(Amaia)

The silence that follows is uncomfortable. Both of them appear to be lost in their own bubbles.

While Alnitak only makes paper shapes out of the papers instead of helping arrange them in their respective files, Rigel helps. His hands move with precision, and every now and then, he casts me a look of pure yearning.

Hours go by when the woman we met at the entrance approaches us.

"Peeps that’s enough. Go have your lunch now and don’t fight," she states, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Finally! I am so bored." Alnitak picks up one of the papers he has folded into a bird and throws it across the room. It glides over like a real bird and the woman shakes her head at him.

"You know how important these papers are to me, Ali."

Alnitak sheepishly smiles at her.

"Before you go. Saiph had asked me to give each one of you a charmed weapon. Since you people are learning about Chitterings."

"I already have one," I tell her while getting up, relieved to leave.

She smiles at me, a knowing smile. "Just choose a paper from the clutter. You can choose any paper which attracts you."

I wonder how that works. Rigel walks over and stands at a distance, watching. Alnitak leans in, observing which colour I will choose.

My fingers hover over different colours, silver, blue, red, violet...

Violet always fascinates me, so I grasp a violet paper and hold it out for her.

Her smile widens.

"Shake it three times and see what it shows," she asks and I do as told.

Slowly, the words appear in the centre of the paper.

’Dagger.’

She leans in and takes the paper from me.

"A very smart choice. Easier to carry with and without a heavy weapon. Can be hidden too and once perfected, nothing can beat its precision," she announces, a tad proudly.

We watch as her wrinkled fingers, deft and sure, fold the page into a lethal point. With precision, she seals the crease, and the paper drinks in her will, hardening right before our eyes like forged steel.

What started out as a blank page becomes a dagger with a shining violet handle. The sharp blade glints under the yellow light, humming in her palm. With a flick of her wrist, she sends it flying. It soars through the air, swift and sharp and embeds itself into the centre of the circular board behind us.

"Whoa!" I gasp, seeing what her power is. So that’s what Alnilam and Saiph meant when they said we all will be getting charmed weapons.

"Maeve, you beauty." Alnitak sends her a flying kiss. It clearly shows he fosters a deep relationship with the old woman.

She affectionately smiles at him. "Bring your hammer and I will charm it. I know you don’t wish to part with it."

"She is my beauty, I am never parting with her. You gave me a good one." Alnitak stands up and stretches his arms.

"You chose it." She turns her attention from Alnitak to Rigel and curiosity spreads on her face.

"Pick a paper."

Rigel quietly shakes his head. "I don’t use weapons."

"At Orion, everyone uses a weapon irrespective of how strong you are or what deadly powers you possess," she calmly says. "Show me your powers."

Rigel stares back at her, unmoving, most likely lacking words to say to her.

I reach out and take his hand in mine, pressing it. "It’s alright. Do it."

This time he listens. His fingers curl around mine, not wanting to let go, as his shadows shoot out of his skin like the slick condensed vapours of black obsidian.

Every time I watch his powers unfold, they mesmerise me even more. A marble-sized particle separates from the rest of him and drops on a red paper, merging with it, spreading on it like spider webs.

"Incredible, the power to control shadows. Rightly used and it can be devastating." Maeve appears thrilled to see his shadows. She steps close and picks up the paper on which the part of his shadow has dropped and merged.

"A spiked chain," she reads the words from the paper and smiles. "An interesting choice of weapon."

I kind of understand why he chose a weapon containing chains.

Again, with a fluid grace, she holds the paper, infusing her will and powers into it, hardening it into a black chain. The links clink and fall down as the top forms into a glistening red blade, sharp and dangerous, almost appearing alive.

"Cool!" Alnitak almost forgets his rivalry with Rigel as he stares at the weapon with his mouth half open. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

I guess boys will be boys after all.

She hands the chained weapon to Rigel and he accepts it with a slight curiosity. His fingers slowly feel it in his hands.

"It’s charmed so it will be very effective against creatures like Chittering and similar," Maeve explains.

"Same for your weapon." Her sharp blue eyes find me.

"Thank you!" I offer my gratitude and get up to retrieve my weapon from the board. My fingers curl around the unknown material from which the violet handle has been constructed. It’s not wooden or leather but something different, lighter, making it agile. A single black stone has been embedded in its hilt, glinting under the lights.

A different kind of energy I can sense in this dagger, as if it’s alive and slowly burns in my hand. I wonder if I can store my powers inside it just like I can with my sword.

When I turn around, Rigel is already gone. He is going to put distance between us and blame himself when it’s not his fault.

I leave the Paper Room with Alnitak sticking to my side.

"Let me see." Alnitak extends his hand towards me, and I place my dagger in his palm.

"Ali, I don’t want you fighting with Ezran over me. You heard him, he won’t take my blood anymore so I want you to chill on this matter too," I request, hoping Alnitak will understand.