The Key to Scientia

Cassandra Knight

THE KEY TO SCIENTIA

Copyright ©2022 Cassandra Knight

This is a work of fiction.

Characters, names, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and any reference to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, to include, but not exclusive to audio or visual recordings of any description without permission from the copyright owner.

Cassandra Knight asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved.

Editing & Proofreading by Autonomous Proofreading

Formatting by Champagne Book Design

Cover Design by Perky Visuals

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page

Dedication

About This Book

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Dedicated to my children, who taught me to love.

Always remember, success occurs when your dreams are bigger than your excuses.

The Great War of Scientia was over.

The Dark Lord had been defeated by a lone champion.

she arose triumphant, her sword still dripping.

She stood in the middle of a bloody battlefield,

with the dead at her feet.

After the Dark Lord fell, the other protagonists celebrated their victory while their adversaries,

the antagonists skulked back to their respective genres with their tails between their legs.

The champion did not share the joy of the other protagonists. The battle had been about vengeance for her. One that she saw through to the end.

Only revenge had not tasted as sweetly as she hoped it would.

Because, unlike the others, she had witnessed what was to come and knew it was only a matter of time before someone sought the power of Scientia once more.

It was a cold October afternoon. The sky was dark with the promise of rain. The wind had picked up and was sending discarded litter into the air. Alex shivered at the bus stop, hoping the heavens wouldn’t open before he arrived at the café. He paced impatiently, trying to keep himself warm as the bus finally approached. He chose a seat and leaned close to the window. It wasn’t long before heavy rain began to fall.

He reached into his jacket pocket to ensure the small sphere object was still safely tucked inside. He couldn’t believe he had found a buyer so quickly for it. The trinket had been gathering dust for years in his Bristol home. His parents were modern-day treasure hunters. They had spent most of their lives travelling the globe, unearthing long-forgotten artefacts. They would then trade their items with museums and other dealers. Alex would occasionally accompany them. Most of the time, he was left behind.

It was inevitable that he would also grow passionate about antiquities. He vividly remembered discovering the ping-pong shaped trinket stuffed in an old wooden barrel alongside other sparkly treasures. He’d been excited to show his parents, but they had dismissed him. They were too preoccupied with their own hunt to pay attention to the unusual object he held in his hand. Feeling disheartened, he had left it. But something had drawn him back. He had placed it in his pocket for safekeeping and brought it home. For many years it had sat amongst other forgotten mementoes.

That was until he found illustrations of the sphere on a blog page run by a boy named Ryan Hassan. He had been looking for the treasure for more than a year. Alex couldn’t believe his luck. He’d searched the internet to see if there were any other potential buyers, but Ryan seemed to be the only person interested.

Alex messaged him, hoping to make a quick sale. They agreed to meet in a local café the following evening. Now that he was about to meet him, he couldn’t contain his excitement. The bus slowed to the stop closest to his destination. He politely thanked the driver and stepped off.

The streetlights looked blurry in the heavy rain. He kept his head down as he walked towards the Last-Stop Café. It wasn’t long before his trainers, faded jeans, and blue hooded jacket became soaked. He wished he’d worn something a little more appropriate. In the distance, he could see two umbrellas bobbing up and down as their owners hastily made their way home. Trade had ended for the day. The shutters had been pulled on the shop fronts, but Alex could see the bright lights of the café illuminated in a wet puddle on the pavement. He pressed his face against a cold, damp window, searching for the boy from the blog page. But all he could see was his own slim frame, unruly long brown hair, and blue eyes staring back at him. He smiled at his reflection, knowing he should visit the barbers before his parents returned from their latest adventure.

He squinted again in search of the boy, but the café was crowded. Everyone had crammed inside to escape the weather. Four girls giggled behind their milkshakes, watching him. Alex pretended he couldn’t see them. He sighed, knowing he had no choice but to go inside. He opened the door to a loud tinkling bell and scanned the room.

His senses were instantly assaulted by the strong smell of coffee and the loud clink of crockery. Finally, he spotted what he thought was Ryan tucked away in the corner, hunched over a large glass of cola. As he drew closer, the boy with olive skin and short black hair looked up at him.

‘Ryan Hassan?’ Alex asked, approaching the table.

The boy looked at him. ‘Are you Alex Bryson?’

Alex nodded, taking a chair opposite him.

‘Do you have it?’ Ryan asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

‘Yeah, of course,’ Alex leaned in close. ‘Do you have the money?’

Ryan looked around the room. ‘Yes, but we can’t do the exchange here. It’s too busy.’

Alex thought it was a little odd, but having already spent the money in his head, he was happy to oblige.

Ryan stood up, forcing his chair to scrape across the tiled floor. Everyone nearby winced at the unpleasant sound.

‘Let’s step outside,’ Ryan suggested, a dozen eyes now boring down on them.

Alex had no choice but to follow him as he walked down an alleyway that separated the café from the shops. Alex wondered why the sale couldn’t have been made inside the lovely warm café. Besides being cold and wet, they now appeared to be acting dishonestly to anyone who saw them. He tried to focus on the fact the money would soon be his.

Ryan held his hand out. ‘Let me see it.’

Alex was pleased by his eagerness but had no intention of offering the treasure until he saw the money. ‘You can have it when you pay me.’

‘I want to ensure it’s the real deal before I give you the money.’

Alex looked him over. ‘Money first, and it’s yours.’

Ryan flaunted a fat brown envelope in front of him before returning it to his pocket. ‘Let me validate its authenticity, and the money’s yours.’

Alex reluctantly pulled the sphere from inside his jacket pocket and displayed it in his hand. Ryan snatched the treasure and began inspecting it, taking particular interest in the intricately engraved symbols of the object. Alex could hear him muttering as he turned it over in his hand.

Ryan’s eyes flashed with delight. ‘Beautiful! Simply beautiful.’

Alex tapped his foot. ‘Payment, please?’

Ryan ignored him as he continued to examine the object. ‘You have no idea what you’ve found, do you?’

‘I don’t care what it is. I just want my money,’ Alex said. ‘You’ve had a chance to look at it. If you still want it, you need to pay me.’

Ryan continued to stare in awe. ‘This sphere has magical powers.’

Alex chuckled to himself. Either Ryan was a little crazy, or he was stalling.

It’s a key to another realm.

Alex was losing patience. He wasn’t interested in his delusional stories. He had owned the sphere for years. Not once in all that time had it shown itself to be magical. Alex wasn’t sure he even believed in such things. He just wanted to get his money and be on his way.

Ryan stood his ground, refusing to let the strange conversation go. ‘Let me show you.’

Alex had no choice but to stand back and watch as Ryan started to quote odd words Alex couldn’t understand. He wondered if he should cut his losses, grab his treasure and run. Before he could decide, a bright light illuminated the alley, forcing both boys to shield their eyes from its intensity. Ryan seemed ecstatic as the sphere hovered above his palm. Alex stood there with his mouth agape, wondering what was happening.

‘It works!’ Ryan was elated. ‘It is a key.’

Alex stared in silent fascination as the sphere continued to hover in mid-air.

‘Come here.’ Ryan said.

Alex remained rooted to the spot. He had no intention of getting any closer. Who knew what else it could do? He was much safer staying exactly where he was. The light was so intense, Alex felt paralysed by it. When he still hadn’t moved, Ryan reached over and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him towards the sphere.

The light consumed them both, and the alleyway became dark and empty.

Alex and Ryan hurtled through a swirling vortex of colourful twisted hues and shapes. Alex tried his best to retain the contents of his stomach. A pulling sensation seemed intent on making him vomit. He looked around for Ryan. He was experiencing the same uncomfortable sensation. One hand was grasping the sphere, the other holding his stomach. Alex wondered how much longer this was going to go on. He couldn’t take much more twisting and turning. His prayers were answered when they came to an abrupt stop. He found himself hitting the ground with a thud. Ryan followed, rolling over twice before coming to rest opposite him.

‘What a ride.’ Ryan exclaimed just before he turned his head and vomited on the ground.

Alex couldn’t believe the treasure was still in Ryan’s hand and hadn’t dislodged during impact.

He took a deep, steadying breath and got to his feet. Judging by their strange surroundings, they were no longer in Bristol. Alex had never seen anywhere like it. The sky was pink and pixelated. The place was eerily quiet, absent of wildlife and vegetation. The floor was polished clean, and smooth. He turned to look around and spotted some large monolithic stones shooting up from the ground. They were illuminated in an oceanic blue, vein-like pattern.

‘Where in hell are we?’ Alex asked.

He’d felt Ryan was going to be trouble, and he’d been right.

Ryan wasn’t listening.

He was once again staring at the sphere, turning it this way and that in his hand.

‘Ryan?’ Alex waved his hands around, trying to break him from his trance.

‘What?’ he answered, not bothering to look up at him.

With no idea where they were or why Ryan had brought him to this place, he felt desperate. Ryan’s lack of concern was enraging him further by the minute.

Alex clenched his teeth. ‘I said, where are we?’

Ryan finally looked at his surroundings, the treasure still rolling around in his palm. ‘The other side, clearly.’

Alex grew red in the face. ‘And where is that, exactly?’

‘Who cares?’ Ryan beamed. ‘The key worked. Isn’t that amazing?’

Alex was rendered speechless. Not only was he astounded by Ryan’s lack of concern for the strange world they had found themselves in, but he seemed to have no reservations about dragging him along.

Alex paced in front of him. ‘I care!’

Hearing the exasperation in his voice, Ryan finally looked up. ‘I tried to tell you before, but you wouldn’t listen. Come, sit down, and I’ll tell you everything I know.’

Begrudgingly, Alex made his way over to him and sat down. His hands fisted in his lap as he looked at Ryan and waited for an explanation.

‘I wasn’t totally honest when I said I wanted to buy the sphere from you. I brought you here under false pretences to test this bad boy out. I had no intention of paying you.’ Ryan began, displaying the sphere in his opened hand. ‘I had to know if my research was correct. And the only way to know that, with any certainty, was to put it to the test.’

Alex couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Ryan had planned to swindle him. He could feel his heart thumping erratically against his rib cage. He swallowed hard, fighting the impulse to hit him.

‘To validate the key’s authenticity, I had to use an incantation to unlock it,’ Ryan continued. ‘This spell activated a portal and brought us here. Wherever here is.’

‘You mean to tell me you don’t know where we are?’

‘No, but I am sorry I forced you to come with me.’

Alex didn’t particularly care for his apology any more than he did for Ryan’s explanation. ‘None of this makes any sense.’

‘I needed the key to see if the incantation worked, ‘Ryan said, turning to give Alex his full attention. ‘Both key and spell together, make the magic happen.’

Alex was unconvinced. ‘I don’t care about any of that. We need to go back.’

‘Back?’ Ryan glared at him. ‘Are you crazy? We’ve only just got here. Aren’t you the least bit curious what this place is?’

Ryan got to his feet and walked toward the largest stone jutting from the ground. Alex watched him for a moment before curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to join him.

‘What is it?’ Alex asked, looking up at it.

Ryan inspected it thoroughly, running his hands over the stone, feeling around for a hidden button to press.

‘I don’t know,’ Ryan confessed, scratching his chin.

Alex placed his hands on the stone, feeling all over the rough surface. He then rounded it to study the opposite side. As he did so, his hand brushed against a smooth indent. The stone gave a loud rumble. The boys jumped back.

‘Welcome to The Middle Grounds.’

A look of surprise stretched across Ryan’s face. ‘It’s a greeting.’

Alex just stared.

‘Welcome to The Middle Grounds. I have adjusted my programming to accommodate your English dialect. How may I aid you, travellers?’

The voice they had heard greeted them once more, this time from behind. They spun on their heels to find themselves face to face with an image of a robed woman. It was clear what they were looking at was a holographic representation. Her image fluctuated, and they could see straight through her.

Alex took a step back. ‘Who are you?’

‘I am Ava, founder of Scientia and The Middle Grounds.’

‘It’s a computer simulation, I think,’ Ryan said, tilting his head.

‘How do we get home?’ Alex took the opportunity to ask.

‘You cannot leave The Middle Grounds. There are no exits here.’

This was not the answer Alex wanted. ‘Why can’t we leave?’

‘This is The Middle Grounds. As I’ve already explained, there are no exits in this realm; people can only enter here.’

‘And then what? We sit around staring at these stones until we starve to death?’ Alex was losing his patience again. ‘I don’t mean to be rude, lady, but look around. There’s no food or water. We’ll die here.’

Ava clasped her hands in front of her. ‘How may I assist you?’

Alex felt like he might explode at any moment.

‘Calm down. There’s more to this than meets the eye. If this is The Middle Grounds, there must be somewhere to go on to.’ Ryan reasoned to calm him.

‘Have you made your choice?’ Ava asked.

A look of confusion passed between Alex and Ryan. They looked back at Ava, who stood in silence waiting for a response. The word choice didn’t sit well with either of them.

‘What…what choice?’ stammered Ryan.

Ava tilted her head and said. ‘The one you have selected.’

‘He means we don’t understand what the choices are.’ Alex clarified although he had an uneasy feeling that they didn’t have a choice at all.

‘You are travellers are you not?’ Ava asked. ‘Simply select the genre you require, and I shall open the portal.’

Alex was done. ‘Look, lady, the only choice I want to make is to go home. Just tell me how we do that, so we can be on our way.’

‘One moment, please,’ Ava said.

Alex was about to ask another question when she disappeared, leaving a light mist in her wake.

He turned his attention towards Ryan. ‘This is all your fault. Fix it, or by God, I’m going to make you wish you hadn’t brought me here.’

Ryan ran his hands through his hair. ‘You need to relax.’

Alex stepped towards him, giving him an incredulous look. ‘Relax?’

If only he had never seen the stupid blog, none of this would have happened. Alex was preparing to tell Ryan precisely what he thought when Ava reappeared holding a piece of parchment. She unrolled the delicate scroll and began to read.

‘Travellers are to meet in The Middle Grounds. The key to Scientia allows access to this realm. Here travellers are required to choose their next destination. A choice of genre must be offered, and access to these realms must be granted, thus allowing travellers to continue to their next destination.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Alex sighed. ‘We arrived here by accident.’

‘Impossible,’ Ava said. ‘No one can enter The Middle Grounds without a key.’

Ryan cleared his throat. ‘We found the key, Ava. We didn’t intend to come here.’

Ava didn’t try to hide her surprise.