I tip my head, reading the spines of the books, too afraid to touch them for fear of degrading the delicate parchment. The entire library seems to be ordered chronologically, and I find the volume—the very same volume I was searching for when Lyon caught me sneaking through the stacks in the main room of the Hall.

The History of Natural Order Volume 121 stands out a bit from the other volumes, misaligned from the other neatly shelved spines, as if it was put back in haste. As I pluck it from the shelf, a folded letter slips from its pages. My throat tightens as I recognize Lyon’s familiar loopy scrawl.

Jack,

I hope that the fact that you’re reading this letter means the worst has already passed and you and Fleur are both recovering from your ordeal.

You once sought this particular volume, if memory serves me. At the time, I could not share it with you. For great leaders do not come to greatness by traversing an easy path. They forge it themselves, suffering losses, pain, and triumphs along the way. You have earned the title. It was an honor and a privilege to hold the mantle for a short time, until you were ready to take it.

You are no longer a thief of knowledge here. You hold the key. You own this knowledge now, and with it, the power to grant or deny access to it. A leader who rises on footholds of ignorance never climbs very far. I trust you and Fleur will make thoughtful, balanced choices.

By now, you are probably wondering, what is the power of Chronos? The heart of Chronos’s power doesn’t lie in the blade of the scythe. It lies in the sharpness of the minds of those who wield it. The power lies in the wisdom it grants you, not to see the future and find the easy path, but in the lessons learned in hindsight. You alone have the power to stop time, not because it grants you control over others, but so you may hold control over yourself. The magic grants you time to think—detached from the actions and influences of others—before making the difficult choices you’re responsible for making now.