The Book That Forces Truth
Sally entered calmly through the door, using the key the knights had given her. The mansion served as a temporary base for the mission in that region—or rather, for the entire group assigned to search for the broken sword of the hero.
She had grown familiar with the place after several assignments with them. She walked through the corridors, used to the quiet atmosphere and the echo of her footsteps on the stone floor. The walls were adorned with old tapestries, decorative armor, and banners bearing the emblems of ancient knightly orders. The mix of dust and incense in the air felt oddly comforting.
She stopped before a dark wooden door and knocked gently before entering.
"Come in," came a voice from inside.
Sally opened the door and found Adrien seated behind his desk, buried under a mountain of papers. However, what truly caught her attention were the other members of the group. Nearly everyone was present, scattered around the room with tense expressions. Luther and Arthur stood beside a man tied tightly to a chair. Both of them looked exhausted and visibly irritated.
"Oh! The lovely Sally. How's your day so far? I suppose it was ordinary… until you saw me," said Lockhart with his usual charming smile and flirtatious tone—the same one he used every time he saw Sally or Gema.
"Hello, Mr. Lockhart," Sally greeted with complete calm, as if his good looks didn't exist in her eyes. In truth, they didn't.
"You arrived just in time. We need a bit of magical help," said Gema, her voice sharp and impatient as always. Yet, upon seeing Sally, her tone softened slightly. Sally had already noticed that Gema's constant irritation worsened whenever Lockhart or Mark were nearby. Strangely, the more men were present in the room, the more annoyed Gema seemed—though no one provoked her temper quite like those two.
"Hmph. I'd like to see what she can do, if even I—the heir of Merlin—couldn't manage anything," said Mark bitterly, well aware that Gema despised him for his failure.
"Well, to be honest, mental magic isn't exactly my strongest suit," said Lockhart proudly, as if that were something to brag about. He really shouldn't have been proud of being useless.
"I'm starting to think that maybe no magic is your strong suit," replied Dorien with a calm smile, though his eyes said something else entirely.
Lockhart felt a chill run down his spine and took a step back, placing himself behind Mark, who frowned in annoyance and sighed before moving away.
"What's going on?" asked Sally, noticing the tension in the room.
"The mages brought this man," explained Luther, pointing at the bound figure. "They found him in a strange place, shouting nonsense. But the important thing is that one of the mages linked him to the disappearance of the hero's broken sword. At the site where they found him, they also discovered traces of the sword—particularly a rock."
Luther pointed toward a large stone block at the back of the room, its surface covered in cracks as if it had been broken and reassembled. At the center, there was a perfect hole.
"It was there. They brought it from that place, but there were no other clues. All we know is that the sword was embedded in that rock," Luther added. "And this man seems to know something, but…" He glanced at Arthur and nodded.
Arthur approached the old man and removed the gag from his mouth. The man immediately began to writhe, his face twisted with irrational fear—not directed at them, but at something invisible.
"No! No! Take them out! Please, take them out! It hurts! My flesh eats itself!" the old man screamed, thrashing violently. His body contorted as if being devoured from within, biting his lips and tongue until his mouth filled with blood.
Luther stepped forward and struck the back of his neck, knocking him unconscious. Arthur quickly replaced the gag, clearly for the same reason it had been there before.
"He seems to be under some kind of powerful illusion or mental magic, and neither of these two idiots can do anything about it," said Gema, shooting a sharp glare at Lockhart and Mark. Both men stayed silent, their wounded pride written on their faces.
"Illusion?" asked Sally with interest.
"Yes. Mark managed to use Legilimency for a moment and saw what the man was seeing. It seems to be a looping illusion where he's devoured by… zombies," explained Adrien, standing up from his desk. "That also prevents us from reading any of his other memories or seeing further back. Even the person who found him couldn't see more than the old man using the sword to pierce that rock."
Everyone looked at Sally with a faint glimmer of hope. Everyone except the two mages, who only wore faintly mocking expressions, as if to say that if they couldn't do it, no one could.
"Well… I've studied quite a bit about illusion magic," said Sally as she reached into the magical bag Mor had given her. From it, she pulled out a dark spellbook, immediately catching Mark's attention. He frowned at the sight of it, while Lockhart noticed his reaction and then glanced at the book with mild curiosity.
Sally opened it and began turning the pages. Some contained her handwritten notes—interpretations and adaptations of various spells—but not all were complete. Many of those spells were still beyond her reach, either too powerful or requiring special objects in addition to control over the Mist. She kept flipping until she found what she was looking for.
"Ah," she murmured, recalling it. Then she set the tome on a nearby table and drew another book from her bag.
This time, the book Sally took out was much larger, almost enormous. The pages looked old, and colored tabs protruded from its interior, carefully arranged. At first glance, it was clear that each section had been classified with precision and patience.
It was the book Morgana had given her, an exact copy of the original that contained all her studies on magic, potions, and ancient rituals. When Morgana returned, Sally had given back the original, and the witch, without hesitation, made a perfect replica for her.
Sally had spent nearly a whole month reorganizing every spell, separating them by type, effect, and complexity. She had also sorted her personal notes and corrections. The result was a perfectly structured grimoire, full of knowledge and experience. A true treasure capable of changing the magical world completely.
Seeing the book, Mark rose slowly from his seat, leaning forward to try to get a better look when Sally opened it and set it on Adrien's desk. The pages gave off a faint glow as they turned, and every time a rune appeared on the page, Mark's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
Adrien immediately noticed Mark's insistent gaze. He rose calmly, but his expression hardened as he moved to stand in front of him, blocking his view.
Mark met Adrien's eyes and, after clearing his throat, returned to his place as if nothing had happened. Still, his face betrayed a mix of frustration and interest. It was unbearable for him to be treated like a magic thief or a dangerous curiosity. He crossed his arms, feigning indifference, though it was obvious he wanted to keep watching.
Gema also moved quickly, standing up and positioning herself to block the sightlines of both Mark and Lockhart. Arthur and Luther, understanding the intent, did the same. They placed themselves strategically around Sally, forming an almost instinctive protective barrier.
Mark let out an irritated sigh, arching an eyebrow with sarcasm.
"Perfect… surrounded by paranoids," he murmured, barely audible, not daring to say it any louder.
Lockhart, watching everything with evident curiosity, understood there was something special about that book. Seeing the effort they made to protect it increased his interest. His gaze then drifted to the smaller tome Sally had left on the previous table. If Mark had reacted like that just from seeing it, and then showed such interest in the second book, it had to be truly valuable.
Meanwhile, Dorien watched him closely. Noticing Dorien's gaze, Lockhart pretended to be distracted, whistling and looking the other way. However, little by little, he began to edge closer to the dark tome Sally had left open.
"Here it is," Sally said at last, stopping at a page marked with a strange symbol. It was a spell that could be of help—or rather, the very spell that had turned the old man into a prisoner of his own mind. In that instant she understood the truth: it had probably been Mor's doing.
And if that man had freed her by accident, that would explain everything.
Of course, Sally did not intend to say so. Her priority was to help the group and honor the deal they had with the knights to recover the hero's broken sword.
"Do you have anything?" Adrien asked.
"Yes, but I need some ingredients to prepare a ritual," Sally answered. She took a sheet of paper from the desk and began to write a list with precision. The ingredients were simple; many could be found easily, and some were not even entirely magical.
"These are the ones I'm missing. I may have the others at home. My children got some while they were out playing with their aunt," she added with a small smile.
"You have children?" Lockhart asked, mixing surprise with, almost immediately, a slight look of rejection.
"Yes, two," Sally replied without making a fuss. She was used to those reactions. It wasn't the first time someone judged her for being a single mother, but there was something different about Lockhart's attitude. It wasn't disdain for her situation… it was simply that him knowing she had children made him uncomfortable.
Gema looked at him with disgust, unable to hide her scorn.
"If so, I would like to meet them sometime," Lockhart said, feigning a friendly smile. He rested a hand on the table, right beside Sally's magical tome, as if it were an innocent gesture. Or perhaps he was trying to distract everyone with his charm.
But with the knights, that kind of trick did not work. The moment his hand touched the surface of the table, everyone present looked at him instantly. Their eyes moved from Lockhart to the book and then back to Lockhart with an intensity that made the air grow heavy. Slowly, Luther's and Arthur's hands came to rest on the hilts of their swords.
Lockhart tensed as he noticed the change in atmosphere. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead.
"Oops… my apologies. I just rested my hand," he said quickly, forcing a nervous laugh. His attempt to distract had failed completely, and now his only way out was to pretend innocence.
The problem was that Sally's book was not an ordinary volume.
It was magical, and not only because of its contents. It had a will of its own, a special protection woven by the Person who had sent it. If someone touched it with ill intent, the book reacted accordingly. Only Sally and her children could handle it without risk. Even when Mor touched it once, she received a small shock as a warning. And that had been only out of curiosity.
"I'll give it to you," Lockhart said quickly, taking the book with both hands before anyone could stop him.
"Ah, no!" Sally exclaimed with a start. Her voice carried a mix of concern and urgency.
It wasn't that she had forgotten it there, nor that she didn't care. It was that, with the defenses the book had, she truly did not worry much if someone tried to take it. She only had to worry about who took it and with what intent. And judging by Lockhart's behavior, his intent was far from good.
Mark watched the scene with a mocking smile, arms crossed. He had noticed the book's magical protection and, although he didn't know exactly what kind of spell wrapped it, he understood that touching it without permission was a very bad idea.
Everyone else seemed to notice something strange at the same time. Lockhart, after taking the book, froze for a moment. Then he began to speak as if some force compelled him to say what he really thought.
"What's the matter? I'm just going to return the book to the woman with children. By the way, have I ever told you how much I hate children? They really disgust me," Lockhart said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Take your filthy book. I honestly thought I could steal it without anyone noticing, but well. Seems the eyes of these idiot knights aren't just for show. Although I managed to do it a couple of times before with some books from that stupid brat over there," he added, pointing at Mark.
Everyone stood frozen, staring at Lockhart. He continued, relentless, spilling his thoughts as if he had no filter.
"I really hate this job. If it weren't because I'm trying to steal some memories from any of your members for my book, I would have left long ago. Bastards, as soon as I get the chance I'll take everything from you and leave you so forgotten you won't even remember your own names. That bastard Dorien is a psychopath; he's always on my back, watching me. Has he fallen in love with me? Wouldn't be the first time. He's handsome, but he's not my type. I'd prefer someone else..."
Before Lockhart could continue, Sally snatched the tome from his hands and stuffed it quickly into her bag. The motion was almost instinctive, firm and without hesitation.
The lie-curse triggered by taking her book, Sally realized with a cold clarity, had worked in reverse: it forced him to tell the truth.
Lockhart stood completely petrified, sweating, while every gaze in the room fixed on him.
"I had my suspicions, but now I fully understand your behavior," Dorien said softly, drawing his sword with a slow, deliberate movement. It was clear he had noticed odd details in Lockhart before; now everything made sense. A heavy silence fell over the chamber, as if death itself had entered the room.
The friendly expression Dorien usually wore changed to a cold, emotionless stare. Lockhart tried to say something, but he could not; the knight's presence overwhelmed him. Even those nearby felt a pressure in their chests, an instinctive tightening of the air as if an invisible killer surrounded them.
"I... I... you are mistaken, no... I..." Lockhart stammered, attempting to patch together his lie, but each word grew harder as Dorien advanced with steady steps.
"I put my life at risk many times to save you, thinking that, even if you were an idiot, you would be one of ours," Dorien said sternly. "I protect every member as if they were my own life. And I would do everything to avenge anyone who is harmed. But a traitor..." His look locked on Lockhart with a promise that needed no full sentence.
Adrien, sensing the situation could turn brutal, intervened in a tense voice. "Come on, Sally. Let's gather the ingredients. We might have them all at the main base." He gestured, urging Sally to leave; it wasn't wise to remain and watch what might become an execution or an irreparable split in the team.
"I'll go with you," Gema said, standing with resolve. The three of them left the room, leaving Lockhart trapped before the worst person he could have offended.
As they walked away, everyone thought about how close Lockhart's plan had come to succeeding: if his attempt to steal memories had worked, he might have gained fame with a revealing book. He could even have targeted someone powerful—perhaps Dorien himself. But a small detail, a protection or an instinctive reaction, had changed the course of events. A tiny change, Sally murmured under her breath, can have enormous repercussions in the future.