Date: Yithi 10th, 1590 - Before The Long Stillness
“The threads of lore are what tell us what to look for. They show us patterns that can repeat in the future.” The mentor, Mr. Hensberg, paced at the front of the classroom. He walked with a hunch in his back; it seemed to pain him.
“Patterns are something we need to track,” Mr. Hensberg continued, pacing back and forth. “Each of you will pick a legend out of this hat and map how it could be traced to something happening today.”
While the rest of the class groaned, I sat up straighter. Legends raced through my mind—the tale of Bythiam, the legend of the Heir of Canthia.
“Cyrus, pick your legend.” Mr. Hensberg snapped me out of my thoughts. I reached into the top hat and pulled out a torn piece of parchment.
The legend of Byrian and the Library of Souls.
My hands went numb. I had always avoided that story—it was so different from the others.
It was darker,
Scarier.
The parts that I had read made my skin crawl.
I shivered and leaned back in my chair. I could do this. I could read this legend and relate it to real life.
I looked back down at the words as the rest of the class faded away.
This wasn’t the kind of story I wanted to read. It was the kind of story I had to read.
I tried to remind myself it was just a story, a legend. Something that doesn’t really happen.
My life wasn’t a legend. I was safe.