Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Ananke glides through the viscous blue slime with practised ease, her strokes cutting through the thick substance that once felt like liquid quicksand trying to drown her. Her breathing remains steady and controlled as she completes another lap of the tank, her movements fluid and confident. Above her, Chronomancer Waldlaub hovers at the edge, her green hair catching the crystal light from the chamber's illumination.

“Let's go, apprentice!” the fairy snaps with characteristic intensity. “Ten more laps!”

Ananke doesn't even struggle against the slime anymore. What once seemed like an impossible ordeal has become merely another part of her routine. Her body has adapted to the resistance, her muscles strengthened by weeks of fighting against the substance that clings to her with persistent hunger. She can hold her breath for minutes now, her endurance built through repetition and determination and a little localised time-trickery within her own body.

From the doorway, the Humming Man watches with obvious pride, his usual humming quieter than normal as he observes his apprentice's progress. The transformation from the desperate girl who could barely manage thirty seconds in the tank to this confident swimmer fills him with something approaching paternal satisfaction.

image [https://i.imgur.com/pUoDcs0.png]

Ananke sits at her desk in the sterile classroom, her posture straight and attentive as the Humming Man opens the door, staring inside curiously. Chronomancer Jandal paces before the blackboard with his characteristic rigid precision, his tall elven frame casting long shadows across the teaching materials.

“What was the capital of the failed nation state of Disimbe?” the instructor asks, studying her with those stern eyes that seem to find fault with every response.

Ananke lifts her hand, but instead of speaking aloud, she holds up a piece of paper where she has already written the correct answer in neat script. Her preparation has become flawless, anticipating every question before it's asked.

The elven man's stern expression melts into genuine approval. “Very good!” he proclaims with unexpected happiness, whipping his pointer into his own hand and nodding proudly at her progress. “You're quite the intelligent student. We'll finish our curriculum years faster than some other pupils I've had.” His pointed gaze shifts toward the Humming Man, who slowly backs out of the doorway with what might be embarrassment.

image [https://i.imgur.com/pUoDcs0.png]

The Humming Man peers into the combat training chamber just as an explosion rattles throughout the tower. Ananke moves inside with deadly grace, facing off against the manticore that Chronomancer Richter has summoned from the past. But she no longer scrambles in panic. Instead, she dodges with fluid precision, pausing and stopping time in small pockets around herself, creating the visual effect of warping from spot to spot while leaving a trail of blue shimmering distortions in her wake.

The manticore grows increasingly frustrated as it tries to track her impossible movements. In its confusion, the creature becomes tangled in its own attack patterns, ultimately driving its scorpion tail into its own flank as Ananke appears behind Chronomancer Richter, who hadn't anticipated such sophisticated manoeuvring.

The pale-faced man stares in amazement as the monster collapses, defeated by its own misdirected fury.

“Impressive, Apprentice Ananke,” he says after a moment of awe passes and he regains his composure. “Fascinating technique. A few more years of development and you'll provide genuine competition for my abilities.” He's not too proud to acknowledge her growing skill. Looking up at the doorway, he notices the Humming Man observing. “You chose your latest apprentice exceptionally well, Humboldt. Much better than I did with my previous selection.”

The Humming Man, who was that aforementioned poorly chosen apprentice years ago, sighs deeply and closes the door.

image [https://i.imgur.com/pUoDcs0.png]

The Humming Man walks down one of the Crux's endless corridors when he hears a familiar voice. “Hold on, Marshal,” Ananke says as she walks alongside a group of Minutemen, helping them organise stacks of administrative documents. “You're telling me he didn't complete form seventeen, section A-fourteen, in duplicate? The instructions are right there!”

“Exactly!” Marshal agrees, the group of office workers laughing among themselves as if Ananke were a long-time colleague rather than a newcomer.

The Minutemen usually maintain professional distance from the actual chronomancers, but Ananke has won their affection and become beloved on every floor of the tower.

“Hi Master!” Ananke calls out cheerfully, beaming at him as the group passes him by, her arms full of paperwork she’s helping out with for no reason other than she wants to and her face bright with genuine happiness.

The Humming Man stands there afterward, rubbing the bridge of his nose in a mixture of pride and bewilderment.

image [https://i.imgur.com/pUoDcs0.png]

Ananke lies on her bed in comfortable pyjamas, her shirt rucked up as she lazily scratches her stomach with a heavily bandaged hand and yawns loudly, shifting her vaguely crustacean posture into something less human and more comfortable. Larry is present in the room, draped dramatically over a chair while reading what appears to be a children's picture book with exaggerated concentration.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Suddenly, the door bursts open without warning. Ananke lets out a shrill cry of surprise while Larry fumbles the book, tumbling out of the chair in an ungraceful heap. “Apprentice!” the Humming Man snaps with unusual sternness. “You can't just -”

“KNOCK!” Ananke yells in indignant protest, grabbing a blanket and hurling it across the room to cover his face while she scrambles behind a decorative screen beside her wardrobe.

“I… yes. My sincere apologies,” the Humming Man says, turning to face the door rather than risk seeing anything inappropriate. “But you should be properly dressed at this hour, which is precisely why I'm here. You cannot have your temporal duplicates attend all of your lessons for you, Ananke.”

“Huh? Why not?!” Ananke asks from behind the screen, pulling her apprentice robe on over her sleepwear.

“May I turn around?” he asks cautiously.

“You can look at me instead,” Larry suggests with obvious flirtation, creeping up to his side and grasping his arm possessively.

“I'm learning everything I need to learn,” Ananke protests, emerging properly clothed.

“Oh, certainly,” he replies with heavy sarcasm, examining the collection of absurd items Larry has brought for their supposed lesson. “I can clearly see the educational value.” He picks up a juggling pin with obvious scepticism, turning his head to give Larry a serious look.

“Hey, I taught her tightrope walking and that saved our lives, remember?” Larry remarks, raising her hands in playful surrender.

“Everything my duplicates experience, I absorb when we reunite,” Ananke explains matter-of-factly. “Right now, the Minutemen on floor nine are complaining that you filed your paperwork incorrectly again this week, Master. They're adding the final page of your report to their pinboard of shame. And I just completed my lessons with Richter, who taught me superior methods for controlling my time-stopping technique.”

“Their what pinboard?” he asks, then quickly shakes his head. “No, never mind that.” He sighs deeply, casting his hands out to his sides as if pressing something back down. “I simply think this isn't healthy. You, as in you-you, haven't left the tower in weeks. Not since we returned from Skrosocivo.” He surveys her room with growing concern, his face wrinkling. “…And the proof of that is the miasma in this room.” He moves to the windows, tearing open the closed curtains to allow fresh air to circulate in the room.

“You can tell he’s never been in a girl’s room before,” jokes Larry, pointing at him with her thumb.

Ananke's face lights up with sudden excitement as she does her best not to laugh. “So we have a new mission?!”

“I, er, no,” her master replies. “The rest of the twelve are hesitant for us to continue your field training until the matter of the Witching Hour’s interest in you has been more clearly understood.”

Ananke's expression falls, and she turns away with obvious disappointment. “Then where exactly am I supposed to go?” she mutters.

“Bumble, do you even understand what you're complaining about?” Larry asks, studying the Humming Man with pointed curiosity as she walks toward him.

The Humming Man rubs his forehead, looking between the two of them with visible internal conflict. After a moment of tense silence, he sighs in surrender. “No. I suppose I don't have a clear understanding of my concerns,” he admits. Looking at Ananke directly, he continues, “I am simply worrying, I think. This situation is very unusual, even by my standards.”

“Hey, did you ever worry about me when I was your apprentice?” Larry asks eagerly, leaning closer to him with clasped hands and a hopeful expression.

He places a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Unfortunately, Larry, I had to accept that you were a lost cause from the very beginning,” he replies with dry humour.

Larry reacts with theatrical devastation, clutching her heart and falling to her knees with exaggerated agony. “…He loves you more than me,” Larry says, glaring at Ananke from the corner of her eyes with mock malice. “I'll get you for this.” She points accusingly at Ananke, who lets out a startled yelp. Before Ananke can react, Larry has warped behind her, pressing her fingers into Ananke's stomach and sides in a merciless attack.

“No! No, stop!” Ananke laughs helplessly. “You can have him. He's yours!”

A second later, Larry warps away, reappearing beside the Humming Man. The two stare at each other as Larry's grin widens and she tilts her head, leaning closer to him with obviously overplayed romantic intent.

The room falls quiet as Ananke sits upright, catching her breath and trying to regain her composure.

“…Anyway,” the Humming Man says, pointedly ignoring Larry, who is now breathing down his neck. “How about I take you outside into the city? Just to experience the world a little and get some fresh air. It will do you some good.”

“I'd absolutely love to!” Larry replies immediately, grabbing his arm and clinging to it as she invites herself.

Ananke sits up and considers the suggestion. Actually, that does sound appealing. After everything that happened in Skrosocivo, she has been isolating herself too much. “Yeah, I'd like that,” she agrees enthusiastically, then remembers something important. “Master, is there any news about what happened? About the Witching Hour?”

“No,” her master replies, heading toward the door with Larry attached to his side. “But they have a way of appearing when you least expect them to.” He opens the door. “Get ready. I'll be waiting outside.”

“Ah, Master, wait!” Ananke calls after him. “I know… uh,” she fumbles, her words becoming uncertain. “Can I -” she begins sheepishly, suddenly stuttering.

“Yes?” he asks, raising an eyebrow with patient curiosity as he looks back over his shoulder.

“May I please have some spending money?” she asks, widening her eyes as much as possible while pressing the tips of her fingers together in the most pitiful gesture she can manage.

“I believe I mentioned during my initial recruitment offer that this apprenticeship is unpaid,” he notes with matter-of-fact finality.

“Please?” she asks hopefully.

“No,” he reaffirms without wavering.

“Please?” Ananke pleads again, clasping her hands together and allowing her lower lip to tremble just slightly.

“Try asking Richter,” Larry suggests helpfully. “He used to pay me so I would assist him with this and that.”

The Humming Man turns to stare at Larry in shock. “He did what?!” Larry nods. After clearing his throat, he continues. “Well, I suppose that… Very well. If you attend all of your lessons personally from this month, without using temporal duplicates, I will consider providing a humble stipend for any additional living expenses you might have.”

“Deal!” Ananke accepts immediately, recognising that he would have remained resolute if not for the fact that he's simply jealous that another chronomancer had been providing for his previous apprentice under his nose. “Thank you, Master.”

“Wait, wait,” Larry protests indignantly. “I never received an allowance.”

“Times change, Larry,” the Humming Man says, closing the door behind them as they exit.

Ananke smiles happily and hurries to get properly dressed for their outing.