts as though he's ancient."

Lysabel slips inside, wringing her fingers tightly together. Lysabel's dorm is one of the few triplets in the first year house. Not that she's happy about it; Vieva isn't a very pleasant roommate. She's always harping on Xara and Lysabel to keep their part of the room clean and immaculate as hers. Once, when Lysabel had been unpacking, Vieva had come to her side, and sniffed about having poor clothes. Some remark that honestly, Lysabel doesn't even recall. But Xara, having overheard, had leaned over and whispered that her clothes are better than Vieva's soldier clothes.

That's when Lysabel had begun to consider Xara a true ally.

"What took you so long?" asks Xara, shutting the door behind them. Lenore purrs at Lysabel, and she pats the griffin's lush feathers.

"My professor had us stay after school because Byron Jamelson couldn't answer a question from the section yesterday."

"Ouch. Who's your professor?"

"Ingerton." Lysabel scowls.

"Ugh." Xara rolls her eyes. "I don't have him, but I heard he's the worst."

"He is. And I have to deal with him for the rest of the year."

"Is it true that he has hooves for feet?" fires Xara.

Lysabel shakes her head ruefully. "No. But whenever he walks, there's always a weird slapping sound."

The two of them laugh. Xara grabs the handle of her apple cider mug, taking a long sip. She hisses a sigh of happiness. "It's not my grandmother's, but it suffices."

Lysabel rocks back and forth on her feet. It's now or never. Founders know when Vieva will return, and she's already suspicious of the two of them as it is. It's worse considering she's in their group for Beledras's class. The less Vieva Bestel knows about them, the better.

"Xara... there's something I need to tell you."

Xara lowers the mug, wiping her mouth with her forearm. "What is it?"

Lysabel goes to take a seat on her bed. The frame whimpers under her weight. She shifts a little, then hugs her knees to her chest. She takes comfort in the body heat.

"A few weeks ago, I was getting to class, when I passed an open door. It was weirdly marked, and I couldn't see anything but darkness beyond. I was about to go inside but Professor Mevoirent caught me. He was really guarded, and acting really strange. He kept telling me to get to class."

Xara's lighthearted expression has fallen away, and a look of deep set concentration hastily takes its place.

Lysabel's mind scolds herself for bringing up something so insignificant, and is about to open her mouth to rebuke her observation but Xara speaks over her.

"Wait, what did the door look like?"

Lysabel's brows knit together. That  isn't the words she had thought Xara would say.

"I don't remember. It was rather unremarkable, really."

"Give me a second." Xara walk-jogs past Lysabel and throws the door open, popping her head out the door to look both directions. There are nearly no one, save for a scarce amount of students returning from after-school activities. Xara breathes a sigh of relief.

"There's no sign of Vieva. Good." She closes the door gently, not to raise attention.

Lysabel hardly has time to voice her confusion before Xara flies past her to her own bed. She digs her fingers into her mattress and heaves easily, tossing it over the side. Lenore angles her head, curious, but then decides it isn't worth the effort and goes back to sleep.

Xara gets to her knees and rummages through the books under the mattress.

"Wow. You sure have, uh, a lot of books." Lysabel says lamely, not knowing what else to say.

Xara appears not to hear her, and instead retrieves a thick black book with a sound of satisfaction. "I found it."

"What is it?" Lysabel asks, leaning over her shoulder slightly.

Xara stretches her face into a small smile.

"You aren't the only one with a secret."

Xara hands her the book. Upon closer look, Lysabel realises it's a journal, covered in a soft, inky velvet. There's no lock, which means it isn't a diary.

"Look on the inside," advises Xara.

Lysabel flips the cover open, and her eyes fall upon a small scrawl of writing in the corner.

Property of Cynem Runemore.

Lysabel gasps. "This is the Warlord's journal? How in the world did you get this?"

Xara smiles smugly. "I found it in the library, tucked away."

Lysabel's shock and awe is momentary. Minutes later, panic settles.

"Oh my god, do you know how much trouble we'll get into if we are found with this?" Lysabel shoves it back at Xara. "Take it back!"

Xara jerks her chin vividly. "No. We need this."

"We do not need this. This," Lysabel jabs a finger at the book, "is what's going to get us kicked out of the Academy."

"This is what will give you the answer about the door," insists Xara.

Lysabel scoffs, crossing her arms and jutting out her hip. "How do you even know that the door even has any relation to Warlord?"

"Because I saw a picture of it."

"You looked through it?" Lysabel's voice rises an octave, becoming a squeak. "Oh, Founders, why did I even tell you about the door? Now my mother will disown me!"

Xara shoots her a look. "Lysa, chill. Nothing's going to happen. Besides, a little healthy curiosity never killed anyone."

"If I recall, curiosity most certainly killed the cat."

"Well, we have the journal now, so what harm can there be by looking through it?"

"I can think of many things," mumbles Lysabel.

Xara holds up a finger, leafing through the journal with efficient speed. Lysabel narrows her eyes at Xara's back.

"Wait a minute. How long have you had this book?"

Xara glances at her over her shoulder. "Not long."

"How long?" reiterates Lysabel. "Tell me the truth."

"Just since the beginning of September."

Lysabel groans, passing a hand over her face. "I can't believe this."

"Will you believe me when I find the door in the book?"

"Maybe not even then."

"Fine. But it's in this book. I remember seeing it."

Lysabel grumbles, walking to her dresser and taking out her comb, brushing her hair brashly. It's a habit of her; whenever she's stressed, she brushes or plays with her hair. Her mother despises it; she says that her one best feature will be ruined if she continues to fiddle with it.

"Here it is!" exclaims Xara, in a triumphant yet slightly surprised look.

"What?" Lysabel scurries over and flings herself on the bed beside Xara. "Where?"

Xara stabs a finger at the left page, yellowing and mottled. "That's the door, right?"

Lysabel's jaw drops. "No way." She peers closer. "How is it here?"

The door isn't very unique to look at, but merely staring at it, both on the page and in person makes Lysabel's skin prick. There's something... off about it, about what lies behind it. She skims a finger over the drawing of the door. It makes the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"What does it say?" Lysabel asks, squinting at the incoherent squiggles.

"No idea. Thankfully, there's enough pictures that I've been able to make out most of what he means. But this..." Xara frowns. "I don't know."

Lysabel peels herself off the bed, sighing. "Well, that's settled. The door has something to do with the Warlord. Put the book away, and we can study together. Quick, before Vieva comes."

Xara does close the book, and shove it back under her bed, but there's a troubled look on her face.

"Here's what I'm thinking," says Lysabel further. "We should work on our Botany flashcards. We have that huge chapter exam coming up, right? You quiz on roots, and I'll do tonics?"

"What time does curfew start?"

Lysabel stops organizing her flashcards. Cold fingers creep down her spine. She dislikes the turn this conversation is going.

"Nine o'clock," provides Lysabel in a wary voice.

Xara's lips purse. "We'll just have to go after then."

She's doused with dread. "Go where, Xara?"

"To see that door."

✡✡✡

Hours later, Xara shakes Lysabel awake gently. "Get up, Lysa."

It isn't a problem, because Lysabel hadn't slept off. Fear has plagued her mind for what they are about to do. Lysabel sits up on her elbows, looking to her left. Vieva is asleep, emitting soft snores. Even in her sleep she sounds dainty.

Xara's eyes are bright with excitement. "Let's go."

"We are going to get into so much trouble." Lysabel moans, but she slips out of the bed as quietly as she can.

"But don't you want to know what's inside?"

Lysabel ties her hair up, pulling her moccasins from under the bed. "What about the Fenrirs? They'll be pacing the school!"

"We aren't going off the school grounds. We just have to watch out for the professors and guards on night shift."

"And how will we do that?" whispers Lysabel viciously.

"Trust me."

If secret, against-the-rule outings are the outcomes of trusting Xara Roffinnes, then Lysabel wants to disagree. Regardless of her strained relationship with her mother, she is still the way Mother had made her. She doesn't dabble in sneaking around.

It's just past 9:30 when the girls slink to the door. The house is blissfully quiet, and the halls are completely empty. There are guards positioned outside the dorms.

"Oh Founders, the guards!" Lysabel begins to hyperventilate. "That's it. I'm done. I'm going back to sleep."

"Will you calm down?" Xara hisses to her. "It'll be fine. Just do what I say."

Though her mind warns her against it, Lysabel follows as Xara cracks the door open. Lysabel hardly gets a foot out the door when a sharp voice slices through their silence.

"Where are you going?"

It's Vieva.

Fear drenches her and Lysabel freezes up. Xara's hand brushes against hers.

"Nothing of your concern," refutes Xara in a smooth voice.

"Oh, I think it's most definitely my concern." She puts both hands on her hips. Vieva looks alert and wide-eyed, meaning she most likely hadn't been sleeping in the first place. Her sleep mask is pushed high on her forehead, and her silver hair is slightly tousled. Though it doesn't apply to the current situation, she's glad that there's something not perfect with Vieva Bestel. At least not now.

Lysabel and Xara glance sidelong at each other. Xara then looks to Vieva, feigning a bored expression.

"We were thirsty."

Vieva scoffs aloud. "That is possibly the worst excuse I've ever heard in my entire life. There's a water jug in our room, and even if you had to go for a refill, you don't need two people."

"Buddy system?" Lysabel offers lamely. Vieva doesn't even deign to look at her. 

Xara leans on her right leg. "Okay, so maybe we don't want water. But give us one good reason why we should tell you."

Lysabel half expects Vieva to threaten to tell the professors if they're caught after curfew, but instead, her expression softens.

"I won't tell," says Vieva snottily, looking directly at Lysabel. Her cheeks heat, and she looks down. She had read her thoughts.

"Why?" asks Xara suspiciously. "You don't like us, and we don't like you."

"Both true points. But you two are obviously up to something, and I'm already awake." Vieva shrugs. "Why not just tell?"

Xara starts to shake her head, but Lysabel speaks up. "We're going to investigate a door that the professors are keeping hidden."

Vieva's eyebrows shoot off her face.

"Traitor!" says Xara in her ear, kicking her shin lightly. Lysabel slants an apologetic look at Xara. Vieva's logic makes sense. If the two of them keep trying to push Vieva away, it'll only incense her further, and she'll try to sneak after them. So why not just include her?

"That," says Vieva finally, "wasn't what I was expecting."

"How did you even hear what we were saying?" says Xara, shimmying into her jacket.

Vieva sits on the edge of her bed, pulling on her shiny black boots. "You two have elephant feet. Even if I was asleep, I would've heard you clomping around."

Xara glares at her, then whizzes around the face Lysabel. "You just had to tell her? Now we have to put up with her for the entire outing."

But Xara turns around too fast for Lysabel to respond. "You can come, but keep that mouth of yours shut, you hear? Your blabbering will alert the guards."

Vieva only smirks.

The three girls, geared up to go, sneak out of the room, closing the door silently behind them. Vieva's smirk has faded, and in its place takes determination. She jerks her chin towards the exit all the way at the end of the hall. Unfortunately, all the triplets are located near the end of the house, so they have to tiptoe their way down the entire length.

Xara's in the lead, with Vieva and Lysabel quick at her heels. Surprisingly, along with her fear, Lysabel picks out adrenaline. She indulges in that feeling, digs it out and splats it in the face of the terror. She won't be paralyzed by her fear.

"So you guys are going somewhere."

The three of them screech to a halt. Vieva nearly slips into Xara's back, and Lysabel plants her feet.

"For Founder's sake, again?" Xara says to herself. Lysabel's mind echoes her statement. It seems the universe has set out to stop them from seeing the door.

Vieva's face betrays no emotion- just mild surprise. "How did you hear us?"

Derald rakes a hand through his long black hair. "We are in the room next to you, and the walls here are thin."

Xara puffs an exasperated breath. Clearly, this is becoming a larger expedition than she hoped.

"So are we going, or what?" Derald asks.

Xara rolls her eyes. "Or what."

Derald lopes beside her. "C'mon, Roffinnes. We already know the details, so why can't we tag along? Besides, this is by far the most interesting thing to happen at the Academy so far." He drapes an arm around Owain. "We're totally coming, right Snagsnout?"

Owain gulps, paling. At the sight of Lysabel studying him, his ruddy cheeks pinken. Lysabel hadn't actually met Owain until they had been lumped together for their project. Not that it makes a difference. He hasn't said more than a 'hi' to her so far.

"Right?" his voice upturns in the end, morphing into a squeak. Xara looks at him, then scowls.

"Fine. But not a word out of either of you, understand?"

"That won't be a problem," says Owain meekly. Derald grins, slapping him on the back. The clap echoes through the dorms.

All three girls simultaneously shush him. He puts his hands up but has a faint smile on his face.

Vieva prances past them. "If you are all done wasting time, we have a door to find. Let's go."

>>AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I'm baaaack! did you miss me? lol I'm just kidding. I'm making the outline for the third book of the Therondia Series, Warrior's Heart, which will take a few weeks. so until I'm ready to start writing that again, I'll be doing my normal updates on all my other projects.

this chapter was an absolute hoot to write. it's mainly dialogue based, which made it really fun to create. i loved incorporating a bit of salty-ness into Lysabel's words; now that she's away from her old-timey mother, she can be her true self;)

more updates to come!

peace&love,

raniaditi