The Academy Of Space And Time

Where I hear of how everything changes, again

He performed a spell that made Jinn scream out in pain. I was surprised. I knew Edgar wouldn't go as far as to kill — he never used black magic, unlike the rest of us. But if he kept hurting Jinn that way, he risked seriously maiming him.

While Jinn was still screaming, I ran to Alice. Jake was tied up in bonds made of flowers --- a spell performed by Sean. Alice told me we were waiting for the Law Enforcement Squad to arrive.

"I hope they'll be lenient," she said. "But if they don't... he brought it upon himself." Still, she looked sad.

Edgar joined us. "Jinn has fainted," he explained. "The others will hand him over to the law. Ryan, I think you should go to the gods' council and stop Set."

"Are out of your mind?" Raegan asked. "There is absolutely no good reason he has to do this alone."

"If we take Set together we stand more chances, that's true," Edgar replied. "But remember --- it was Jinn who told us. His words could have been a trap. If Set comes attacking the school, we have to stay here. While if you go to the gods' council, you can meet up with Jophiel and tell them of Risa."

I looked at him in wonder. He'd thought up this plan, this mad plan, to give me a chance to save my only family.

"Don't overthink this," Jeff told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "We wouldn't tell you if we didn't believe you and Vitaly could do it."

He was right. Overthinking something like this would have killed me.

"Go," Edgar added. "I'm putting all my trust in you. I swear to every god I wish it wasn't so, but I do."

I winced, "Thanks."

It turned out Mr Winter knew where the council was, and even accepted me to take me there. Just outside of Brighton, near the South Downs Way, there was a place in the hills concealed from humans eyes, but I could feel its power from miles away. It was like pure, concentrated aether.

And then, walking close, it resembled mist. When walking inside of it, I could see an old Druid temple, with a stone circle. But the stones weren't just monoliths, they were also seats.

"I cannot go inside the circle," Mr Winter told me. "Too much bad blood between me and the gods. I'd be struck down as soon as they see me."

It was a very weird thing to say, especially because from his face, I could tell he was being serious and not a coward. But I nodded, and I walked inside.

The inside was hidden from the prying eyes of the outsiders. The stone circle appeared bigger, a room with an open roof made of stone. The seats were much bigger, and only one hosted a god.

It was Set's seat. Jinn hadn't lied. But I felt a knot in my throat. Jophiel wasn't there. No one else was.

Set looked at me. While his face was monstrous, I'd always been good at reading the expressions in it. He was puzzled.

"Patrick?" he asked tentatively.

I thought about the strange dreams I'd had, where I lived in other realities and my name was Patrick. They were from my life before, and they seemed very far away. But no, I was not Patrick. I was Ryan Barnes --- and Set knew it.

"Why have you come all this way? You have no means to beat me," he added.

"Do you want to talk or do you want to fight?" I mocked him.

"You think words don't have meaning, but they do, useless orphan," he said in a derogatory way.

His words hurt me, indeed. I couldn't suck in air, as if I'd been punched.