Confess

“Prince Cecil! What brings you here today?”

The elderly librarian sits behind a small desk, his spectacled eyes wide with shock. It is indeed rare for me to visit the royal library, but I am on a mission. Only a couple of days have passed since the strange ordeal in my bedchamber, and I have been desperate for answers. Over and over again, I replay the events in my mind, trying to understand what sort of being visited me that night. He said his name is Soren and he claimed to be the Emperor of Sa’arre—a nation that doesn’t even have a monarchy. Who is he really?

“I am looking for books on some rather…unusual subjects.”

“Well, if they exist, we surely have them here!”

The old man is correct. Located on the first floor of the palace, this expansive temple of knowledge is home to centuries of accumulated Balthian literature. The circular room is lined with endless bookshelves that tower high above me. Level after level stacked on top of each other, the ceiling appears far and distant, barely visible from where I stand. The crystalline walls emit a gentle glow, showering the space in a faint, enchanted light. The silence in the air causes a feeling of calm to wash over me…perhaps I should study here more often?

“Have you ever heard of enchanted gemstones? Stones that allow a person to teleport at will? Stones that can be used to communicate with someone far away?”

A confused look washes over the librarian’s face.

“And have you ever heard of…sexual magic?”

His look of confusion morphs into something darker.

“My dear boy, why would you ask such a thing?”

“Please answer the question.” My voice trembles with embarrassment—I’ve been dreading asking such a lascivious question.

“Indeed, we do have books on such topics, but they are outside the realm of usual magical study. The tomes are housed in the restricted collection. Such information could be dangerous in the wrong hands, you see.”

“And would you deny your future king access to such books?”

“No, of course not! Please, follow me.” The elder rises and motions for me to follow toward a door at the rear of the chamber.

Our footsteps echo as we move upon the polished floors. As the old man pulls a key from his pocket and unlocks the door, I feel a raging curiosity burn deep within me. Available only to a select few scholars, the restricted collection houses some of the most valuable tomes in the Balthian empire. Surely, I will find the answers I seek.

Down a winding staircase, we descend, moving into an area deep beneath the palace. A heavy, blue crystal door stands at the bottom. Runes are carved into its ancient surface; no keyhole or doorknob is present. The librarian places a hand to the surface of the portal and mutters a quiet incantation. A grinding noise fills the stairwell as the door sinks into the ground, allowing us to enter.

The chamber within is small and somewhat anticlimactic. It contains a handful of old bookshelves and a small table in the center lit by a single lantern. The room smells of musty parchment.

“Have a seat—it will take a moment to find them.”

I sit at the table as the old man begins scanning the shelves. My eyes wander over the colorful spines packed in tight. I can feel an enchanted presence here…these tomes contain immense power within their pages.

The librarian slides the first book toward me.

An Examination of Arcane Lapidary and Soulstone Formation