Rising Shards

As soon as intermission hit, Octa rose to her feet, not even glancing Tik’s way as she passed by.

”This is probably a good time to check in with our old pal, yeah?” Mars said.

”If not, I need to get up, these tiny-ass chairs are not good for me,” Kara said, massaging her aching legs.

”I think I may speak with her alone,” Tik said.

”Really?” Mars asked.

”Yes, while your presence is always invaluable, I think she may appreciate a one on one talk at the moment.”

Tik found Octa by herself, in a lonely hallway that offered some privacy. Her expression remained neutral as Tik approached.

”I can’t leave them alone long,” Octa said.

”Mars is watching your students,” Tik said.

”You have until intermission is over,” Octa said. ”And after this, who knows if I’ll have time to meet again. So choose your questions carefully.”

Tik was well aware that she’d have to speak carefully to a known liar.

”I’ll start with this because I’m curious, what were you speaking to those two students about?” Tik said. ”Obviously, you don’t have to share any private information about them. But you’re not a nurse, and they weren’t students who’d received your devil medication, were they?”

”I don’t care about protecting their privacy,” Octa said. ”They each ingested an Atrian crystal from my lab.”

Tik gripped her cane.

”You didn’t,” Tik said.

”I didn’t, they broke into my lab and stole two crystals I found while on excursions,” Octa said. ”And decided that consuming them was for whatever reason a remotely sensible idea. I’m assisting them until I figure out a way to separate them.”

”Perhaps I could help,” Tik said. I do have experience with Atrian crystals, after all.

Octa shrugged.

”How did you find out they were the ones who took the crystals?” Tik asked.

”I saw them on security footage, but couldn’t identify them,” Octa said. ”I ran into them having an episode in the void, and it was clear afterwards it was them.”

”I’m surprised you just let them leave,” Tik said. ”That doesn’t seem like a wise decision for a lab you’re trying to keep safe.”

”I did owe them, they assisted me,” Octa said. A brief twitch of her nose said she didn’t mean to say that so easily.

”They assisted you while stealing from your lab?” Tik asked. ”How so?”

”They cleaned up on the way out,” Octa said.

”That’s weak from you, I’m actually disappointed,” Tik said. ”You’ve been doing so well being honest for once, why stop now?”

Tik smiled, not flinching as Octa tried to keep her composure.

”I’m telling the truth,” Octa said.

”Sometimes I wonder how you keep a straight face when you say things like that,” Tik said. ”We don’t have a lot of time, so I’d prefer if you just tell me. How did those two students help you?”

”They...stopped an intruder,” Octa said.

”That’s strange, they were intruders, but they stopped an intruder?” Tik said.

”The intruders were just retention sprites,” Octa said.

”Interesting,” Tik said. ”I don’t expect you to answer this easily, but I think I’ll be able to tell by your reaction if you lie to me again. Did he send them?”

Octa clenched her jaw.

”What did he send? One of himself? Or one of you?”

Octa started to turn away, but Tik stamped her cane on the creaky theater floor. ”Just tell me.”

”Both,” Octa finally answered.

”So he’s aware of your current location? What you’re doing?” Tik asked.

”The students stopped them, they couldn’t have gotten back to him,” Octa said. ”We won’t move the lab back there either.”

”But you moved it onto the campus,” Tik said. ”And his retention sprites have been on campus as well.”

”The school will handle that,” Octa said.

”Shouldn’t you be more concerned that retention sprites with your face are walking around?” Tik asked.

”I’m not,” Octa said. ”My actions prove my innocence.”

”Still, not even remorseful that a sprite with your appearance tormented your own child? Injecting her with beast tendency?”

”It wasn’t me,” Octa said. ”I won’t feel guilty for his actions anymore.”

”So you’re not concerned and refuse any guilt,” Tik said. ”Will you tell me what you know about his current actions, then?”

”I know so little it wouldn’t help you,” Octa said.

”You’re lying again,” Tik said. ”You don’t have to protect him. We can stop him.”

”Do you want to stop him?” Octa asked. ”Or do you want to just grill him for answers about her? I’m shocked you haven’t said anything about her yet.”

Tik didn’t let Octa’s jab distract her.

”I want justice served,” Tik said.

”I don’t know where she is, I swear that much,” Octa said. ”If you believe nothing else from me, believe that. I wasn’t there when she vanished. And he never said anything to me about that day.”

Tik hated to admit it, but Octa wasn’t giving any of her lying tells when she said that. Granted, she could have been misleading Tik and throwing out some old tells while hiding new ones, but that remained to be seen.

”Are we done, Tik?” Octa said. ”Intermission’s just about over.”

”One last question,” Tik said. ”Do you know where he is? He’s been spotted in Spero and Vita Coa, but those could have just been his retention sprites, couldn’t they?”

Octa shut her eyes for just a moment. ”Do you really think you can stop him?”

”I know so,” Tik said.

Octa looked around. They were still alone in the hallway. She quickly pulled out a scrap of paper, turning to a wall to write something down. She held the sheet up to Tik for about two seconds. A long string of numbers that would seem like nonsense at first glance.

”You didn’t see this,” Octa said, ripping the paper and crumpling the remains almost immediately. ”Don’t write it down. Don’t speak it. Just go there.”

Tik memorized the coordinates. ”Thank you, Octa.”

”I have one more request,” Octa said. ”If you do go.”

There was still an astronomical amount Tik didn’t know about this case. But for the first time in a long time, she had a lead. So she listened intently to Octa’s wishes.