mage, magic didn't simplify complex things- it simply added complexity.
I steadied myself under the weight of it all with new resolve. I looked down remorsefully at the motionless body of a girl who would never feel anything again. Someone had taken a human life not fifteen feet from me. Then they put on a taunting display of magical prowess to mock the very same death.
There was no changing the past, no changing fate. But I could shape the future, if I was smart enough. Compensating for my mistakes? Yes, I most certainly needed to do so.
I could start here.
"Everyone move back away from the body now!" Rodriguez shouted, voice ringing out with authority that demanded obedience, "This is a crime scene and it will be treated as such!"
Her words were emphasized by the steady trickle of uniforms squeezing through the crowd at the doors. I could just only see a small swarm of cop cars outside of the UGL, flashing lights refracted by the transparent entrance doors. Accompanying them was a steadily growing crowd outside, which was kept at bay by more officers.
Students now were being ushered away by the growing horde of blue justice. Rodriguez and Wilson stood over the body, talking quietly. I saw Wilson point a single finger towards the now indecipherable smear that had magically formed words only a minute before. Rodriguez shook her head and gestured for him to lower it. I couldn't hear what was being said over the murmurs of the crowd.
Et in Fraternitatis Ego, I repeated them carefully in my head several times to lock it in my memory until I could write it down. I had no idea what they meant, or even the language, though it sounded suspiciously Latin. No doubt they were an important clue to what had happened here.
Many of the library patrons were heading back into the library, and I joined them, rather than follow the crowd that was being forced outside. There were still questions I needed answered, and it took only a moment's stroll to spot the person who might answer them. The very same mage I had chased into the library in the first place- which possibly prevented me from seeing exactly who had committed murder just a few steps away.
He was standing by the stairs I had begun to ascend less than five minutes ago. The crooked smile I had seen before in his first introduction was gone and was replaced with a much more solemn look. I approached with caution, my own features locked in grimly carved stone.
The unknown User nodded to me when I stopped a few feet from him, "Hey," he acknowledged quietly, nearly indiscernible from the buzzing chatter of the patrons moving around us.
"Hey," I mirrored.
He gave a small gesture towards the stairs, "Let's go talk?"
I nodded again and let him lead the way. I eyed his back suspiciously on the way up. This was another mage, different from the one from last night. He had been ahead of me in the library, so he couldn't be the shooter. Still, magic had been done afterwards and I had been unable to discern the source of it in the large crowd. That could have been him.
My instincts told me no. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I might be walking with one of the murderers I had promised to find.
111
The second floor of the library was strangely empty, considering it was the early afternoon of a weekday. Not surprising though when you consider that a murder had just happened right in the middle of campus. I noted that many of the people who had come up the stairs with us were quickly walking to the books they had left behind, packing them away and moving to leave once more.
Pushed against the walls of the second floor were glass-paned study rooms, very much sound proof unless someone started to shout. We moved towards the back of the floor, and I followed my companion into one the smaller rooms meant for two people.
We sat down across from each other, and there was a short silent staring contest. He broke it first and stuck out his hand across the table.
"James Swann," was the
I steadied myself under the weight of it all with new resolve. I looked down remorsefully at the motionless body of a girl who would never feel anything again. Someone had taken a human life not fifteen feet from me. Then they put on a taunting display of magical prowess to mock the very same death.
There was no changing the past, no changing fate. But I could shape the future, if I was smart enough. Compensating for my mistakes? Yes, I most certainly needed to do so.
I could start here.
"Everyone move back away from the body now!" Rodriguez shouted, voice ringing out with authority that demanded obedience, "This is a crime scene and it will be treated as such!"
Her words were emphasized by the steady trickle of uniforms squeezing through the crowd at the doors. I could just only see a small swarm of cop cars outside of the UGL, flashing lights refracted by the transparent entrance doors. Accompanying them was a steadily growing crowd outside, which was kept at bay by more officers.
Students now were being ushered away by the growing horde of blue justice. Rodriguez and Wilson stood over the body, talking quietly. I saw Wilson point a single finger towards the now indecipherable smear that had magically formed words only a minute before. Rodriguez shook her head and gestured for him to lower it. I couldn't hear what was being said over the murmurs of the crowd.
Et in Fraternitatis Ego, I repeated them carefully in my head several times to lock it in my memory until I could write it down. I had no idea what they meant, or even the language, though it sounded suspiciously Latin. No doubt they were an important clue to what had happened here.
Many of the library patrons were heading back into the library, and I joined them, rather than follow the crowd that was being forced outside. There were still questions I needed answered, and it took only a moment's stroll to spot the person who might answer them. The very same mage I had chased into the library in the first place- which possibly prevented me from seeing exactly who had committed murder just a few steps away.
He was standing by the stairs I had begun to ascend less than five minutes ago. The crooked smile I had seen before in his first introduction was gone and was replaced with a much more solemn look. I approached with caution, my own features locked in grimly carved stone.
The unknown User nodded to me when I stopped a few feet from him, "Hey," he acknowledged quietly, nearly indiscernible from the buzzing chatter of the patrons moving around us.
"Hey," I mirrored.
He gave a small gesture towards the stairs, "Let's go talk?"
I nodded again and let him lead the way. I eyed his back suspiciously on the way up. This was another mage, different from the one from last night. He had been ahead of me in the library, so he couldn't be the shooter. Still, magic had been done afterwards and I had been unable to discern the source of it in the large crowd. That could have been him.
My instincts told me no. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I might be walking with one of the murderers I had promised to find.
111
The second floor of the library was strangely empty, considering it was the early afternoon of a weekday. Not surprising though when you consider that a murder had just happened right in the middle of campus. I noted that many of the people who had come up the stairs with us were quickly walking to the books they had left behind, packing them away and moving to leave once more.
Pushed against the walls of the second floor were glass-paned study rooms, very much sound proof unless someone started to shout. We moved towards the back of the floor, and I followed my companion into one the smaller rooms meant for two people.
We sat down across from each other, and there was a short silent staring contest. He broke it first and stuck out his hand across the table.
"James Swann," was the
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