Chapter 16: The Relic Hunt
The morning sun cast long shadows across the ancient library as Jace and Juniper stood at its entrance. The grand structure, once a beacon of knowledge, now appeared sinister and forgotten. Cracked stone pillars lined the pathway, and overgrown vines curled around the wooden door, which was engraved with cryptic symbols.
Juniper stared up at the building, a mixture of awe and apprehension settling in her stomach.
"So, this is the place?"
Jace floated beside her, his ghostly form flickering in and out of visibility as he studied the towering library.
"Yeah, this is it. The first relic we need is hidden somewhere inside."
Juniper raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.
"Why does it always have to be ancient, creepy places? Why can’t we ever find relics in, like, a coffee shop?"
Jace smirked.
"Because nothing worth having comes easy. Besides, coffee shops don’t usually have cursed books or hidden traps."
"Right, how could I forget the fun part," Juniper muttered, rolling her eyes before stepping toward the door.
"So, how do we get in? Think we should knock?"
"Actually, we don't have to," Jace said, his gaze fixing on a strange set of glyphs etched into the doorframe.
"It’s a puzzle. We need to figure out the right sequence to unlock it."
Juniper blinked at the cryptic symbols.
"Of course it’s a puzzle. Ancient libraries can never just use regular keys."
Jace floated closer to the door, his translucent fingers tracing the symbols.
"Each symbol corresponds to a different emotion," he explained, his brow furrowed.
"It’s a test of sorts—kind of like figuring out which feeling holds the most power."
"Let me guess. If we get it wrong, the door explodes or something?" Juniper asked dryly.
Jace chuckled softly. "Not exactly. But it won’t be pretty."
Juniper sighed, studying the symbols carefully. "So, which one do we pick?"
Jace’s eyes roamed over the different glyphs: fear, love, anger, hope. His fingers hovered over the symbol for love, his gaze briefly flicking toward Juniper.
"Love," he said quietly.
Juniper raised her eyebrows.
"You sure?"
"Yeah," Jace nodded.
"Love is one of the strongest emotions. It can move mountains—or, in this case, unlock ancient doors."
With a careful motion, Jace pressed the symbol for love. The glyph glowed faintly, and a soft click echoed from within the door. Slowly, the door creaked open, revealing the dark interior of the library.
"Well, look at that," Juniper said with a grin.
"You’ve still got it."
Jace floated beside her, a playful smile on his face.
"Let’s just hope the inside isn’t filled with cursed dust bunnies."
As they stepped into the library, the air became noticeably colder. Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves stretched endlessly in every direction, filled with ancient tomes covered in dust. A dim, eerie light filtered through the stained-glass windows, casting strange patterns on the floor.
Juniper shivered slightly, her breath visible in the frigid air. "So, where do we start? This place is huge."
Jace floated up, scanning the endless shelves. "We’re looking for the Tome of the Lost. It should be on one of the higher levels, but we have to be careful. The books in here aren’t exactly... friendly."
Juniper frowned.
"Books that aren’t friendly? I thought knowledge was power, not danger."
"In cursed libraries like this, knowledge is dangerous," Jace replied. "Some of these books are traps. If you open the wrong one, you could trigger a curse—or worse."
"Great," Juniper muttered, glancing warily at the nearest shelf. "Well, lead the way. I’d rather not become a cursed book’s next victim."
Jace nodded and guided her through the narrow aisles. As they moved deeper into the library, strange whispers echoed from the shelves. Juniper shuddered, feeling eyes on her even though no one else was around.
"What’s that whispering?" she asked in a low voice.
Jace’s expression grew serious. "The books are enchanted. Some of them are alive, filled with the spirits of those who’ve fallen into their traps. Stay close to me. They won’t mess with us if we’re careful."
Despite Jace’s reassurance, Juniper couldn’t shake the feeling that the books were watching them. The whispers grew louder, and the air around them seemed to pulse with an unsettling energy.
Suddenly, a thick, leather-bound book flew off a nearby shelf, landing with a thud at Juniper’s feet. She jumped back, her heart racing. "Uh, Jace? We’ve got a flying book situation."
Jace glanced at the book, his ghostly eyes narrowing. "Don’t touch it."
Before Juniper could respond, the book’s pages began to flip wildly on their own. Dark tendrils of ink spilled out from the pages, snaking toward them like living shadows.
"Run!" Jace shouted, grabbing Juniper’s hand as they bolted down the aisle.
The inky tendrils lashed out, following them as they raced through the library. Bookshelves trembled, and more books began to fly off the shelves, their pages crackling with dark magic.
"This is not what I signed up for!" Juniper yelled as they dodged another wave of flying books.
Jace skidded to a stop, glancing around desperately. "There!" He pointed to a staircase leading to the upper levels.
They sprinted up the stairs, the cursed books and tendrils hot on their heels. As they reached the second floor, Jace raised his hand, summoning a burst of ghostly energy to push back the advancing shadows. The tendrils recoiled, retreating for the moment.
Juniper leaned against the railing, panting. "Are... are all your missions like this?"
Jace grinned, though his face was tense. "Not all. Just the fun ones."
Juniper shot him a look. "You have a weird definition of fun."
Jace floated ahead, his gaze scanning the shelves on the upper level. "The Tome of the Lost should be around here somewhere. Keep an eye out for a book with silver bindings."
Juniper nodded, moving cautiously between the shelves. Her fingers brushed over the dusty spines of ancient books, careful not to open anything. The whispers in the air grew louder, more insistent, but she ignored them, focusing on the task at hand.
After a few tense moments, she spotted it: a thick, silver-bound book resting on a pedestal at the far end of the room.
"Jace, I found it!" she called, pointing to the book.
Jace floated over, his eyes narrowing as he studied the Tome. "That’s it. But it’s not going to be easy. Relics like this are always protected by something—usually a trap."
Juniper frowned. "What kind of trap?"
Jace’s gaze flickered over the pedestal. "Could be anything. Pressure plates, curses, maybe even a guardian spirit."
"Wonderful," Juniper muttered. "So how do we get it without setting off every trap in the building?"
Jace hovered over the pedestal, studying it carefully. "I’ll phase through the pedestal and see if I can disarm whatever magic’s protecting it. You just stand back and—"
Before he could finish, the pedestal began to glow, and the air around them crackled with energy. The room trembled, and suddenly, the floor beneath Juniper gave way.
"Juniper!" Jace yelled, rushing toward her.
Juniper screamed as she fell through the floor, but before she could hit the ground, Jace dove down, phasing through her and catching her just in time. He floated them back to safety, his ghostly form flickering with effort.
"Okay," Juniper gasped, clinging to him. "That was close."
"Too close," Jace muttered, setting her down gently. "Looks like the whole floor’s rigged. We’re going to have to be extra careful."
He floated back toward the Tome, concentrating as he phased his hand through the pedestal. For a moment, nothing happened, but then a faint click echoed through the room.
"I think I’ve disarmed it," Jace said, pulling his hand back. "Now, let’s grab the book and get out of here."
Juniper approached cautiously, her heart pounding. She reached out, her fingers brushing against the cold silver bindings of the Tome. Slowly, she lifted the book off the pedestal.
The room was silent for a moment, the oppressive energy dissipating. They had done it.
Jace let out a breath of relief, floating beside her.
"Nice work."
Juniper smiled, holding the book close.
"One relic down. How many more to go?"
"Just a few," Jace replied, his gaze softening as he looked at her.
"But we’re one step closer to getting me back."
As they stood in the eerie, silent library, the first relic in their hands, they knew that this was only the beginning of a long and dangerous journey. But with each step, they were closer to restoring Jace’s body and to keeping all the promises they had made.