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They left the Library through the QuinMillennial wing. “Even this most modern part of the Library echoes the earlier parts,” Janara said.

“Building on what came before,” Olivia commented.

“Like everything else. But what led you to seek out this Freya, really?”

“I had heard about her.”

“You said that,” Janara pointed out.

“Right. I thought a synesthete would have an advantage I wouldn’t.”

“That makes sense. But they also said she has ADHD.”

“That also means that she can think outside the box easily,” Olivia responded.

“That’s true.”


They arrived at Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall fifteen minutes later, and saw that it was more prestigious than Janus Hadrian Lodge, but that wasn’t saying much.


“Freya Andersson? I think she is in one of the common rooms,” the other student said.

“Thanks,” Olivia said.


Freya had made a tactile version of her sketch of the area where the manuscript had been. She then heard two people enter the common room. “Hi!” she said.

“Freya?” she heard someone say.

“Olivia?” she asked.

“Yes, and my roommate Janara.”

“Hi.”


“I have put together what I have found so far, although I still need to think more on it,” Freya said as she stood up, while holding the pieces of paper she had been working on, although she kept her eyes closed.

Olivia looked at it. She saw that Freya had accurately depicted the layout of that small area of the Library. But there was more. “So, what are these other lines? The synesthetic impression?”

“Yes,” Freya answered as she ran her fingers lightly over some of the lines. “It’s not only flair.”


Olivia looked at the lines again. There was a pattern there, but she wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Mind if I take a photo of it?” she asked.

“Not at all,” Freya responded.

“You’ve noticed something?” Janara asked.

“Something I have to think about,” Olivia answered as she took the photo with her tablet.

“Same here,” Freya added.

“But what have you found?”

“The obfuscation,” Freya said as she grabbed a loose piece of paper and a piece of charcoal. She then sketched something with the charcoal.

“Someone knew what they were doing,” Olivia said a she made a recording on her tablet.

“Had they brought in the forensics department yet?” Freya asked as she continued to sketch.

“They hadn’t,” Olivia answered.

“Then that’s what we’ll check up on first thing in the morning, as soon as the Library opens,” Freya said.

“And when does it open?” Janara asked. “I haven’t checked that.”

“Around 8:00 in the morning, I’m sure of it,” Olivia said. “I did look up the opening times. 8:00 to 11:00.”

“That will work. I can get up early,” Freya said.

“I can do that too,” Janara said.


Olivia looked at the photo of the sketch again as she and Janara stepped out of the northern door of Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall. “There’s a pattern to this obfuscation,” she commented.

“Or maybe it’s Freya’s artistic flare.”

“Or maybe it isn’t. That’s why I sought her out. Her synaesthesia allowed her to notice some things.”

“But are you sure you can make something of her synesthetic impression?” Janara asked.

“Yes, even if not right away.”

“So, we’re going back to the Library?”

“I’ll have another look before going back to the Hall,” Olivia said.

“I’ll come too.”


It was already getting late as they arrived back at the Library. The evening crowd of students using the various study nooks were already there. But Olivia had already determined that the Ancient Section didn’t have many of those.

Talia and David were still there, and there were are few others there too.

“You talked to Freya?” Talia asked.

“We did,” Olivia answered. “But she’s still figuring it out.”

“She did another sketch though,” Janara said.

Talia looked at the photo on Olivia’s tablet. “I still can’t make any sense of her synesthetic impression.

“I’m thinking about it,” Olivia said. “There is a pattern to the obfuscation. But I will have to have a closer look.”

“I have some programs that can analyse images,” Janara said.

“That will be helpful,” Talia said.


One of the forensics techs came over. “Inconclusive. There were no prints,” he said.

“No fingerprints?” Olivia asked herself rhetorically. “If they were prepared to obfuscate, that would be obvious.”

“Talia told us of what the art student found.”

“What’s your opinion?”

“Whoever it was definitely moved things around,” the tech said.

“She drew a sketch, but she hasn’t interpreted it yet.”

“Do you have a copy?”

“Yes,” Olivia answered. “I’ll get a print copy soon.”


Dana entered the common room where Freya was sketching. “I heard about the missing manuscript,” she said.

Freya stood up, with her back to the setting sun and squinting. “It’s an interesting puzzle,” she said with her usual energetic manner.

“Is that all?”

“It’s that Olivia sought me out for it.”

“Oh?” Dana asked.

“It means that news of me, not by name, but by description, has spread through AAUA.”

“Does that bother you?”

“A little,” Freya admitted. “If Olivia can seek me out, anyone could.”

Dana looked Freya in the eyes. “I wouldn’t worry too much.”

“Easy for you to say,” Freya responded. She closed her eyes and spun around. “But I won’t dwell on it.” She opened her eyes and looked into Dana’s with determination. “Wait.”


Freya then turned again and picked up the sketch.

“You have come up with something?”

“Yes,” Freya answered with a slight bounced. The obfuscations are in some kind of pattern, like a code.

“A code?”

“But I don’t have experience with cryptography.”

“Maybe someone else does,” Dana suggested.

Freya wrote down what she had just said in her notebook. “I’ll find Olivia and Janara in the morning. Maybe they would know what to do.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“But for tonight, it can wait.”

Freya first looked at the place the manuscript had been. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. The shelf looked ordinary and the neighbouring manuscripts were mostly undisturbed. “There are no scratches on the shelf, and there isn’t a pattern in how the other manuscripts were disturbed. It seems that whoever it was knew what they were looking for and weren’t in a rush.”

“That’s what I thought,” Talia said.

“Anyone could have seen that,” Xenia said.

“Yes, but I’ve barely started,” Freya said energetically as she bounced up and down a little. She hummed to herself as a grounding exercise, then closed her eyes and ran her hands over where the manuscript had been.


Talia waited as Freya examined the shelf by touch while humming an Auroric tune to herself. ‘She’s obviously from one of those regions.’

“Something is off,” Freya commented.

“What do you think it is?” Xenia asked.

“There’s a subtle texture here,” Freya answered. “It’s like someone put something here temporarily while they were grabbing the manuscript. I think it would be a good idea to have the shelf examined by someone from the Forensics department.”

“I was thinking about that already,” Talia said.

“We’re going back now?” Xenia asked.

“Not yet,” Freya responded. “It might be hidden somewhere nearby.”

“We already searched,” Talia said.

Freya turned in Talia’s direction. “I’d still like to check.”

“Go ahead.”


Xenia watched as Freya went over the various shelves. “You didn’t expect something like this, didn’t you?” she asked Talia.

“No. It was Olivia who suggested bringing Freya in.”

“So, she went to class?”

“She did,” Talia answered.

“I guess she wanted to bring Freya in so that it would be found quicker.”

“She went to find her because she thought she could help, and so Freya has.”

“True.”


Freya could tell some things; that whoever had taken the manuscript had moved things slightly on many of the shelves. ‘Maybe they had heard of me too,’ she considered. ‘That having heard of a synaesthete they decided to try some obfuscation.’

“Problem?” Talia asked.

“Some obfuscation. You say nothing else is missing?”

“Yes. The manuscript is the only thing missing.”

“They probably wanted people think they wanted to get other things, but the manuscript is the one thing they took,” Freya said. She then opened her eyes and took out a sketchbook.

“What are you doing?” Talia asked.

“She also has ADHD,” Xenia said. “Sketching helps her focus.”

“Thanks, Xenia,” Freya said as she looked up. “This helps me process things.”


They waited as Freya sketched. “I have made a rough sketch of the room and marked where the manuscript was and the disturbances.”

“I see you have added some flare,” Talia said.

“How could I not?” Freya responded. “Usually where something crosses the senses.’

“A synesthetic impression?” Talia asked.

Freya nodded.

“So, does it help us know where the manuscript was taken.”

“Not at present. I will need to talk to Olivia. She must have done her own investigating before seeking me out.”

“Not really, she just suggested finding you,” Talia said.

“Oh,” Freya responded. “I’ll try to write down what I think, but I’m sure I’ll get distracted.”


It was barely a minute later, when Freya jumped up in frustration. “I can’t do it! I keep thinking about other things, like the Renaissance mystery I found last week.”

“What was that?” Xenia asked.

“Missing artworks, and artists who mysteriously stopped working,” Freya answered.

“I have heard about missing artworks, and one or two artists that seemed to have stopped working,” Xenia said.

“It’s more than two,” Freya responded.

“That’s worse than I thought,” Xenia said.

Freya turned to Talia. “I can’t do much more now, so I’ll return to the art studio for now.”

“Thanks for your help,” Talia said.

“If Olivia comes back, tell her I’m at Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall.”


Half an hour later, Olivia came out of the Archaeology class and headed back towards the Library. She took out her tablet as she walked along one of the elevated walkways. ‘Just as well it’s a cloudy day,’ she thought as she unlocked it with her thumb print. She selected her trusty dictation app. “Message for Janara: Meet me in the Ancient Section of the Library, near the Geography area.”

Message sent.


She entered the area to find Talia, and a few others there.

“Olivia!” Talia said. “Freya has been and gone.”

“Oh! But did she find anything?”

“She did.”

“Oh, what was it that she found?” Olivia asked.

Talia then explained.


Olivia then thought about what Freya had found as she also looked around the area. She couldn’t tell anything. “I guess I would have to go to Freya and talk. Where would she be?”

“She said that she’s staying at Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall.”

“One of the eastern dormitories,” Olivia considered.

“That’s right.”

“I’ll wait for my roommate and then we’ll probably go there, that is if she isn’t in class.”


It wasn’t long before Janara arrived. “What is up?” she asked.

Olivia then explained.

“We better get to Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall then,” Janara said when her roommate was finished.

Monday, September 9, 2024
After a couple of classes, Olivia Marcus was back in the Nordic Section of the Main Library. She had taken a break over Sunday, talking with Janara as she gamed and listening to various audiobooks. She was into a book on the situation in Urbs Aeterna in the decades leading up to the Capture when she heard something in the distance.

“What was that?” She looked around and saw a couple of people arguing near one of the doorways between the Nordic Section and the Ancient Section.

“Something’s happening,” she murmured.


She went up to the two. “What’s happening?” she asked.

One of the two was an assistant she had seen the previous week. “Something is missing,” he answered.

“Missing?” she asked.

The, other, an older lady, answered. “A manuscript that was supposed to be written before 1000 BC is missing.”

“How could something like that go missing?” Olivia asked.

“We have no idea,” the older lady answered.

“It could be an inside job,” the assistant, David, said.

“That’s not possible!” the older librarian said. “Those stories of secret societies within AAUA are just that, stories.”

“But still, it’s missing, right?” Olivia said.

“Yes. The Head Librarian noticed that it was missing this morning,” David said.

“Should we be telling her?” the other librarian asked.

“She wanted to know,” David said.

“I guess,” the other said.

“Olivia, and I met David last week.”

“You can call me Talia.”

“Talia,” Olivia considered. “Can I have a look at where it was?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Olivia,” Talia said.

“I may be able to help. I have a way of noticing things,” Olivia said.

“At least we should give it a try,” David said.

“Fine!”


The trio went into the Ancient Section. The manuscript was stored in a nook on the second floor not far from the Geography Section. The ancient stone walls were more rough, as though the nook was an afterthought for the original builders over two or three millennia before.

“It was here,” David said as he pointed to a spot on a shelf.

Olivia looked at the shelf. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There was the stand the manuscript had been on, and other manuscripts on the shelf and on the shelves above and below it. She recognised the patterns of the script as the pre-Roman Auroralic Script, even if the dyslexia made her unable to see the individual letters. “Sorry. But maybe some other new student could.”

“What do you mean?” Talia asked.

“I haven’t met her, but I heard that there is an artistic synesthete somewhere,” Olivia said. ‘It is just a rumor, but if they are actually at AAUA, they can help,’ she thought.

“Synaesthesia,” Talia considered. “Are you saying that they might pick up something?”

Olivia shrugged. “It may be possible.”

“Then go, try to find her, while we continue looking,” David said.


In the Art Department, Freya Andersson looked around the First Year Art Studio. The space was half filled with other art students, many of whom were dressed colourfully in different ways. ‘That’s to be expected,’ she thought before she turned back to her current project. She then closed her eyes as she painted by touch. ‘Something abstract, about new beginnings, given that I am now here, at AAUA.’


It didn’t take Olivia long to get to the Art Department. She found herself feeling out of place amongst the students who expressed themselves in the way they dressed as well as their unconventional hair colours. But at least there weren’t all that many of them. She looked at the directory, which was quite easy to read. “First Year Art Studio, up ahead.”

But when she got there, she saw that there were a large number of students. ‘Ugh!’ she thought as her heart beat faster.

“May I help you?” a student with short electric blue hair asked.

“I was looking for someone.”

“What is her name?”

“I haven’t heard her name,” Olivia admitted. “Just that I heard that there is an outgoing creative synesthete.”

“Oh, you must mean Freya; she has made quite a splash already.”

“Freya,” Olivia considered. “Could you get her?”

“She’s just in there, somewhere.”

“There’s too many people.”


Xenia saw that this dark haired student was anxious. “I’ll find Freya for you.”

“Thanks.”


“Freya!”

Freya paused her painting, turned and opened her eyes. “Yes, Xenia?”

“There is someone asking for you.”

“Who is it?”

“She didn’t give her name,” Xenia admitted. “But it must be important.”

Freya considered her response. “She can come here and ask me,” she said.

“But it seems that she’s overwhelmed by the number of people in here.”

“Oh,” Freya, said as she looked around. ‘There are a lot of people here,’ she thought. All the colours of the artworks in progress and their clothing were a little overwhelming for her. “Lead the way.”


Olivia didn’t have to wait long. Even so, she closed her eyes as she waited.

“Here she is,” the blue haired girl said.

She opened her eyes and saw a pink haired girl with her own eyes closed. ‘Is it the same one who helped me with that map?’ she wondered. “I’m Olivia.”

“Freya,” the pink haired girl said. “So, what is it you want help with?”

Olivia then explained about the missing manuscript.


Freya had to admit, she was interested in trying to find that manuscript, but she wanted to finish what she was working on first. “I’ll help,” she said.

“You will?” Olivia asked.

“You will? Xenia repeated.

“But I will finish what I was working on first,” Freya said.

“Oh,” Olivia said.

“It should be less than an hour,” Freya added.

“I can wait,” Olivia said.

“You don’t have to,” Freya said.

“I’ll go back to the Library, and say that you’re coming,” Olivia said.


“Are you sure?” Xenia asked after Olivia had gone.

“Yes,” Freya answered. “It is interesting. And It’s another way I can challenge myself. I’d like to see if I can solve this mystery.”

“It’s the pushing your boundaries thing, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely!” Freya said as she bounced up and down.

Xenia sighed. “I see that you’re excited.”

“Of course,” Freya said as she rushed back to her painting.


Olivia returned to the Ancient Section. “You didn’t find her?” David asked.

“I did,” Olivia responded. “She was busy working on something, but she will be here soon.”

“Got it,” David said. “Talia has continued to look, to see if it has been misplaced.”

“I’ll go and help,” She said.

“Sure.”


Talia was looking in other nooks nearby. “It’s looking like it has definitely has been taken,” she said when she saw Olivia coming.

“I’ll help.”

“What about the synesthete?”

“She’s coming,” Olivia said. “But I have another class soon.”


Freya and Xenia entered the Ancient Section from the Early Roman section. “Are you sure the directions are accurate? This Library is like a maze,” Xenia said.

“I was here last week,” Freya said. “Looking up a lake that no longer exists.”

“Where was it.”

“Upstream of Urbs Aeterna, along the Aterana River.”

“The Aterana River, Aurora’s center of population,” Xenia stated.

“I’m sure it’s further south,” Freya said as they came up to the Geography Section.

“Wait, it’s the center of population of the Northern Provinces,” Xenia clarified.

“I guess so,” Freya said as she looked around.


“Is one of you Freya?” an older lady asked.

“I’m Freya and this is Xenia. Where’s Olivia?”

“She had to go to class,” the older lady answered. “You can call me Talia.”

“OK, show me where this manuscript was taken from,” Freya said after a few moments thought.

“Right this way.”

Monday, September 2nd, 2024
Freya Andersson and Olivia Marcus arrive at Academia d’Aeterna Universitas d’Aurora. Olivia meets Janara as her roommate.

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024
Freya and Olivia investigate the Main Library for the first time. They cross paths briefly.

Wednesday, September 4th, 2024
The Orientation Treasure Hunt.

Thursday, September 5th, 2024
Classes start. Freya meets Alexia, and Olivia meets Flavia.

Friday, September 6th, 2024
Janara learns that Olivia is experiencing insomnia. Olivia starts swimming again at the University’s Aquatic Center. Alexia learns that Freya is into athletics.

Saturday, September 7th, 2024
Olivia spends most of the day in the Library, as well as some time at the Aquatic Center. Freya sketches and bonds more with other residents of Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall.

Saturday, September 7, 2024
Freya sketched the view from the balcony near her room shortly after breakfast. “What secrets are hiding?” she asked herself. “Somehow, I know I’m going to be involved in some things.”

“Talking to yourself, Freya?” Dana asked as she came up to her from the building.

“Oh, trying to make sense of some things.”

“What are those, the missing artworks?”

“Yes, but not that just. That they haven’t been found, like in private collections, or having been smuggled out of Aurora…” Freya answered.

“Have any been found?”

“Not as far as I know, but I could look it up,” Freya responded before taking out her tablet.

“You don’t have to right now.”

“I guess not.”

“But what else are you doing today?” Dana asked.

“Staying here in the Hall. I’ll be spending time with others here, especially other freshmen, later, so I’ll get to know them better and vice-versa. I have been mostly hanging out with you.”

“That’s a good idea. I know there will be a movie night in the Main Common Room tonight.”

“What sort of movie?” Freya asked.

“I think they were talking about a romance set in the South in the late 17th Century.”

“I’ll think about it,” Freya considered with a smile.


At the same time, Olivia returned from breakfast to find Olivia playing one of her games. “Which game is that?” she asked.

“Imperial Ages, it’s real time strategy. I was inspired by what you have been talking about to play this particular campaign.”

“How so?”

“Aurora is one of the playable civilisations and this is set during the Nordic Era,” Janara said

“That’s interesting.”

“There are many other campaigns, mostly in the Roman Era.”

“I suppose I could look into it, at some point,” Olivia said.

“Or you could watch let’s plays on VideoSpace.”

“Would there be any in Auroran?”

“Of course. Aurora’s gaming community is quite large for its population,” Janara answered.

“Got it. I’m heading to the Library again.”

“Already?”

“It may be early, but there is a lot to find,” Olivia said.

Janara turned to her. “Just don’t wear yourself out, OK?”

“I will take breaks,” Olivia said in a reassuring tone. “And I will be at the pool again later.”

“That’s good. I’ll see you at dinner then?”

“Yes.”


Freya entered a common room shortly before Eleven. She saw that there were other first year students there, chatting away.

“Freya!”

“Daniela!”

“How did the first lectures go?” Daniela asked.

“Quite well. The lecturer’s are quite supportive…” Freya began.

“That’s very good.”

“And they have experience with neurodivergent students,” Freya said with excitement, bouncing up and down.


Daniela could tell that Freya was exited to tell her that. “I guess so. I looked into it after the treasure hunt.”

“Yes, the University’s web pages are very informative, although I had only skimmed them.”

“Very boring?”

“Yes, they couldn’t hold my attention. Maybe that’s something I could bring up,” Freya said in a thoughtful tone.

“It’s probably a good idea.”


‘Sometime on Monday,’ Freya thought. “I will do it.”

“What else is new?”

“I signed up for athletics and football.”

“Somehow, after Wednesday, I knew that you would be into sports,” Daniela commented.

“I guess I give off that energy.”

“What else did you do?”

“And I also looked at the art gallery with one of my classmates,” Freya answered. “But only a small portion of it as it became overwhelming.”

Daniela nodded.

“And I did more sketching.”

“You do that a lot?”

“It helps me focus and also calms me when I’m particularly energetic,” Freya answered.

“It’s good that you found something that helps you.”


It was a quiet day in the Library. Olivia had been researching slowly as usual. ‘Maybe I need to look further afield. Urbs Aeterna is important, but every part of Aurora has it’s own stories.’ She shook her head. ‘Not yet. Urbs Aeterna first, although it was one of the last major cities to fall to the Vikings.’ She stood up and looked around that floor of the Nordic Section. There were hardly any other students there. ‘Maybe that pink girl?’ she wondered. ‘But it’s not likely she would be here today either. But I’ll keep an eye out for her next week.’
She turned back to her notes.

Urbs Aeterna fell in 943, well over a century after the Viking conquests began.

‘Well, it had already fallen to the Romans. I’m certain that lessons were learned from the beginning and end of the Roman period.’

Note: Check records from AD 96 and 436.

‘Not too much at once,’ she thought. ‘But I will have a look at a book that covers the entire Roman Era at some point today.’

( 27th )

Total: 522

23rd

Excerpt from: The Youngest Barksdale
“Then let’s find her,” Daria suggested.

“OK,” Quinn said.

“But we have to be quick. She leaves rather quickly when school lets out,” Sandi said.

“Got it.”


They quickly walked out of the school to the front entrance.

They looked around, but they didn’t see Tori. “So, she’s blonde, right?” Daria asked.

“Yes,” Quinn answered.

“To her shoulders, usually worn loose,” Stacy added.

Words: 63


Excerpt from: Mysteries of Aurora
“That’s interesting.”

“There are many other campaigns, mostly in the Roman Era.”

“I suppose I could look into it, at some point,” Olivia said.

“Or you could watch let’s plays on VideoSpace.”

“Would there be any in Auroran?”

“Of course. Aurora’s gaming community is quite large for it’s population,” Janara answered.

“Got it. I’m heading to the Library again.”

“Already?”

“It may be early, but there is a lot to find,” Olivia said.

Janara turned to her. “Just don’t wear yourself out, OK?”

Words: 83


Excerpt from: Spider Quinn
SpiderGirl waited near Osborn’s room after reassuring Harry again. She had considered webbing up the corridor, but decided that wouldn’t be a good idea, given that it would take time for the cleaning staff to deal with. Soon, there was an echo as William slammed open the fire doors at the end.

“SpiderGirl!” he called out.

SpiderGirl could see that he was beginning to revert, but he was still mostly in his altered form. “William! I can’t let you hurt Osborn!”

“What? So his son won’t be an orphan?”

“That’s part of it! The other is that there are certainly others in Oscorp who are more responsible than he is.”

“But I don’t know who they are,” William said.

“I repeat what I said!” SpiderGirl stated as she saw the tell tale purple glow of the Enigma’s powers appear at the door behind William.

William continued running towards SpiderGirl.


Dafoanairi followed the Enigma into the corridor and saw SpiderGirl trying to keep William from entering a room. “Fire some warning shots over his head, but not near SpiderGirl,” she said.

“I suppose,” the Enigma said. “Low intensity,” she added as she pointed above William and then fired.


SpiderGirl saw the small projection fly over William’s head. “See, the fourth vigilante is here too, give up!”

“No!” William cried out.

SpiderGirl blocked the doorway.

“No!” William cried out again and tried to get past her. But he found that he couldn’t move.


The Enigma was trying to hold him in place telekinetically. “This is very difficult,” she said.

Words: 257


Total: 403

( 20th )

Total: 512