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Sovereign City-State: The Library
18th Day of Month 6, Year 1628 DG
“He won’t approve my leave,” Kyoko whispers to Alba, breaking the Ambassador’s focus from the Prime’s doorway. “One sound from outside and he just walked away, in the middle of a conversation. What makes you think he’ll respect my request?”
Footfalls rescue Alba from having to respond. The Prime saunters back to his desk, holding a book with tattered edges.
“I hope what you heard at the door was worth the lapse in professionalism,” Alba bitingly comments.
The Prime keeps his gaze on the book while gesturing over Alba’s shoulder. “It was.”
She hadn’t realized two young Gatekeepers had followed the Prime into the room: Rafael and another she doesn’t recognize until she gets close.
“You’re Ora’s daughter,” she blurts out. “Unisa, right?” The Gatekeeper nods quietly and doesn’t shift her gaze from the Prime.
Alba realizes she’s misread the charged tone of the room, and her smile fades. The two young Librarians stand huddled together, as if protecting one another. Rafael hangs his head and, for the first time in the years she’s known him, dark fear dims his usually bright eyes.
The Prime places the book gently down on the desk in front of Alba and motions for her to take it.
She does so, holding it delicately and reading the title. “The Everlasting Journey.” The air thickens around her. Red-Lo’s handwriting stares back at her. She turns to the Gatekeepers. “Did an Ambassador give this to you?”
They both hesitate, then Unisa slowly shakes her head. Alba’s heart drops. Bright, sharp young people with such potential. Why would they do this?
She turns back to the Prime. “What are you going to do?”
“What does the law dictate should happen to them?” the Prime asks her. As always, it’s a test. An exercise in feeding his ego and proving how well he’s trained her.
“A trial. Potential banishment, for citizens.” Anguish bubbles in her chest for Rafael, as she takes his hand and squeezes gently. “Worse for exiles.”
His body remains still, but he lightly squeezes back.
Unisa clears her throat and raises her head. “Rafael is innocent. The crime is mine alone. Punishing him would be unjust.”
“Unjust.” The Prime allows the word to simmer on his tongue as he returns to the chair behind his desk and visually appraises the young Librarians. “The problem, Unisa, is that the principles of punishment and justice are subjective. Even if I followed the law and held trials, some would find the sentences mild, while others, merciless. Rafael cannot be exempt from consequence simply because you claim he wasn’t involved. Many would find that to be unjust.”
“And yet,” Alba adds, hoping to intercede in some way, “if anyone can make exceptions, it would be you.”
The Prime raises a finger and strokes his chin. “Indeed, Alba. I am in the unique position to empower Librarians. Rehabilitate them. Provide second”—he pauses, focusing his gaze on Rafael—“or third, chances.”
His eyes shift to Unisa. “Alright, young Gatekeeper. Tell me, what is the ‘good reason’ you claim for breaking our laws?”
Unisa coddles her right fist in her left hand. She rubs her knuckles nervously and breathes deeply. The Prime’s eyebrows narrow a little more with each passing moment.
Finally, Unisa speaks in a frantic tone, as if the words are engulfed in flames and burning her all the way out. “I believe there to be fabrications in the Library.”
Alba turns to the Prime to gauge his reaction, but his expression hasn’t changed in the slightest.
How did she find out? Alba wonders.
“Continue,” the Prime responds.
Unisa reaches a hand out to Alba, requesting the text, and the Ambassador gives it to her. As she flips to the final pages, Alba acknowledges the young Librarian’s composure when facing potential banishment.
A younger version of herself exists in Unisa.
The Gatekeeper places the book between Alba and the Prime. They each lean forward to read from it. It appears to be a letter, written by Red-Lo’s Head Salver, implying falsification in the entire text regarding the MegaMother.
Alba sits in stunned silence as she realizes that Unisa jeopardized her entire career, and more, over this inconsequential allegation. Perhaps she isn’t as much like me as I thought.
“Where did this letter come from?” the Prime asks Unisa. “How did you uncover it?”
“The book was unintentionally exposed to the Radiance, revealing the letter.”
The Prime nods. “I see. And this revelation prompted you to remove the text from Witness and bring it to me?”
Unisa nods.
The Prime’s gaze moves to Alba, and a menacing smile creeps onto his face. The tide shifts in a sinister, yet familiar way.
“I see now,” he says, turning back to Unisa. “The letter does not absolve you of your transgression, but I can understand the compulsion to bring it to me.”
Alba’s palms sweat and she pulls her hand away from Rafael’s. That familiar, menacing smile betrays the Prime’s intention: he’s brewing something nefarious.
The Prime rises to his feet. “The claims in the letter must be investigated.”
A glint of hope shines in Unisa’s eyes as a faint smile plays on her lips. She’s a cod in his net. Alba watches the catastrophe unfold, unable to stop it. She thinks as quickly as she can, trying to figure out his scheme here, his plot.
The Prime continues. “Does anyone else, beyond the five of us in this room, know about this?” Unisa shakes her head. “Excellent. Then we must resolve it quietly and unconventionally.”
Unisa’s smile fades. “Unconventionally?”
The Prime nods emphatically. “Yes, an unusual solution.” In two strides he’s in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. Unisa goes rigid under the uninvited contact. “What are you willing to do to return to the path of the Fully Bonded? To continue your growth?”
Don’t say it, Alba thinks, as the Prime looks over Unisa’s shoulder at Rafael.
“What are you willing to do for the community that took you in? For me?”
Please, don’t say it, her mind repeats.
Almost in unison, Rafael and Unisa respond. “Anything.”
Alba grows nauseous. She can’t save them unless she knows what the Prime is thinking. She can’t save them if she doesn’t know what to save them from.
The Prime removes his hands from Unisa’s shoulders. “By committing a crime, you both have displayed a breach of your character. An impulsiveness that goes against your morality. Now, you have the opportunity to commit to the consequences and mend that breach.”
Alba’s tongue moves before she can stop it. “What consequences?”
“Unisa will go to SunSide. She will question the MegaFather and the Braver General about what their ancestors wrote. It is their history, perhaps they have some idea of the letter’s legitimacy.”
Alba turns to Unisa. The color has drained from the Gatekeeper’s face. She clearly understands the danger that such a journey poses to a Librarian who hasn’t been trained to venture beyond the walls.
“Unisa isn’t permitted out of the city gates,” Alba inserts, attempting to save her. “She has trained neither as a Recorder, nor as an Ambassador.”
“And yet”—the Prime throws Alba’s words back at her—“if anyone can make exceptions, it would be me.”
Alba’s stomach twists. He knows the danger this poses. Why is he doing this?
The Prime turns to Unisa and frowns. “You look frightened. The emotional stamp of the Fully Broken. What are you afraid of?”
Unisa hesitates. “The unknown.”
The Prime moves close to her and places his hands on her shoulders again, this time running them up and down her arms. “Your body is capable of things you’ve never done before. You have to decide what you’re willing to do to realize those things. So much is possible, simply when you believe you can achieve it.”
“The Fully Bonded believe,” Unisa states, a smile on her lips replacing the fear in her eyes.
The Prime nods. His malicious plot is wrapped in golden foil. “Not just in me, but in yourself. Conquering difficult tasks will bring you back to the right path and earn your redemption.”
The question is unwilling to sit in Alba’s mind any longer. It bursts from her throat. “Why are you doing this? It’s dangerous.”
The Prime turns quickly to her and warm fury flares from him. “I’m not doing anything.” He erases the rage and turns back to Unisa, holding deep, tense eye contact. “I would never imperil those I love.”
Unisa takes a step back and whispers, “Love?”
Alba’s jaw clenches. He has her.
“Of course.” He places his hand gently on her cheek, and this time, the touch appears more wanted, accepted. “I love all citizens. And because I love you, I wish for your success.” He turns to Rafael. “This community loves you. But to be part of it, you have to decide how much you’re willing to fight for it. What you’re willing to do for it.”
Rafael swallows hard. “I will commit to any mission you give me, Great Prime.”
“Good. Go to Tusa. The TreeKeeper resides there. She’s the only living being who was alive at the time of the Everlasting Journey. She may have insight.”
Alba scoffs. “The TreeKeeper is a children’s story. You can’t possibly send them—”
The Prime cuts her sentence off. “I can and I will.” He turns back to Rafael. “Do you have any questions?”
Rafael nods softly. “Where’s Tusa?”
“South,” Kyoko responds, drawing the attention of the room. “The southernmost island of EverEmber.”
Rafael’s eyes widen. “I ca-can’t,” he stammers.
The Prime places a hand on Rafael’s chest. “Shh, shh, shh. Be calm. I understand you worry about walking into the igni homeland with fins. But you will be safe when they see you with one of their own.” He raises a finger and points to Kyoko. “You. You will escort him.”
Alba’s anger drives into her feet and raises her. “No. She has nothing to do with this.”
The fury returns to the Prime’s eyes. “Her request for leave is denied until she returns from this mission.”
“You cannot send them out into a world they know nothing about.”
“They’ll have maps,” the Prime responds, facetiously, returning to the chair behind his desk.
“I’m not talking about geography. There are valid grounds to the laws that prohibit Gatekeepers from leaving the city.”
The Prime’s scowl hardens further. “Fine. They won’t leave as Gatekeepers, then. Rafael, Unisa, and Kyoko will each be given yellow, silk tunics.” He turns to each of them. “Congratulations, you’re all Ambassadors now.”
The heat inside Alba’s chest rises. He’s toying with her. And he’s winning. “Promoting them three ranks won’t teach them how to survive.”
“I can do this,” Unisa interjects. The Prime smiles and she reciprocates. “I’ll do anything to return to the path. To earn redemption. To be worthy of the yellow silk.”
Worry lines cover Rafael’s forehead. He looks from Unisa to Alba, then to Kyoko, and finally to the Prime. “I commit to the mission.” He repeats the sentiment defeatedly and mechanically.
They all turn to Kyoko. She lowers her eyes to the floor and gives a short nod.
“You leave in the morning,” the Prime says. “Go home. Prepare.”
“Thank you for the magnanimous opportunity, Great Prime,” Unisa says, before she turns and exits behind Rafael and Kyoko.
Alba and the Prime, alone in the room, bathe in the tense silence. She slowly sinks back into the seat and attempts to draw an answer to her question again, this time with a new tactic.
“What point are you trying to make, Uncle?”
The Prime leans back in his seat and chuckles. “You were a small child the last time you called me that. To what do I owe this sudden respect?”
“Perhaps in my final days here, I can speak to what little humanity is left in your heart.”
The Prime rolls his eyes. “Alba, you’re not going anywhere unless I allow it. You would’ve left a long time ago if you thought you could hide from me. You’re still here, and that means you comprehend my reach. The others must learn it, as well.”
“You want them to venture out so you can teach them about your reach?”
“No, I want you to accept your fate. They are simply a means for me to achieve that.” He leans forward, holding strong eye contact. “We’re going to make a wager, do some gambling. Unisa will leave the Library tomorrow and enter into the world. I believe, regardless of what she sees out there, she will remain loyal to me, and to our teachings, and to our history. If she does, you have to accept the black tunic you’ve been insolently rejecting.” He runs his hands down his own uniform.
“I’ll die before I wear that.”
“No, you won’t. If you die, you know I’ll come for Ana. I’ve always wanted it to be you, but if not, I’ll settle for her.”
Alba sinks back in her seat, exhausted. “Why me, Uncle? Why this obsession?”
The Prime points to the city beyond his windows. “Because to them, you embody the Fully Bonded. They know how devoted you are, and that’s why you have to wear this tunic after me. You give me credibility. When they doubt me, you give me an example of what I can create. I know Unisa will return Fully Bonded. Because she aspires to be you. They all do.”
“What if she recognizes the truth? That the history in the Catacombs is manufactured.”
The Prime sighs. “If she returns Fully Broken, you and Ana can leave. And I will not send anyone after you. You have my word.”
Alba considers. He knows the offer is exactly what she wants. “Unisa and Rafael are not tools. I’m not your trophy just because I’m your brother’s daughter. And Kyoko can’t be your toy to play with. You’ve pulled her into this situation for no reason other than your unwarranted blame.”
His fist slams down on the desk. “It is not unwarranted. She is responsible for everything that happened.”
“Why?” Alba challenges, choosing her next words carefully. “Because she wouldn’t let you take her to bed?”
The Prime grits his teeth. “You have no right to speak about things you don’t understand.”
Alba straightens in her seat as her volume rises. “I understand better than anyone. It’s why I left your house. Why I kept Ana and Kyoko away from you. I wasn’t able to do the same for Kanako, and you ruined her life.”
“I was her mentor. Nothing more.”
Alba fails to suppress her disgust. “You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?”
He pauses. “Nothing happened until she was old enough to make those decisions for herself.”
Alba unleashes the fire she’s been holding in her chest for years. “Someone that young couldn’t possibly make that decision. From the time she got here, you dug your claws into her. You isolated her from me, and from Kyoko. She adored you, idolized you. When the time came, those decisions were no longer sound.”
“Keep your voice down, Alba,” the Prime growls.
Alba takes deep breaths to steady herself.
He maintains the silence until both Librarians have calmed. “The past is over, but we can still plan for the future. Perhaps this wager can be elevated: if Unisa returns Fully Bonded, loyalty intact, you will take your place in line for succession, but I will allow Ana to leave freely.”
Alba opens her mouth to respond, but he lifts a finger to silence her.
“If not, you and Ana are still free to go. Either way, your sister is free. You just have to play the game.”
Alba considers his words carefully. Agreeing to his manipulation makes her feel filthy. She tries to reason with him one last time. “Unisa will die out there alone, Uncle.”
The Prime shakes his head. “Don’t be dramatic. She has her diplomatic immunity to protect her.”
“What good is immunity if she’s stripped of her tunic and left to rot? The yellow silk is as despised as pointed ears and gray eyes.”
“Feared,” the Prime corrects her. “Not despised. Feared and respected.”
“Different names for the same beast.”
He sighs, exasperated. “Do we have a deal or not?”
Alba hesitates. “On one condition.”
She looks out of the windows at the city gates and the world beyond them. He’s pulled her in again, but it could mean legitimate freedom for her and for Ana. She turns back to him. “I’m going with her.”
There’s a long pause in which The Prime raises an eyebrow and takes the Ambassador in. Then he stands and speaks a word soaked in ego, in hubris. “Agreed.”