The Book Academy Novels & Stories

My steps fall silent occasionally as I cross large, intricately woven rugs scattered about. I head straight for the aisle Celeste pointed out, offering her a small wave before disappearing between the labyrinth of bookshelves. Each section is marked with hand-carved plaques, their inscriptions barely legible in the dim light. They guide the way to different realms of knowledge: Alchemy, Herbology, History, and more. The books themselves are bound in various shades of leather, some adorned with golden leaves, others with intricate metal clasps. Many are so ancient that their titles have worn away, leaving only the texture of the leather to hint at the secrets within.

I slipped out of bed, needing the oblivion of caffeine and a moment to piece together the incredibly reckless, unbelievably satisfying night I’d just had with a complete stranger I’d met at O’Malley’s after far too many vodka sodas following my disastrous breakup. Padding into his minimalist living room, my eyes landed on a framed photo on the sleek, dark bookshelf. Him. Looking impossibly distinguished in some kind of formal academic robe, his hand clasped with the university president. Below it, a small, silver plaque read: “Draco Thorne, Head of Literature Department.”

The Academy at night was different from the Academy during the day—quieter, more intimate, the way a building becomes when it is no longer performing for its inhabitants. She thought about what Morwen had said. I will be here tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that. It was not a grand promise—not the kind of declaration that belonged in a novel, not the sweeping romance that her book club had once made her read. It was smaller than that. More ordinary. And because it was ordinary, because it was the kind of promise that could be kept without effort, it meant more than any grand gesture.

“What are you talking about?” I nervously twisted my fingers, staring them dead in the eye about to ask for something that could make this conversation end really well, or really awful. If I was a gambler, my money would be on the latter. “The book on the forbidden arts.” •••• Okay. So that didn't work. But my parents weren't aware that I had swiped it from the vault anyway. I needed this book if I wanted to survive the academy, and quite frankly I couldn't care less about the dangers it posed to my life. My life would already be endangered merely by stepping foot into that academy.

The towering structure, adorned with symbols of ancient magic, resonated with the accumulated wisdom of the council that had guided Nampa through the ages. As they entered the majestic halls, the elders, seated in a circle within a vast chamber, welcomed Luna and Alpha Burst with a nod of acknowledgement. The air within the palace seemed to hum with the energy of ancient knowledge, and Luna, with the Book of Luna in hand, approached the revered council. "Elders," Luna began with a respectful bow, "Alpha Burst and I have initiated the creation of the Book of Luna to preserve the teachings and experiences that have shaped Nampa. We seek your guidance to enrich the narrative with the profound i

Tried figuring out our 'ulterior motives' for this newborn, out of nowhere rivalry. Finally, at 3:49pm, we got out of the campus. I wasn't at the library, so I didn't get the chance to borrow a few books I needed for the slip tests. That's what our professor told us. St. Xebec's academy had a notable range of online and offline books. The collection was so massive that it was once elected a national treasure. Once. I was sure those were all about politics. However, under the tree where I usually wait for my mom in the parking lot of our campus, Zayn approached me out of nowhere.

Cela remains disappointed. "C'mon. It's not like they bought everything. They just thought of giving the books as Christmas presents apart from the corporate giveaways. You must know that your mother enjoyed your first book so much. Too bad that she passed before the second one is out," Nanny Rita continued. "You've always been loyal to her," Cela said.

It looked like an ancient library as different books filled each shelf to the brim, and from the looks of things, they were sorted, based on size, genres, history and so many more. "Whoa." I muttered, stepping further into the book paradise. " Noah could open a school and never run out for decades." The ambience of the place was different haul and it was giving freakish academia vibes. The lightening was dim, drawstring lamps littering almost every corner in the study, no, scratch that, library. What we had at home was a study. This was a full on museum.

Audrey's eyes lit up in hope. "I think we have a deal." She replied with so much happiness and anticipation. "So which book are you searching for." Martin asked, with a smile of his own. "The book of Alphas." Martin's smile faded as he heard those words come out of Audrey's lips. "The book of Alphas? How are you sure the library has it here?" Martin asked. "I believe this library can contain so many sacred books that the main library is hiding away. We can't just determine them yet." Audrey studied Martin and he looked to be having an inner conflict.