Chapters (66)
- PREFACE
- Full Page Image
- ONE
- TWO
- One week ago
- THREE
- Present day
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
"Do you have any books on The Wishing Game?" I ask instead. If I won't be able to find something to pass the time, I might as well do some research on the game.
"Yes, of course," Nigel answers. With a flick of his hand, a yellow shimmer envelops a bookcase on the second floor. "That is the selection of books we have on The Wishing Game. If you need further assistance, call my name and I shall be happy to guide you."
"Thank you." I nod.
His figure dissipates and I'm left alone in the library.
The bookshelf on the second floor still emits a low light, and I climb up the stairs before the beacon fades. Reaching the landing on the second floor, I stop in front of the section Nigel had pointed to and I browse the titles.
I'm surprised to be able to read the language perfectly, but then I'm reminded that the brew likely infused me with that ability.
Some of the books are about the rules of the game, while others are records of previous games and winners. I take a few of them out and lay them on the floor as I sift through them, thinking I can find some information that might help me in the third trial.
As I read, however, it becomes clear that each edition of the game has different trials. Not one trial appears to have been used twice.
I release a heavy sigh as I turn to the rules of the competition. One thing I've been exceedingly curious about so far has been what happens to the souls of the people who die during the game. It stated that the souls of the losers would forfeit their chances at future incarnations. But what happens to them? Do they just disappear? Where do they go?
I flip through the book, reading each line carefully, but as I reach that rule, the only additional mention I can find is that the energy from the deceased souls is used as fuel, but it doesn't specify for what.
I nibble on my bottom lip as I go back to the bookshelf, scanning more of the titles until I find a book on the first edition of The Wishing Game.
Cracking it open, I read the introduction.
After a series of debilitating daimon attacks, the Ananke Supreme Lyonas sacrificed his energy to enforce the weakening boundaries between the worlds. But as this scribe has witnessed in his eight thousand years of life, not even a Supreme's energy can hold up indefinitely.
The other Supremes became aware that they would either need to sacrifice one of their own every few thousand years, or they could find another source of energy that could continuously feed the boundaries.
Each Supreme brought forth a proposition, but none proved to be sustainable in the long run. That was until Lyonas's granddaughter and the favored candidate for the new Ananke Supreme, Lispera, came up with an idea.