Page 10 of The Alien in the Archive

“See?” He smirks. “Told you.”

We wander through the market as we eat, weaving between stalls draped in colorful fabrics and glowing trinkets. A Ka’reth vendor is selling something that looks like dumplings, their soft, downy fur catching the light as they explain the dish to a curious human couple. Further down, a Jotunbei brewer—easily nine feet tall—stands beside a cart stacked with jars of honey.

It’s beautiful. Vibrant, chaotic, alive. But I can’t stop my mind from drifting back to my work, the fragments of stories and symbols and clues.

Riley nudges me. “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“You’re back in the Archive, aren’t you?”

I sigh, taking another bite of the skewer to buy myself a moment before answering. It’s some kind of fish and it tastes fresh. The more I eat, the more I like it. “I can’t help it, Riley. I feel like I’m close to something—like the answers are just out of reach.”

“You’re always close to something,” he says. “But you’re not going to find it tonight. You need to let your brain breathe for once.”

His voice is soft now, almost pleading. I glance up at him, at his crooked grin and the faint afterglow of a night drinking too much mead.

I know that even though he’s drunk, he’s right.

But I also know I won’t stop.

“You’re relentless,” I mutter.

“You’re stubborn,” he shoots back. “But that’s why we make a great team. Need to balance each other out.”

He extends his hand and takes mine.

“And that’s why I need you too, Page. Don’t disappear on me.”

I give him a weak smile. “Okay…I won’t.”

“Promise?”

The smile gets stronger. “Promise.”

We finish our skewers as we wander further into the market, the streets getting quieter as we reach the village. This part is mostly residential, with quiet tea shops for studying late at night. I can hear the ocean in the distance, and above us, the stars of Yrsa’s Cradle shine brightly.

For a moment, I let myself exist here, in this strange, beautiful place, with my brother, my best friend, by my side.

Then…not voices.A voice.

Just one, drowning out the rest.

It’s faint at first, probing…then he’s there, in my mind. It’s the man from the library, looming in the darkness. Maybe he wasn’t there physically…but mentally.

Maybe we share the same power.

I’m so hungry, he’s saying.

“Page, look at me.”

I snap back to reality, and I realize that I’ve dropped the empty skewer. Riley is gripping my shoulders, searching my eyes.

“What…what happened?” I ask. “Sorry, just?—”

“I really need you to go and get your head checked out,” he says. “And…please get some sleep, Page. I’m being serious, I can’t lose you?—”

“You’re not going to lose me, Riley. But you’re right about sleep. We should probably get going.”

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