“Commander,” I started awkwardly, “There was an Initiate that I saw make the jump that I haven’t seen around the castle. His name was Cody. Do you know what happened to him?”
His eyes narrowed. “There were many Initiates. I do not know them all by name. I assure you, if he is not here, he did not pass the tasks. Now get to your first class.”
He walked off as I stood there.
I groaned as Isabella was calling after me.
“Anna, we’re going to be late!” she called. “Let’s go!”
The tour covered everywherewe needed to get to for classes, but that didn’t make navigating the castle any easier. Roslyn showed Isabella and me to our first lesson and explained why this class would be in different locations. I listened to the gentle cadence of her voice and wondered if I should ask about Cody.She was kind, but I also didn’t want to overstep my boundaries—she was already going out of her way to help us out. If there was something odd going on, and she knew about it, surely there was a good reason, right?
Isabella’s voice snapped through my thoughts.
“Why would it change?” she asked.
“The Forged Vessel is a fancy way of saying conditioning. You will be out on the grounds some days, and on other days you will be in different parts of the castle. Some training days are out in the snow,” Roslyn said.
I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Isabella, who was horrified.
“What kind of conditioning?” I asked, following her down the busy staircase to the main foyer outside of Veynara Hall. Several other Initiates were gathered around another student. She was tall and wore long pants and a jacket with her hair pulled tightly behind her neck. It was the woman I saw with Commander Everson.
“Good,” she said, seeing Roslyn. “It looks like everyone has made it. Welcome to your first course! You may call me Adept Corinya. I will guide you through your transformation as we work to shape your body, mind, and endurance. Come with me.”
“You are going to love it,” Roslyn said.
I wasn’t sure about that.
I smiled anyway and waved goodbye, but something overtook me in that moment.
“Roslyn!”
She paused, looking back.
I moved closer, glancing around to ensure no one was nearby. “Sorry, I just had a question, and I was hoping you might know more about it than Commander Everson.”
“Sure,” she said, concern angling her features. “What is it?”
“It’s one of the recruits I met during the tasks,” I said. “I know he made the jump, but I haven’t seen him since. I wanted to make sure he was alright. His name was Cody.”
Surprise flickered briefly across her face. “I don’t recall anyone by that name, but that is not unusual. I’ll look into it.”
I nodded, smiling faintly. “Thanks.”
Her eyes twinkled, and after a moment, she said, “Nightfall is an interesting place. I think this won’t be the last time you find something odd as you begin your journey here.”
With that, she turned and left, her robes trailing after her gracefully.
More confused than before, I caught up with the group. By the time we got to the training area, we’d traversed much of the grounds, following Adept Corinya through the gardens and into the forest. The air was brisk, and the sounds of creatures filled my ears.
“Gather around,” Adept Corinya said, handing one of the Initiates something. “These woods are called the Evermere Forest. For our first lesson, you are to blindfold yourself.”
Isabella and I exchanged looks.
“Blindfold ourselves?” Riya asked.
“Yes, when all of you are finished,” she said. “I will give you your next task.”
I took a strip of black fabric and glanced around. Everyone was skeptical but did as she said. Sighing, I tied it around my head, plunging my world into darkness.
