“Three?” Clara asked.

In the span of a century only three hunters escaped the Terminus. While they refused to quantify how many made the attempt, Clara guessed the number would even make a bloodthirsty general cringe.

Upon graduation, which was something Clara never officially did, many volunteered for the chance. Clara imagined that being born and confined within The Tower taxed the mind. This place is designed to drive you insane.

 “That we know of,” Amelia admitted.

“Girls,” Clara said. “Would you care to answer that question?”

Several appeared from out of the shadows. While most were girls, there were also women amongst the group who were clearly full-fledged hunters.

“Welcome to Les Filles de Jeanne D’arc, Clara,” Agnes said.

Clara had never seen so many here. In fact this space could be segregated, enabling students to utilize the same space without anyone else being aware.

The space was linear and expansive, which featured several smaller alcoves built into the walls. There was furniture, weapons, and clothing everywhere. Everything a gal needs for waging war on their enemy.

“Where the fuck are we?” Julia asked.

Julia’s heart rate spiked, the sudden change in scene must have triggered a wave of anxiety… or is it due to the confinement?

All around here there were steady heart beats, several by the sounds of it. Either this was a trap, or a test to prove that Clara once belonged.

Julia actually gulped, and took a deep breath. When she closed her eyes, Clara took her hand and walked forward, through the rows of books. Soon she was one with the bookshelf, followed by the stone wall behind it.

Visually there was nothing to see. Her eyes could not pick up colours and patterns from inside an opaque object. This was a leap of faith, like the one Julia had taken by letting Clara walk her through.

When everything opened up on the other side, she ensured they cleared the wall before letting go. They travelled through solid objects and found themselves in an entirely different room with no visible windows or doors.

Clara returned the book to its rightful place and found its companion seven books to the right of the slot. She ran her index finger down the spine of ‘De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium,’ or ‘On The Revisions of the Heavenly Spheres’ and instructed Julia to do the same.

The binding came aglow each time someone interacted with it. This was a good sign, as it meant they were authorized to enter. The effect may as well have been magical, because no one could explain how it worked.

“Close your eyes,” Clara said.

“Why—”

“Don’t ask, just close your eyes and let me lead you.”

The next three minutes were made up of several twists and turns. Julia never lagged more than a metre behind, afraid of getting lost within the depths of this place.

“Here we are!” Clara said.

“It’s a dead end.”

Julia was in fact correct, this was technically a dead end. They faced a wall, and the only obvious way out was the way they came.

“Holy fuck!” Julia said. “Wait…  is this another fucking maze?”

There came a chuckle while Clara nodded in agreement. The library was real, but most of the books here were archives. Few students had any business here, and that was precisely why they were here.

“Stay close,” Clara said.

“No shit…”