Page 89 of Omega Sanctuary

"Who used this cup to help pool magic together, an early proto-type to the god's heart inside the Shrines today?"

"Shaman Livian," Nikki said under his breath. "Dude was powerful."

Shai shot a look at Nova and then Naomi. I guess she didn't expect me to know anything. "Shaman Livian. He worked closely with the omega priestesses who built the Shrines."

"That's true." Ridgeway perked up. "Before Shrines were created, you had the shaman and spirit workers, or the tsia quera and the tsia itsega work with spirit magic."

I stood bolt upright, all the air leaving my lungs.

I'd asked around, and no one knew what that was. Now here I was, in a place filled with answers.

It was Nikki's turn to give me a quizzical look, and Nova too. I bit my lip and listened to the rest of the lecture. We moved past ancient history and went into the early days of collecting omegas and training.

Finally, we were allowed to explore on our own. I immediately went to the section dedicated to the making the Shrines. I flipped through a book, trying to skim for more information.

Nikki leaned on a bookshelf next to me. "Didn't know you were so interested in ancient history, Princess."

"Spirit magic, Nikki," I said, flipping through the pages.

"That book's no good." He leaned close and took the book out of my hands. My heart stopped, and my mouth went dry. Nikki reached over me and pulled another off the shelf. "Here. Records of the shaman and spirit workers. And its Prince Nikolaidis to you."

I took the book from him. "Sure thing, Nikki."

"Why don't the other omegas like you? Other than your friend."

I shrugged. "I'm new, I didn't grow up around here, and my magic is chaotic, which means I'm not training with them. Take your pick."

Nikki pulled another book down and added it to my stack. "Nice to see omegas never change."

"Why are you trying so hard to pretend like ancient history doesn't interest you?" I snapped. "Most of the books you've brought are on history."

He gave me a scathing look and shoved off the bookshelf. "History's a stupid subject."

He left without another explanation, and I lost myself into the book about the early days of the Shrines.

The basic gist was magic wasn't predictable, so in an attempt to stop random buildings from exploding, random cities from dropping into the ocean overnight, and other catastrophes, they created the Shrines as a conduit for that magic.

This Temple was along the conduit line, so the magic performed here was redirected to the Shrines. Inside each temple was a god's heart, a much more sophisticated version of the anastasis box. It housed what they believed to be the essence of the god of the Shrine, and redirected magic to the heart.

I pulled another book off the stack Nikki made for me, when another novice approached.

"Can I borrow that if you're done?"

She smiled at me. She had a sweet, heart-shaped face with green eyes and curly brown hair. She wore a loose white tunic, like the rest of us.

She oozed wholesomeness and charm, but her energy wafted over me, and I caught the steel of power.

True power. Cold shivers raised goosebumps on my arms. It was like alpha energy, only the reverse. A powerful omega who had come into her own.

She cocked her head. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. Reading too long, cobwebs." I touched my temple. I handed her the first book I'd read. I wanted to stall her, running on an instinct I didn't understand.

Something was off.

She took the book from me and smiled. It was less sweet this time, with an edge I could cut myself on. "You're rather powerful, aren't you?"

She said it like a threat. I glanced around us and realized we were alone in this room of the library. Voices bounced off the stone walls, but there was no way of knowing where anyone was.

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