Page 48 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)

I knew Scarlet Thorne was hiding something from me. And yesterday’s events proved it. She isn’t just a ‘nobody’ cadet with a ‘nobody’ background like she wants everybody to believe.

I can’t believe I fell for her trap.

I revealed every bit of detail that she has shared with me to the Grim.

And he must be finally satisfied with my report because there was no note under my pillow after breakfast this morning.

I was considerate enough not to wake the girls when I returned to our dorm that night, but they didn’t offer the same courtesy this morning. I was yanked from my deep sleep by the sharp thud of a pillow repeatedly smacking against my backside.

“Stop it, Tatum. We don’t have any classes today,” I groaned, burying my face beneath my pillow.

Before I could protest further, two more pillows pelted my body.

“Exactly! Which gives us plenty of time to figure out what the hell is really going on in this castle. Wakey, wakey, Thorne!” Tatum’s voice rang out .

That was when Lakota sent my good morning message, “ She’s right. ”

I pushed up onto my elbows, groggy but curious. “What are you plotting?”

Tatum gestured around the room, her finger circling all four of us.

“Today, we’re investigating. There have been way too many red flags about this place.

First, Hogboom’s cryptic claim that the public doesn’t know the whole truth about our history.

Then, his sudden murder. The villagers. And now, we’ve got the first mage since the Battle for Mareki walking these halls—”

“Keep your voice down, T!” Laney snapped, glancing nervously at the walls. “You don’t want anyone hearing us.”

“Fuck them,” Tatum shot back, undeterred. “Fuck their lies, fuck the way nothing adds up around here. If no one will tell us the truth, we’ll find it ourselves.”

Before I could object, she grabbed my wrists and yanked me out of bed.

We had just finished dressing and were heading for the door when Tatum suddenly turned, grabbed the knob, and faced us with a determined look. “Alright, what’s the plan?” she asked, her curiosity evident in her expression.

“This was your idea, Tatum,” Cleo said.

Laney shimmied through us to open the door, “First, the library.”

As we exited the dorm room, my gaze snagged on a familiar figure down the hall.

Shayde. For a brief moment, his eyes met mine before he turned away, continuing his conversation with Davis as if I didn’t exist. Whether he didn’t see me or was pretending not to, I couldn’t tell.

It just hit me that I haven’t spoken to him since yesterday at lunch.

It was Rhodes who had been there—who ran into the pit while Shayde stayed in the stands.

I shook off the thought as Shayde and Davis disappeared around the corner. Tucking those feelings away for later, I hurried to catch up with my friends .

“Hey, Laney. Why are we headed to the library first?” I asked as we descended the spiral turret stairs.

“Because every great plan begins with a trip to the library, silly,” Laney called over her shoulder.

I can’t complain about her logic. I reached out to Lakota, “ Do you like to read? ”

“ Is there a dragon-sized library that you are aware of and I’m not? ” He responded, obviously bored with my question.

“ Is it possible to roll my eyes at you through our bond? ” I snapped back.

“ I can sense your emotions, Scarlet. Just like I sensed your irritation with the Wylder boy just now. ”

“ He is not a boy– ” I stopped, realizing he was right about my irritation.

He huffed.

Thanks to the canceled classes, the halls were busier than usual and crowded with cadets. But something felt off. More eyes were on me than ever before. A group of girls quickly averted their gazes when I caught them staring, huddling closer, and whispering to each other.

Despite the crowd, people moved aside for us without hesitation.

Unease crept up my spine. Surely, this had nothing to do with yesterday’s events… did it?

“ Probably does, ” he answered my thoughts.

“ Nobody asked you. ”

“ Grab a coffee after the library. You’re grumpy this morning, ” Lakota said with that deep but calm voice that I was starting to believe was his normal tone. It also has a sense of sarcasm.

“ You’re one to talk! ” But again– he was right.

I kept my concerns to myself as we reached the library.

We headed straight for the nonfiction section in the far back corner, where the air felt thick with dust and mystery.

Old tomes lined the shelves, newer spines peeking between them, and ancient scrolls tucked into cubby holes.

The light was dim, with only a single sconce casting a flickering glow over the darkened corner.

A worn settee sat in the center, sending up a dust cloud when Tatum flopped onto it.

Clearly, this part of the library wasn’t exactly a popular hangout.

We got to work, each with a task. Cleo combed through the newer books, Laney tackled the older ones, I took on the scrolls, and Tatum searched for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

An hour passed in near silence, interrupted only by the occasional sneeze or cough as we stirred up dust. Books and scrolls littered the floor, categorized in neat piles, but it was getting frustrating. We were finding nothing new—just the same information we already knew.

The Tyrians rebelled against us, sparking the war to seize control of the Gem. Then, after the Battle for Mareki, the Aryans founded Mageia, building the fortress over the Mareki Gem to protect its four essences and maintain the balance of the elements. That much was common knowledge.

But something gnawed at me. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Professor Hogboom was about to say before Captain Thorne cut his lecture short that day. “Has it ever been recorded that the Mareki is capable of more than channeling our elements?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Tatum tapped her nails absently against the book’s spine she was skimming. Cleo glanced up. “Not that I’ve ever seen.”

Laney joined me, curiosity in her eyes. “What are you thinking?”

I hesitated, piecing it together. “There has to be more to the story. We are living through our history without a factually correct prologue. The Mareki must have some quality worth starting an earth-shattering war over.”

For once, Laney was speechless, her brow furrowed in thought.

“The story we’ve been taught doesn’t add up,” I said, my voice steady but edged with unease, the pieces shifting in my mind.

“Why hasn’t anyone questioned it? The First Four—the ones Professor Hogboom mentioned—founded our continent.

They channeled the first surge of magic into their veins, shaping everything we know.

And yet… they’ve been erased from history?

” I paused. “He said the records may have been burned to ash during the battle, but why?”

A realization hit me. “What if his murder is connected to what he knew about our history?”

Laney’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“What if his lectures were more than just that—a warning? He told us to keep our minds open, that it could mean the difference between life and death. Did you recognize that old book he had in our last lecture?”

Laney and Cleo nodded. Tatum was standing behind them, biting her lip.

“I wonder if we could find that book,” I suggested, but my thought was interrupted.

“Keep our minds open…” Tatum echoed from behind us.

She rushed over to a pile of scrolls, unrolling one with a sudden urgency.

“Here,” she pointed to a passage. “This is the oldest scroll I’ve found, and it’s not even dated.

But look here—this part mentions the Mareki Essence.

Not essences, plural. Just one singular essence.

At first, I thought it was a mistake, but… what if this scribe was right?”

We all fell silent, digesting her words.

Cleo’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Do you think this Mareki Essence differs from the Mareki Gem we know today?”

Tatum shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s the same, but something happened before the Battle for Mareki. What if the Mareki we have now isn’t what it once was? Or they used different terms back then. I don’t know. But have any of you ever encountered it being called the Mareki Essence?”

We exchanged glances, silently shaking our heads.

“Did Professor Hogboom refer to it as the Gem?” she asked.

“No. He only called it the Mareki,” Laney answered.

I rummaged through my memories of our history. The Mareki Gem rests in the Eternal Tomb on a pedestal in the center of its four essences: air, earth, fire, and water. Each essence is fueled within a smaller gem that connects itself to the Mareki.

But what if the four smaller gems aren’t gems? What if they’re…

“The splintered shards will become whole again…” I whispered to myself.

“ Once the forgotten realm is due, ” Lakota continued for me.

I scrambled to return the texts to their shelves. “Hurry,” I urged, glancing over my shoulder. “I need to show you all something.”

I led my friends out of the library, quickening my pace without making it obvious. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention, but I couldn’t hold back my excitement. I had to show them the hidden passageway I’d literally stumbled upon days ago—a secret buried within these ancient walls.

I should’ve told them sooner. Part of me hesitated, afraid they wouldn’t believe me. Now, that fear feels ridiculous. These are my friends, and we trust each other completely.

We wove through the halls, moving fast but careful not to rush. The shortcut through the courtyard would save time, but as we crossed the open space, I heard a high-pitched voice cut through the air.

“Oh no! It’s the mage! Run for your lives!”

We halted mid-stride, turning toward the source. There stood Pehper, hands cupped around her mouth, putting on an exaggerated show. She was with ‘salt’ and several other spices she picked up for the day. She pretended to cower, arms shielding her face as if I were some dangerous monster.