By some miracle, we made it back to Kitezh before curfew. We even had time to swing by the cafeteria in search of a cup of cocoa and something sweet to nibble on.
After our trek through the forest, we were starving. It was definitely time to refuel. The selection was limited: fish cutlets, a few side dishes, and some pastries. Still, it was better than going to bed on an empty stomach.
"We'll need to figure out where to move all the junk from Ibrahim's hideout," Alexey mused, chewing his third mini croissant with blueberry jam. "You can't keep running back and forth from Belozersk, and it'd be good to have everything close at hand."
I hadn't told him yet that I had my own plans for Ibrahim's belongings. No point in mentioning it now. Lacrimosa and I would take our time going through everything, and Alexey wouldn't even notice if a few items quietly disappeared from the shelves.
Still, he was right about one thing: we definitely needed a secure place to store them.
"We need our own secret hideout, that's for sure," I said, pouring a splash of condensed milk into my cocoa. "It's been barely two months and we're already sitting on more things than we can fit into both of our apartments combined."
I took a sip of my cocoa, tasting it, and realized I needed to add a bit more condensed milk. About five more spoons.
"Anyway, a secret hideout would be awesome. We could hold all sorts of clandestine meetings there."
I added more condensed milk, paused to think for a moment, then scraped out the last bits from the creamer bowl.
"It'd be pretty sweet, I agree." Alexey grinned. "But where would we look for it? It has to be somewhere nearby. Building a hut in the woods near the school would be a bit too obvious."
"No. It needs to be somewhere closer. Right here, on school grounds."
"Here?" Alexey looked at me in surprise, eyes wide. "Are you out of your mind?"
"What are you staring at me like that for?" I took a sip of cocoa, relishing its sweetness. "If you want to hide something, you should hide it right under everyone's noses! No one will suspect a thing! Besides, Kitezh is full of unexplored nooks and crannies. Take the castle ruins, for example.
They even have basements."
"I wouldn't trust those..."
"Imagine the kind of secret base we could set up down there!" I said, gesturing toward the ghost standing nearby like a statue. "I bet Ibrahim could help. If we ask nicely, he will explore all the basements for us, and we already know he has a knack for building secret hideouts."
We paused for a moment.
"I mean, it's not the worst idea..." Alexey finally agreed after some reflection. "Actually, it's really clever. Bold even. A secret base right under our teachers' noses... Only you could come up with something like that."
"You worry too much. We're not doing anything illegal. Besides, if we never leave Kitezh, we don't have to worry about missing curfew."
"That's true..."
"It'd be easier if you could just buy a dorm room, but even you wouldn't be allowed something that extravagant. Right, Your Highness?"
"Ha-ha. Very funny..." Alexey shook his head. "Anyway, let's head to our rooms and get some sleep. It's been a long day. I'm exhausted."
"Same." I finished my cocoa and glanced regretfully at the empty creamer bowl that had once held condensed milk. "A secret hideout in the castle ruins just sounds way cooler than a dorm room..."
*** The entire upcoming week proved to be one of the dullest and most monotonous stretches of time I had ever experienced at school. It was late November, and the cold had set in completely. I really disliked that peculiar period when the snow hadn't arrived yet, but the frost was already biting.
As everyone was planning to go home for the week to spend some time with their families, the hallways and the cafeteria were filled with nothing but chatter about everyone's plans for the winter break.
Unsurprisingly, I had no intention of going anywhere. All the commotion just grated on my nerves. I kept my feelings to myself. I wasn't about to let anyone think I cared. I'd get over it. I always did. So I retreated to the only place that still felt even remotely bearable: my room. I said I had a headache. It was the simplest excuse, and it always worked. No one ever questioned it.
To shake off the gloomy thoughts swirling in my mind, I gathered a pile of textbooks from the library and threw myself into studying them.
That had become my routine ever since Dorian took root within me.
Though he liked to indulge in fooling around now and then, when it came to knowledge, he was strict and believed that one could never have too much of it.
And now, with Ibrahim by my side, a whole new world of possibilities opened up before me.
We spent hours poring over chapters dedicated to Distortion monsters, more precisely, parts of their bodies or organs that could be cut off and repurposed for various uses.
It turned out that the Underwater Breathing Potion we bought from the Gadyukins could be made exponentially more potent if we added ingredients derived from water-based monsters. Interestingly, there were several variations of this, each one better than the last.
Oh, what an utterly captivating pursuit! The sheer wealth of knowledge contained within these textbooks was staggering. So much of the old, familiar realm of classical alchemy I had known before now seemed almost trivial, like child's play. Perhaps that was why they were on the verge of elevating it to a new scientific discipline, calling it simply neo-alchemy for the time being.
And yet, only a few volumes had been penned on the subject. After all, true understanding only came through experimentation, and such endeavors were fraught with danger. Every textbook bore bold, red stamps everywhere, sternly warning that students were strictly forbidden from meddling in these intricate mysteries and attempting to uncover their secrets on their own. The threat of expulsion from the academy loomed ominously over any such reckless curiosity.
But the more red stamps I encountered, the more my hands itched to concoct some potion from the recipes tucked away in those textbooks. I couldn't quite explain why this urge seized me so fiercely.
What drove me even more was the desire to create something of my own. As I delved into those books, a handful of fascinating ideas began to take shape, ideas that begged to be tested. Now, armed with the Spark, I no longer had to worry about poisoning myself.
At least, not for the time being. I never expected the Spark to last forever. Sooner or later, it would fail to counteract certain poisons or dangerous compounds. The trouble was, there was no easy way to know when that moment might come.
Of course, even with a functioning Spark, I could still fall victim to some other misfortune. Spontaneous combustion, for instance. Or an explosion. But that would require doing something truly reckless, and I didn't believe I was capable of such foolishness with the alchemical knowledge I possessed.
Aside from textbooks on neo-alchemy, there were bestiaries, something Ibrahim was an expert in. After all, he was a monster hunter. His knowledge on the topic was, if not encyclopedic, then certainly vast.
It was a pity that bestiaries weren't easy to come by, even in the Kitezh archives. The only ones accessible to a first-year student were basic manuals, while the more intriguing and dangerous tomes were reserved for senior students, and even then only for those who had chosen that particular specialization.
I doubted there were many future hunters in Kitezh. Who'd want to spend time learning about the properties of basilisk dung if they didn't dream of joining Black Ivy and wandering through Distortions, like Konstantin, for example.
Still, even the available books contained plenty of fascinating information. Creatures of all kinds filled those pages, most of which I hadn't seen before. Nothing about giant rats, though, or the unusual six-legged wolf, let alone the frog from which we received that pink crystal.
Possibly, they were too basic for such advanced tomes.
Ibrahim turned out to be an excellent storyteller and teacher, better than at least half the professors at our school. Or maybe it was just my interest that made him seem that way. Either way, his explanations were clear and precise. He described in detail the strengths and weaknesses of each beast, how to approach from the right angle, and how to avoid getting hit. Judging by the way he spoke about combat, he was clearly a skilled swordsman.
He knows what he's talking about, Dorian once remarked. I wonder what it feels like to have half your face torn off... Think he'd share?
"I doubt it. I'd hardly enjoy recounting how I was killed."
Come on, Max, he's been dead for ages anyway. What does he care now?
"Maybe another time," I said, letting the conversation drift away.
And so, I spent my evenings immersed in the study of neo-alchemy and Distortion beasts, until, at last, the week drew to its close.
From the first light of dawn, Kitezh was filled with a festive atmosphere. The classes were shortened and wrapped up before noon.
Smiles were everywhere, noise filled the hallways, and the day felt more like a mini celebration than a real school day. Honestly, nobody was paying much attention. Who cared about the history of magic when vacation was finally within reach?
"Maybe I can tempt you to change your mind, Max?" Alexey asked hopefully as we sat down for lunch in the half-empty cafeteria.
Unsurprisingly, everyone was eager to leave school as quickly as possible. Every second spent there felt like a piece of the holidays slipping away.
A few days earlier, I'd told Alexey I wasn't going home for the break. I had made up my mind. Now he was doing his best to convince me to visit him instead.
Not wanting to be rude, I'd said I'd think about it. I had a lot to do and only a week to get it all done: furnish my apartment, update my wardrobe, visit Tenedom, go through Ibrahim's collection...
And even if I did visit Alexey, it wouldn't be the same as going home. But no one was waiting for me there.
"I think I'll stay here. It's better this way."
"You're no fun at all," he scowled, poking at a piece of cake with his fork. Cake, I'd learned, was served whenever there was a big holiday or festivity, like marking the beginning of the winter break. "You're not gonna be in the way, if that's what you're worried about. I've already asked my parents. They're eager to see you. My brother and sister are looking forward to it too. We'll stroll around Moscow... Not to mention that it's my birthday in three days. Dad promised to throw a grand party."
"Be sure to bring me back a slice of the birthday cake." I grinned.
"In the meantime, Ibrahim and I will think about your present."
"A dagger would make for a fine sixteenth birthday gift, effendi."
"Ibrahim suggests we buy a nice little knife," I said. "So you can fend off hooligans in the park."
"Tell him I've got an energy sword already." Alexey chuckled. "So, you're not coming?"
"Maybe another time."
Alexey sighed deeply.
"You're stubborn, Max. Like a donkey. Another time, then."
We sat for a bit, then Alexey got a call that his parents were on their way to get him and left to pack. I remained for a while longer. I had just started on my second slice of the strawberries and cream cake, and I had no intention of stopping there. I could fit at least two more. No. Three. Odd numbers somehow felt more appealing to me.
I had just finished my third slice and was about to indulge in the rich, velvety cream that coated the cake like airy, snow-white clouds when a girl took a seat across from me.
Would you believe it? Varvara Gvozdeva.
"Hi, Max, how are you doing?" she asked, placing a cup of coffee on the table.
"Honestly? Fantastic. The cake is simply incredible," I replied. "I'm already on my third slice."
"Third? Wow, that's quite a feat." She nodded with genuine respect.
"I don't think I could fit that much in."
"That's nothing. Once I finish this one, I plan to eat two more," I confided. "They don't serve cake every day after all."
"You're right about that." She smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. "By the way, what are your plans for the next few days? When are you thinking of heading home for the holidays? Nearly everyone has already left, and you're still here. Catching the evening train?"
"Nope," I answered, taking a bite of cake. "I'm not going home. I'll be staying at school over the holidays."
"Really? Well, that changes things quite a bit."
"Why?"
"Your initiation, Temnikov. Did you forget? Or have you had second thoughts about joining?" She ended with a sly smile.
I nearly choked on my cake in surprise.
"Careful now." Varvara leaned across the table and patted me on the back. "Death by cake... Well, I suppose that's one of the nicer ways to go..."
"Phew..." I wiped away the tears that had suddenly welled in my eyes and took a few sips of juice. "That went down the wrong pipe..."
"Better?"
"Better. Will it be just the two of us?" I inquired after finishing my juice and regaining my composure.
"No, Vasily will be joining us as well."
"Are we hunting something big?"
"Don't worry. It's just safer to err on the side of caution the first time. After all, we still don't know what you're actually capable of. There are all sorts of rumors floating around, but you can't put too much stock in them. You're twelve..."
"Almost thirteen. But I get the message..." I waved a dismissive hand.
"Don't take it personally."
"I won't. I think I'll just grab another glass of juice and a slice of cake. Do you want some?"
"No, thank you."
"Suit yourself."
With a shrug, I picked up my glass and plate and went to the table in the corner to grab what I could before they cleaned up the place.
"So... When are we heading out?" I asked as I returned with a refill.
"Tomorrow at lunchtime," Varvara said. "We should get there by evening. We'll be hunting a Fire Ant. They're most vulnerable around that time."
Fire Ants? Hmm... I didn't remember seeing anything about them in the bestiary I'd been allowed to read. I'd have to ask Ibrahim about these creatures.
"Fire Ants..." I murmured, nodding thoughtfully.
"You really are something else, Temnikov," Varvara said with a chuckle. "Most seniors would be sweating bullets, but you're cool as a cucumber. That either makes you a clueless idiot... Or very capable."
"Not sure which," I mumbled, "but I'll tell you this: this cake is amazing. You sure you don't want any?"
"I can't. I'm on a diet."
"Shame. You're missing out on a real treat."
"School parking lot. Tomorrow at noon." Varvara stood up gracefully from her chair, waving goodbye. "Don't be late."
"Uh-huh." I nodded, still chasing the stubborn strawberry on my plate, one I'd been trying to pin down for almost a minute. "Take care."
Once she was gone, I finally caught my quarry.
"So, Ibrahim, what are these Fire Ants? Why are they called that?
Do they live in some special kind of anthill?"
"They're quite dangerous, effendi. They resemble ordinary ants, only many times larger. About the size of massive crocodiles, with a formidable, armored shell, and jaws as sharp as scythes."
Dangerous? Please. Dorian scoffed. I used to crush those things when I was five, during evening strolls with the nanny.
"I doubt he's talking about actual ants, Dorian."
What does it matter how big it is? It's still just an ant.
"Let him finish, please."
"Anything else?" I asked, popping another strawberry into my mouth.
"Their shells are extremely resistant. They're hard to pierce even with energy blades, and some of them are entirely impervious to such attacks."
Hold on...
Just how tough were these things?