Reincarnated as an Apocalyptic Catalyst
Chapter 83: The Last Piece of the Key

Chapter 83: The Last Piece of the Key

I made my way toward the training grounds. Vance was supposed to meet me there before our final debriefing with Veldrin. For these last few days of school, the grounds had been open to outsiders, though mostly it was parents who cycled through. It was the Academy’s chance to really show off the campus and the rarity of such an opportunity served as free advertising and brought flocks of potential new recruits flooding through the portal.

When I arrived, I found Vance already there, leaning against one of the stone pillars. His arms were crossed, and he was staring up at the sky with an expression that I sometimes had when I was lost in deep thought.

"You brooding too?" I asked, stepping up beside him.

Vance exhaled sharply. "Always."

I smirked. "I thought that was my thing, but it looks like you inherited it as well."

"Nah, you specialize in self-loathing and denial. I just think too much."

I rolled my eyes. "Great. So what’s got you thinking so hard?"

Vance didn’t answer right away. He kicked a loose pebble at his feet, watching as it skidded across the courtyard before speaking. "Mara."

I tensed. "What about her?"

"You saw her today, right?" He turned to me, his brows furrowed. "Tell me I’m not imagining things."

I hesitated, wondering how long he had been watching me, and how long he had been watching her. "She... didn’t seem herself."

"Correct. Though I admit I don’t have the same familiarity with her mannerisms that you do, there has been that nagging feeling in my head since you went off to steal that first artifact." Vance took a moment to find the words, clearly struggling.

"She was always good at keeping things to herself," I said quietly.

"This isn’t just her shutting people out." Vance shook his head. "Something’s wrong. And it’s not just grief, or stress, or whatever excuse people keep making for her. It’s something else."

"Do you think it’s Lucian?" I asked, keeping my voice even.

Vance looked sullen as he finally came forward and shared his lingering thoughts. "Honestly, I think something happened when she went to spy on the cult. In that note, she mentioned something about having to mark herself with some strange black fluid, didn’t she? Well, I think there was a lot more to it than any of us anticipated. I think they’re fucking with her mind."

We stood in silence for a moment, both of us lost in thought. I wanted to do something, to fix this, but Mara had made it clear she didn’t want my help. If I pushed too hard, she’d only pull further away. But if I didn’t push at all...

I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. "I suggest you stick around tonight, it would be best if we were both here in case something happens."

Vance nodded. "Agreed."

Later that evening, I made my way to Veldrin’s study.

The door swung open before I even knocked, the professor already seated at his desk, pouring over a mess of parchment and open tomes. The dim candlelight flickered against the walls, making the place feel even more ominous than usual.

Ronan stood near the bookshelves, scanning the spines with disinterest. He barely acknowledged me as I entered.

Veldrin didn’t look up. "You’re late."

I scoffed, dropping into the chair across from him. "Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" Maybe not everyone, but definitely annoying old educators.

Veldrin smirked, finally lifting his gaze. "Because you’re always late."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, so you said something about a mission during the break, something we could keep ourselves busy with while we figured out what the cult was up to?"

The amusement in his eyes faded. He reached for a nearby artifact—one of the ones we had retrieved from the cult. A small, jagged piece of black stone, etched with markings I still couldn’t read, and likely would never be able to. At least I hoped that this was all done before I had to start transcribing ancient dead languages.

"This," he said, running a finger along the engravings, "is part of a set. A key."

I frowned. "A key to what?"

Veldrin leaned back. "The gate." He replied, with an unamused look on his face, eyeing me like I was some child struggling to fit blocks of varying shapes into holes of corresponding shapes, and failing miserably.

Okay, yeah I walked into that one. It was obvious now that he said it. "The one they’re trying to open?"

Veldrin nodded. "They still don’t have all the pieces, but they’re close. Too close. It’s possible that all they are missing is what we have here in our possession."

I exhaled sharply. "So what do we do? Is it safe to keep them all here? What if something happens?"

"One question at a time, please." He replied in an exacerbated tone. "You keep doing what you’ve been doing," Veldrin said simply. "Sabotage them. Steal from them. Delay them however you can. But over the break, I need you to handle something specific." I didn’t fail to notice how he avoided my other questions.

I crossed my arms. "Mmhmm. Alright Charlie, what can your angels do for you?" I mocked, knowing the remark wouldn’t make sense to anyone in this world.

He ignored my tone and held back a confused look that was threatening to break through. Pulling out a map he spread it across the desk. "I’ve tracked the location of another artifact. Possibly the very last one aside from our collection that they need."

Ronan stepped closer, glancing down at the map. "You wish for us to retrieve it before they do."

"Precisely," Veldrin said. "This one is not just another fragment—it is the foundation of the key itself. Without it, their progress will stall." He watched as we poured over the map before adding in a final detail, "Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if they already have it or not. The entire trip could either be a colossal waste of time, or the killing blow that puts an end to their scheming."

I studied the map, my eyes narrowing at the marked location. "This is far, like, really far. How are we supposed to get there? And if what you say is possible, if we are away for this long and the cult decides to act, there’s no way we will get back in time."

"It is quite far," Veldrin admitted. "Which is why you need to leave soon–as soon as the Academy dismisses the students. May I also suggest that we consider splitting the two of you up in order to address your other concern? You are indeed correct that it is logistically impossible to return in a timely manner, short of a long-distance teleportation spell, so it may be prudent to not put all of our eggs in one basket, so to speak."

I sighed. This was reeking of double-agent, and there was no one else we could reach out to in order to verify Veldrin’s claims. I could send Vance off to collect the artifact, which might be my only choice, though that depends entirely on whether he would be willing to leave the area. If he was even a fraction as connected to Mara as I was, I doubted any convincing would get him to travel that far.

"What about Mara?" The answer to this question could help me in solving several others I had nagging at me.

Veldrin arched a brow. "What about her?"

I hesitated. "She’s... different lately."

Veldrin’s expression didn’t change. "And?"

I scowled. Seriously, dude, you’re going to make me come out and say it, to spell it out before you?

"And, to be absolutely blunt, I don’t trust you, but I know you’re a professor who specializes in the occult and dark magic. So tell me—do you think her behavior could be connected to the cult?"

Veldrin studied me for a long moment. Then, to my surprise, he nodded.

"Your concerns are valid–my part in this raises many red flags for you I am sure. However, I assure you that I am as concerned with putting an end to this insanity as you are. As for your second question, I must admit, it is entirely possible, based on the nature of the ritual she had observed, and even participated in, though limited as her participation was."

My fingers curled into fists. "Why didn’t you say anything?"

"Because there was no way for me to know she had been affected. The ritual itself is not cataloged in any great detail within the tomes I have in my possession. Besides, she hasn’t made a move," Veldrin said calmly. "The moment she does, I will intervene."

I stood abruptly. "Screw that. I’m not waiting for her to do something she can’t take back."

Veldrin shook his head in dismissal. "Then I suggest you keep a close eye on her."

I turned on my heel and stormed toward the door, Ronan silently following behind me. I had no idea what I was planning on doing, but Mara was in danger again. Vance had to be the first stop, maybe he could talk some sense into me, or at the very least, help me brainstorm.

I had already lost her once and I wasn’t going to lose her again.