Page 28 of Architecti
“Those of you who have been here for more than the last academic year will have experienced the infrequent tremors and quakes that have been happening for the last couple of decades.However…”
Arcadius glances at my father, who produces a thin sheet of parchment and hands it over.
Arcadius reads it, nods and addresses the audience.“For those of you that stayed on campus last week, you’ll be aware of the major tremor we experienced.Significant damage was done.Several cracks in Finis Tower have since been repaired.However…” He pauses, takes a deep breath and glances at the parchment again.When he looks back at us, his jaw ticks.“What you may not be aware of are the consequences of those tremors.Security forces had to dispatch more than two dozen wraiths, ashspawn and a handful of shades.”
I join in the ripple of gasps erupting in the auditorium.Thalia raises her eyebrows and glances at me.“Did Ignatius not tell you?”
I shake my head.He said it was bad, but I didn’t realise how bad.
Arcadius roars for silence.“All of the wraiths and ashspawn were dealt with quickly and effectively.I appreciate the concern, these are dangerous underworld creatures.But?—”
“What about the Veil?”a male professor shouts.I crane my head to locate them in the room but there’s too many people for me to trace their voice.
Arcadius’s face turns incandescent, darkening at the interruption.“As I was saying.The Veil was stitched and repaired on both sides.A great debt of gratitude is owed to Professor Alistair Ironheart for walking the Veil and ensuring it was sealed on their side too.”
The hall erupts into applause, whooping and hollering so much we sound like the students we teach.Alistair stands up in the middle of the lecture seating and flicks a dreadlock off his shoulder.His stark yellow demon eyes beam at the audience as he waves dramatically, fending off the praise.The way he grins tells me he loves it.A bubble of warmth fills me; I’m pleased for him.I’m sure this will be points towards another academic tenure or promotion.He deserves it.
When he sits, Arcadius continues.
“The Veil has been sealed.However, it does not take a genius to recognise that these tremors are occurring at a more frequent rate.It is the senior faculty’s feeling that we are going to experience a complete rupture.”
This time, instead of the explosion of gasps and chattering, a silence descends on the faculty.
It is so acute that Arcadius glances at Father, his shoulders visibly tensing.
“This will be shocking to many of you who have found Finis to be a sanctuary and place of safety.However, we have been monitoring these tremors and after significant analysis, it is our belief that we will experience a major rupture at some point this academic year.”
“FUCK THE SOCIETAS,” a female voice screams from the back of the tiered seating.
Chaos erupts.Bellows and shouts and disagreements are thrown across the room like warfare.
This is not good.We’re supposed to be a professional faculty of staff that can debate these things.If you can’t in an academy setting, where can you?And while the general consensus on campus is that Architecti should not be resurrected, given she wanted to merge celestial and demonic kind, there are professors who are on her side.Be it academically, theoretically or philosophically.Especially the Footnote professors—they love a good theoretical studies debate.Those against her seem to forget these professors are just debating, they’re not actually trying to resurrect her.
The Societas, though, is an organisation hellbent on resurrecting her, and often the source of protests, riots and sacrificial slaughterings in the city.
Finis seems to have forgotten that we’re allowed to disagree with each other and stay civil.The room erupts with voices, the atmosphere sharpening like a blade.I glance at Thalia, both of our hands are on our seat arms, ready to fight.
This is going to get nasty unless Arcadius gets control.
He slams his hand down on the lectern so hard it splinters down the centre and shatters into pieces.The mic drops to the stage floor.The thuds echo as they roll around the stage, each one like a gun shot.
That shuts everyone up.
“Thank you,” Arcadius growls.“Now, we do not have concrete evidence that the Societas Mortis Architecti are behind these tremors, but early investigations indicate that it is likely.It seems they believe the source for resurrecting Architecti is on campus.Therefore, we need to assume that the campus will be under increasing fire.Security will be increased.It also means a change for students.”
The room chills, the collective drawing and exhaling of breath like a sluggish heartbeat.Thalia’s rigid where she grips her seat.I slide my hand over hers.“It’s going to be okay,” I say.
“It won’t be if the Veil rips and the underworld spills into Ora City.”Funny how one sentence can age a person.Something passes across her expression that I can’t place.I pull her hand off the arm rest and pop it in my lap.
“Arcadius won’t let that happen.”
He clears his throat.“I am going to need you as a faculty to push the students harder and faster than ever this year.We need them to be prepared for what will happen if the Veil does tear.You’ll have files delivered to your quarters with my teaching expectations.This year will be gruelling.For us and the students alike.”
That hovers in the air, every professor in here bearing a grim expression.
“However, we have two new professors here from Sangui City, both of whom have extensive experience in war strategy.Professor St Clair and Professor Randall.”
Two women walk on stage, hand in hand, and wave at the audience.A couple then.They beam at each other, the softest gaze hanging between them as though they’ve been together millennia already, when I imagine they can’t be much older than me.
