The Hollow Ledger

LOCATION: GIDEON'S ROOM — A BAD TIME TO SLEEP

Gideon had just fallen asleep.

Which was rude, because he'd earned it. His face still looked like it owed people money after that punch from Lord Whatshisface at the function.

He was dreaming of pizza.

Then the Ledger lit up. Bright. Loud. Annoying.

> "WAKE."

He jolted up, flailing like someone losing a fight with their blanket.

"What—why—you can't just yell words into my head like that!"

> "I can and will. This is your first real session."

"Can we do this in the morning? Like humans do?"

> "You're not human anymore. You're a Harrow. And possibly a fungus. Hard to tell sometimes."

Before Gideon could fire back with a sarcastic comeback (he had none, really), the Ledger glowed.

Then the room vanished.

---

LOCATION: ??? — PROBABLY NOT EARTH

He landed hard. On a floor that wasn't a floor.

It was glass. Or maybe crystal. But it moved beneath him. Like light frozen into panels.

The sky above wasn't even a sky. Just swirling ink. Red lines floating like blood veins in space.

He stood up. Wobbled. Looked around.

"Okay. This is either a sacred training realm… or I'm dead."

> "Welcome to the Harrow Vault. Memory meets possibility here. Failure is permanent."

"Wait, permanent? As in death? Or like... emotional damage?"

> "Yes."

He looked up and nearly passed out.

Floating around him were thousands of glyphs. Glowing. Burning. Twisting. Like magical symbols doing ballet around a migraine.

"I... can't read any of these."

> "You will."

"Nope. I'm pretty sure one of them just cussed at me."

---

TRAINING: DAY ONE — ABSOLUTE TRASH

The first glyph was called Bindroot.

Simple enough. Meant to trap minor spirits by locking them in place.

Gideon tried to draw it.

He immediately drew a spiral. Then a banana. Then something that looked like a crying jellyfish.

The glyph fizzled and exploded in his face.

> "You just summoned a fear pheromone. Congratulations. You smell like cowardice."

"I've always smelled like that. It's my natural aura."

---

TRAINING: DAY TWO — STILL TRASH

New glyph: Flare Mark. It was supposed to burn ghosts, not students.

Gideon drew it correctly.

Then upside down.

Then backward.

It worked. For a second.

Then exploded. Again.

His eyebrows took damage.

> "You're improving."

"Really?"

> "No. But your resistance to small explosions is notable."

---

TRAINING: DAY THREE — SOMETHING KINDA CLICKED

This time, Gideon breathed first.

Slowed down. Watched the glyph move before drawing it.

He whispered the words — not perfectly, but close.

The glyph pulsed.

It didn't explode.

He stared at it.

The floating rune hovered in the air, glowing softly.

"…Holy crap. I did it."

> "By accident. But yes."

He grinned. It felt stupid. But it was his stupid.

---

TRAINING: DAY FOUR — EMOTIONAL DAMAGE UNLOCKED

The Ledger made him fight a ghost made of guilt. Literally. It had no face. Just the sound of people he'd let down.

Seraphine.

Alar.

His father.

Even... himself.

He didn't win. Not really.

But he didn't run either.

> "That was pathetic," the Ledger said afterward.

"I didn't cry this time."

> "True. You merely whimpered. Growth."

---

LOCATION: GIDEON'S ROOM — RETURN TRIP, LATE NIGHT

He crashed back into his bed like a meteor with regrets.

He was sweaty. Shaky. His hand still glowed faintly.

The glyph was still burned into his palm.

Bindroot. Clean. Complete.

He smiled. For just a second.

Then fell asleep.

And the Ledger, still open beside him, whispered:

> "One step closer. Still useless. But... less so."