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Alan glared at Rell with an intensity that could have given the dead chills. His eyes burned with a fierce, unrelenting disdain. From the moment they first met, Alan had never really liked Rell; there was something about him that always felt off. Now, hearing that Rell had worked with Sorin, Alan felt utterly justified in his mistrust.

His mind raced with memories of Sorin and all the heinous acts he had committed. The images and emotions from those times flooded back with intensity. As these memories consumed him, he began subconsciously attributing some of Sorin\'s foul deeds to Rell.

Joe: “And you didn’t think to tell us about this?”

Rell: “You had no proper group meeting like we were supposed to. Otherwise, I would have mentioned this there."

Joe: “This is kinda important. You should have pushed to mention this to me without needing to have a meeting.”

Rell: “I wouldn’t say it was that important.”

Joe: “Isn\'t it? We are looking for people who are helping Sorin turn students into undead. You, who worked with Sorin, would be a possible suspect in this investigation.”

Rell: “I’ve already been cleared of all suspicion by Mitra herself.”

Joe: “You’re still too close to Sorin.”

Rell: “Hardly. We were just working associates. If that makes me too close to Sorin, then by that logic, these two are also too close. Since they were the ones who found out about Sorin and stopped him,” he said while pointing at Alan and Jafar.

Joe: “Wait. You two are the students that I heard about stopping Sorin?” he asked while turning toward Alan and Jafar.

Jafar: “Um, yeah? Didn’t you know?”

Joe: “NO! I didn’t know this. Why am I learning about all these details now?”

Rell: “This Is why I said we needed a proper meeting. To work out these details and share information.”

Joe grumbled under his breath, frustration evident in his expression. Though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, he knew Rell was probably right. The senior detective wanted to speed through the investigation as fast as possible since it was time-sensitive, but it was now looking like it was the wrong decision. Instead of going into this investigation head-first, he should have had group discussions so that these things could have been communicated to him.

Joe: “Fine, I guess I will have this meeting now. So, what were you working on with Sorin?”

Rell: “We were working on new types of sealing magic that could be used to restrain mages and temporarily seal their magic. The magic he was developing was supposed to be easier to cast and more aether efficient. The enforcers were interested in this and sent me and a few others to assist him in its development.

Joe: “How were you helping him?”

Rell: “I was… a guinea pig.”

Jafar: “He was testing this sealing magic on you?”

Rell: “Yes. He needed skilled mages to test this magic on. That’s why I was sent. If the sealing magic worked on me, it would work on most mages.”

Hearing that Rell had been a test subject took Alan by surprise. The revelation shattered his expectations. The image he had formed of Rell would shift again, as he thought about how Cris was also technically a test subject for Sorin.

Joe: “And did it work?”

Rell: “Yes, but it wasn\'t easy to cast. It was only more aether efficient. So that project was only half successful.”

Joe: “I see. Did you know he was working on necromancy when you were with him?”

Rell: “No, but it wouldn’t have been strange if he had.”

Joe

: “Why’s that?”

Dan: “Oh, that’s because Sorin was a Grayscale professor. People at that college study black magic.”

Joe turned his head toward Dan and gave a look of surprise that he knew that. Sensing Joe’s surprise, Dan responded.

Dan: “Um, this was explained at the first meeting with Mitra. The one you missed.”

Rell: “It’s as Dan says. The Grayscale College studies arcane law and creates countermeasures for black magic. But, to make those countermeasures, you have to know how that magic works. Sorin studying necromancy wouldn’t be that strange.”

Joe: “I see. So, you wouldn’t pay any mind to him even if he was experimenting with necromancy,” he mumbled to himself while looking down before turning back to Rell. “How much time did you spend around him?”

Rell: “It was two months ago that I stopped attending his experiments. But before that, twice a week for six months.”

Joe: “Did you get a sense of what he was like from spending so much time around him?”

Rell: “He wasn\'t a good person. I knew this before the necromancy business. Sorin was very good at showing fake concern to others. It was only once he became obsessed with his work that his true colors came out. He sometimes pushed the limits of his experiment to the very edge and even put some of his test volunteers in danger. Every time that happened, he would apologize after the fact, but he would still do it again in another test. I quickly picked up on this, along with the other volunteers, he didn\'t care about our well-being.”

Hearing about the fake empathy Sorin had displayed reminded Alan of the concern Sorin had expressed during their interview. The former Lionheart student felt that Rell\'s remarks about Sorin were strikingly accurate.

Joe: “Hmm, so he had psychopathic tendencies early on. That’s to be expected with what he did. Are there any other personality traits or odd behaviors you can think of?”

Rell: “He was cold and extremely precise and calculating, but good at hiding those traits. And, was just kinda an overall... how do I say it? Just a boring person. He had the personality of a dead fish once you pulled back the facade he put up.”

Dan: “What do you mean he was boring?”

Rell: “It was just that. He was awkward in conversation and wouldn\'t even fake laugh at jokes. And, he seemed to have some sort of disdain against a lot of art. Which is a big point against the idea that Sorin was part of the Rattle Bone cult.”

Alan: “Huh? Why does a lack of interest in art rule him out of being a Rattle Bone cultist?”

Rell: “The Cult of the Failed Artist. That is also what people sometimes call the Rattle Bone cult. There are three constants in that group. Every member is extremely talented at necromancy, and they\'re all obsessed with art in some form or another, and have an overwhelming desire to collect bones.”

The explanation surprised Alan. He knew that Rattle Bone was a cult made up of necromancers, due to the class he took on cults with Sere, but the details about their obsession with art hadn\'t been covered much. It might have been explained more in next semester\'s class, but this was the first time Alan was focusing on that aspect of the Rattle Bone cult.

Alan: “OK. I get the Necromancy thing, but why art? And, why specifically call it the ‘The Cult of the Failed Artist’.”

Joe: “Cause that is what they all are. They’re all artists who are not very good at making art. The lack of public success with their artwork causes them to spiral, which makes them go insane and join the cult. At least, that’s the theory.”

Jafar: “For real? So you make a bad painting, and that causes you to become a cultist.”

Rell: “Not all bad artists become Rattle Bone cultists. But, all Rattle Bone cultists have an obsession with art. And, the art they made before joining the cult is usually not considered very good.”

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Joe: “Oh, light. If every bad artist was a Rattle Bone cultist, there would be so many necromancers running around.”

Alan: “Isn\'t art subjective? Why are you two so confident that the art these people make is so bad?” he said, directed at Rell and Joe.

Joe: “I’m sure that a Rattle Bone cultist would echo your sentiment as they try to rip your bones out. But, you\'re technically right. I guess it might be more fair to say that it is the lack of validation in their artwork that makes them go off the deep end. Anyway, we’re getting off track now,” he said, before turning his full attention back onto Rell. “So your connection to Sorin was that you were a test subject for a new type of binding magic. Correct?”

Rell: “That is right.”

Joe: “Did your relationship extend any further than that?”

Rell: “Not really. I guess I did take a class of his back in the day before I graduated and became a full-time enforcer.”

Joe

: “Did you get to know Jixi at all?”

Rell: “A little. He was a bit timid. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was manipulated into helping Sorin.

Joe: “Something like blackmail?”

Rell: “Possibly. But, I have no proof of that. He just felt like the kind of person who would be too scared to go along with what Sorin was doing. Unless he was coerced. However, like Sorin, he might have been good at hiding his true intention.”

Joe: “Would you say Jixi had any personality traits that would suggest he was a Rattle Bone cultist?”

Rell: “I don’t know. Maybe?”

Joe: “I see. Now you two,” he said as he turned towards Alan and Jafar. “What is this about being the students who stopped Sorin?”

Alan: “Um, you see—” he said, before being interrupted by the door to the room opening.

Everyone turned toward the door and watched as a giant metal box floated into the room. The head librarian who guided the group here followed behind the box, pushing along the way with magic.

The box, crafted from heavy steel, appeared securely locked. Bars and padlocks were bolted onto it, suggesting it contained something valuable or dangerous. The room fell silent, filled with a sense of anticipation and curiosity. As it hovered closer, it eventually stopped just before the table. With a simple hand gesture from Sandra, the box dropped out of the air and landed with a heavy thud.

Sandra: “OK. That should be the first batch.”

Joe looked at the metal box. It was large and came up to his waist in height. He wasn\'t feeling good about hearing Sandra say that this was the first batch. It indicated to him that this box was filled to the brim with books, and there was still more that was to be brought to them.

Joe: “Does this contain all the research Sorin looked at?”

Sandra: “Oh Light, no. Sorin had taken out a little over two hundred documents in the last year.”

Joe: “That’s a lot. How did he have the time to go through that much?”

Sandra: “It\'s a little bit of a problem with record-keeping on our end. We allow university assistants to look at books under the name of the professor they\'re working under. So, this is actually a collection of documents that both Sorin and Jixi had looked at, and we don’t have entirely clear records of who exactly was looking at which book. We’re in the process of correcting this discrepancy going forward.”

Dan: “So these are the books that both Sorin and Jixi have looked at.”

Joe: “That’s still a lot, even between two people.”

Sandra: “Not really. We’ve had professors and their assistants from the university sometimes ask for over a thousand documents.”

Joe: “Did Sorin have level four access?”

Sandra: “Yes. He did. He wouldn\'t be able to take these books out otherwise.”

Joe: “Hmm. Would it be possible to look at your records to see what books they looked at?”

Sandra: “Of course. A copy of the records is already stored here in the security box,” she said while tapping the metal box she brought in. “Now before I open this, I am required to go over the rules with you all. Firstly, as none of you have access to level four, I am required to remain in this room with you at all times. Secondly, any notes you take, I have to look over before you leave with them. That is to prevent you from just copying the instructions on how to perform some of these forbidden spells. Thirdly, you are not allowed to take any documents out of this room, for obvious reasons. And finally, you will be recorded the entire time while looking at these books,” she said while pointing to a corner of the room.

The group looked up toward the corner of the room and noticed a security camera pointed directly at them. It was strategically positioned to observe their every action with cold precision.

Sandra: “We’ve had problems where people would damage these books by ripping pages out of them. So, we now record people who look at books with forbidden knowledge. Now then, are there any more questions?”

Joe: “Yeah, but not about the books. Can I ask about you?”

At hearing that question, Sandra gave Joe a sly look.

Sandra: “I’m far too old for you. Should find yourself a nice girl closer to your age to date.”

Joe: “What? No! I\'m not asking about that!” he blurted out defensively.

Both Alan and Dan couldn\'t help but quietly snicker at Joe for his apparent embarrassment. Sandra\'s comment had broken Joe’s cadence. Making him shift awkwardly around in his chair with visible discomfort. His discomfort only made Alan and Dan\'s amusement grow.

Sandra: “It was a joke. I can answer whatever you need.”

Joe groaned slightly before getting back into the flow of things.

Joe: “Did you know Sorin?”

Sandra: “Yes, but not personally. I was assigned to handle any high-level document request from him.”

Joe: “You were personally assigned to help him?”

Sandra: “Him, and a bunch of other professors from the Grayscale College.”

Joe: “Why were you personally assigned to him and by whom?”

Sandra: “I guess I’m technically not assigned to anybody. It’s more like I developed a reputation amongst professors at the Grayscale College. Each group of professors from the university has a favorite contact within the Archive they like to work with. I and a few other senior librarians are the ones that a lot of professors from the Grayscale College call up when they\'re looking for certain documents or arranging an appointment here.”

Joe: “Hmm. So you\'re the go-to for people at the Grayscale College. Is that why you know Archmage Dakka? You sounded like you knew him?”

Sandra: “Yes. I have worked quite closely with him. Especially back in the day when he was researching curses for his ‘Advance Knowledge of the Dark Arts’ book.”

Upon hearing that, Joe got the urge to ask a bunch of follow-up questions about that. But, relented. He was taken aback by the head librarian\'s deep involvement in the subject. Had he been aware of her involvement in writing that book, he would have attempted to interview her about ancient curses before seeking information from Cory. And, possibly gotten some actual useful information about it.

Nevertheless, Joe\'s current priority was the Jixi investigation. He mentally noted that he would speak with Sandra once the Jixi case was closed.

Joe: “So you sometimes work closely with a Grayscale professor on their research, but not specifically Sorin or Jixi?”

Sandra: “No. I only arranged the private rooms with the books they requested. That was the extent of our relationship.”

Joe: “But, these rules you set out. You mention looking over our notes. Is that just for us? Because if not, that means you should have seen Sorin\'s research notes.”

Sandra: “It’s only for your group. Since none of you have access to level four. Otherwise, the first two rules I set wouldn’t apply to you. I normally don’t have to do this if the person requesting these books has the appropriate access level. So, to your question: I haven’t seen Sorin\'s or Jixi’s research notes and didn’t really know what he was working on.”

Joe: “I see. Is there really nothing you can tell me about Sorin? Like, what were your interactions with him like?”

Sandra: “Um, I already went through this with Dakka—asking me about my interaction with Sorin. And what I said to Dakka I’ll say to you, Sorin didn’t leave much of an impression on me at all. He was a serious person who didn’t make any idle conversation with me. He just asked me to find certain books for him, like every other Grayscale professor who calls for me. That was it. He didn’t talk to me about what he was working on at all.”

Joe let out another sigh.

Joe: “That tracks with what I\'m hearing about him.”

Sandra: “If you have no more questions, let me get this open.”

Sandra approached one side of the box and performed a delicate stroking motion with her two index fingers from top to bottom of the container. To the casual observer, it appeared as though she was simply moving her hand. Yet, everyone in this room was a mage and could feel the head librarian channeling aether as she executed the motion.

The container was aether-locked, requiring the precise channeling of aether in a specific pattern to trigger an internal mechanism, allowing the release of the lock.

Faint clicking noises emanated from the box, indicating an internal mechanism in motion. With one final motion of Sandra\'s hand, the lid to the security box popped open.

Joe got up and looked inside the box. To his surprise, it was only halfway filled with books. He had expected it to be much fuller. The mix of hardcovers and paperbacks lay in disarray, leaving ample space for more. Some of the book titles he could immediately see were: Rattle Scratching Version 678, Timmon Necrosis Prevention Techniques, Ethral Ethereal Manipulation, Consuming Ooze Cult Text Number 2, Festering Venom Cult Text Number 1, Vito Death Infusion, Stabilization Circles for Necromancy, and Corpse Puppetry.

Joe: “So, what are we looking at here?” he said, directed at Sandra.

Sandra: “These are the books I have singled out to be the most relevant to Sorin’s crimes. It is a collection of different works related to necromancy. Also, since Dakka suspects cult involvement, there is also anything connected to cults in there as well.”

Joe nodded at what Sandra said and then turned back to his team.

Joe: “OK. Let me go over what we’re doing. Making sure there is clear communication between everyone,” he said, directing the last comment at Rell. “We’re looking for three things: any clues related to Sorin and Jixi, any indication Sorin couldn\'t have performed the kind of necromancy he did on his victims by himself, or any cult involvement,” he said before turning back to Sandra. “Since you have to be here, would you help us go through this information?”

Sandra: “Of course. It shouldn’t take too long for a group this large to go over all this information.”

Dan: “Might be even faster if Mike was here.”

Rell: “Yeah, speaking of that. Where is Mike today? Why isn\'t he here? It would have been the perfect time for you to introduce us to him."

Joe: “I sent him off to gather information for the investigation. I’ll be sure to properly introduce you to him next time. Anyway, let\'s bunker down. This will still take a while, even with us all here.”