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JOHN

The Vigenere Cipher was a simple cipher that was quite unbreakable.

There were two things that were needed to crack it. The coded message itself and the keyword.

You would first draw a table with the letters of the alphabet on the rows and columns. The table consisted of the alphabet written out twenty-six times in different rows. Each alphabet had a letter shifted cyclically to the left compared to the previous alphabet, corresponding to the twenty-six possible.

Now came the keyword. In this instance the word was coal. You would write down the word repeatedly to match the coded message.

Coalcoalcoalcoalcoalcoal would match with the coded message of vvertsaeuvuqhzehcgoc.

You would then match the first letter of the keyword with the first letter of the coded message by putting either letter on the row and column. The letter the row and column intersected on was the true letter.

In this case, the first letters of C and V hid the letter T. O and V hid the letter H. And if I were to continue doing this until I got the first twenty letters I would get—THEGREATSHUFFLEWASOR...

This can then be edited to—THE GREAT SHUFFLE WAS OR...

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

I spent about three days decoding the notes and the rest memorizing them by heart.

I couldn't believe what I was reading—the Great Shuffle being orchestrated by hundreds of jynxists under the command of the king, Ilias and Dr Payne being their targets for some reason, Scar being a good man all this time—there was so much information here that I found absurd, but it was the truth.

When the one-week deadline came around, the notes had become my idol. It was all I could think about when my mind was wandering. It was all I heard when I listened. When I slept, I dreamt of the notes.

Just as promised, Camaro came that night. I handed back the novel through the bars.

"How much do you know?" he asked.

"Everything. You can test me if you want."

He nodded with acceptance. "Approximately how many jynxists were needed to use the teleportation spell on Gilead?"

"Two hundred and fifty."

"Why was there a sudden state of emergency called to raid the Maze Labyrinth?"

"Because according to the pattern, that's where Trisha Payne would've been sent to."

"How do you draw the incantation circle?"

I took a piece of chalk he offered and drew it on the floor.

"Erase it, you're good." Camaro took out the coded notes from the novel and burned them using a nearby torch. "It's currently morning. You will break out at night at exactly midnight. I'll leave a clock down here so you know the time. I will leave behind a key as well and you will dispose of it in a potted plant right by the northern stairwell."

"I got everything so far."

"You will see guards posted outside the entrance to the dungeons. You will walk past them and pay them no mind."

"Pay them no mind?"

"Yes, I'll deal with them. The Iron Keep was built by King LaFleur. He had his many architects build secret passageways within for emergencies. After it was built, LaFleur had them executed so only he knew of their existence. Their secret was buried when King Diablo usurped LaFleur. To this day, there are still many undiscovered passageways. You will use one to escape."

"A secret passageway?"

"You will sneak inside the library, which will be unmanned except for a librarian that's half-asleep. Go to the gargoyle in the corner and shake its hand the way a jynxist would. Once you do, the passageway will let you escape."

"So I'll be out. What happens then?"

"When jynxists take the State Jynxist Exam, we are housed in a building called Base Zero just outside the Capital. This building is only used for a month every year and is unmanned when it's of no use. That'll be your safehouse and rendezvous. It's in the western forest and there's a charm called Hideaway that hides it. Find Base Zero and stay inside for three days until my friend comes. You know the rest."

"What if they search the building?"

"I'm glad you asked. That place is big and there are lots of places to hide. But Ilias told me a story that might be of use. One of his friends snuck out during the exam by lifting one of the tiles in the men's bath and digging a tunnel to the outside. Ilias doesn't lie and I bet that tunnel is still there. If you can, try to find that tunnel and use it as a hiding spot. It's the one place they won't check."

"How do I know the difference between the men hunting me and your friend?"

"My friend will use a safety word—trajectory. Once you hear that, it'll be safe to come out."

"After I deliver the message, what then?"

"I'm afraid that's up for you to decide. Coming back would be a bad idea as anything you say would lead back to me. You can go off on your own as well. But if you decide to join my friend, take care of them and don't you dare leave their side." Camaro cleared his throat. "Once you get out, go to the amphitheatre where Decan the Thornless Rose was executed. There will be a backpack hidden behind his memorial. I even put a bottle of booze just in case you need to fight."

"Thank you so much, Colonel—for giving me this second chance to do some good."

"Please, call me Ray." He glanced around and dropped a key in front of my cell. "Oops."

I followed the colonel's instructions and waited until the clock he left behind rang midnight. By this time, most of my fellow inmates were sound asleep. I kept the noise down to a minimum and unlocked my door, keeping it open as I climbed the stairs and waited by the doorway.

There were guards stationed outside when I peeked through the crack. I'd be thrown back in my cell and punished if I just walked out, but I had to trust Camaro. He said to walk out at midnight so this must be part of the plan.

I gathered my doubt and ignored it, walking out the door confidently. When I walked past the guards, I noticed something peculiar. They were motionless, bare, and carried the pale face associated with Camaro's Dolls.

Camaro must've knocked out the guards and hid their bodies somewhere before having his Dolls don their armour.

I was somewhat familiar with the Iron Keep's layout and knew where the library was from memory. It was on the second floor which meant I used the northern stairwell and disposed of the key in the potted plant.

The library was empty just as stated. The only one here was the librarian who was stamping books half-asleep. She greeted me haphazardly by instinct when I walked past.

My heart was racing by this point. No alarm had been sounded so no one knew I was gone, but it felt like I was being watched. I hurried to the gargoyle and shook its hand the jynxist style—focusing mana through my hand—which unlocked a mechanism to let me slide the statue out of the way to reveal a hidden staircase. I descended it for a short time before coming upon a tunnel.

The statue automatically slid back into place after a while, closing off my way back. Only Camaro knew I was here and I could probably hide here for a long while, but I promised him something and I was going to see it through.

This was the longest part of the escape.

The tunnel was a void and the only direction other than back was forward. The floor was fairly even, though a brick of a different elevation tripped me here and there. I traversed the tunnel by caressing my hand against the wall and using it as a guide.

I didn't know how long I was in that tunnel, but the first thing I heard other than my footsteps and heavy breathing was the sound of rushing water.

Then a soft almost calming blue-like light.

The closer I got to this light the more I realized it was the light illuminating from the moon. When I got out of the tunnel, I found myself at the canals of the Mizu River.

This canal was some sort of slum. There were houses made of rotting wood covered with ragged tarps. There were dwellers that glanced at me, wondering who I was and where I came from. But in the end, they didn't care.

Camaro had a gift for me about forty metres from the exit—normal clean clothes and a razor.

Now, there were no uniforms for the prisoners in the Iron Keep's dungeons. We were just simply given clothes that were satisfactory. But no matter what condition our prisoner clothes were in, they were better than whatever these slum-dwellers were wearing.

I stripped out of my old clothes and shaved my scraggly beard into a moustache before trimming my unkempt hair. The slum-dwellers were thankful for the prison clothes I gave them.

"If anyone asks, say you found those clothes washing down the river, okay?"

They nodded their heads and escorted me to the streets safely. For some reason, it felt nice being appreciated.

My absence will be realized sooner or later so the best thing I could do was confuse my pursuers. The military will be letting loose bloodhounds to find my trail—a tactic I was too familiar with. If I scattered my scent by having the slum-dwellers don my attire and wander the city, it would waste otherwise valuable time.

My new set of clothes came with a cloak. Tonight was fairly cool, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for someone to wear their hoods. I made my way to the amphitheatre where Decan was executed. Many soldiers passed by, even greeting me a good evening without knowing where I came from. I even recognized some of their faces as guards who were posted down the dungeons at one point. They continued with their patrol without so much a suspicion.

People will only notice something if they're looking for it. Otherwise, something odd would blend it with the mundane.

I hurriedly took the backpack Camaro left before running off to the western forest which would be my hardest task yet.

I had until sunrise before the alarms will announce my absence. I must find Base Zero before then.

The spell being used to hide this place was called Hideaway. I had no idea what it did, but it must've been a sneaky spell to hide big things in obvious places.

It took me around an hour before I noticed two identical rocks ten feet from each other. Once I figured out how the spell worked, I broke down into laughter because of how utterly stupid it was.

Hideaway worked by concealing an area in a dome and mirroring its nearby surroundings.

I stepped through the Hideaway charm and found myself in a courtyard that housed a manor the size of a small castle. This could've been where a noble lived, but the lights were off and there were no guards strolling the place. As nicely kept as everything was, this place was empty.

This must be Base Zero.

I carefully headed inside to make sure no one was in the manor. When I confirmed I was alone, a huge strain on my back dissipated—just in time for the sun to rise.

There is going to be a search for me soon. One way or another, the search will find its way here.

I'd have to stay holed up here for three days without getting caught. What happens after was something I could worry about when it comes.

Surprisingly, the first day passed smoothly. I couldn't see nor hear the Capital from here, but I knew they were tearing the place up looking for me. They must've sent a great number of men and beasts looking for my scent.

It made much more sense why Camaro's friend would come in three days. The likelihood of this person also being watched was high. But the fact that they weren't as hot as the colonel and lieutenant meant they weren't a high priority. The first forty-eight hours were paramount during a search for a missing person—intentional or not.

This missing person was going to wait until the search died down.

The manor had no signs of life. The place was dusty and shrouded in darkness. The only light came from the sun shining through a window. There was no food in the kitchen and cafeteria. Even my quiet footsteps boomed.

The backpack had everything I needed. Dried rations consisting of meat and flatbread, a change of clothes, firestarters, and even the bottle of booze the colonel promised.

I spent the entire time waiting in the men's bath. That place had my safe spot and it took me a while to find it. But just as Camaro theorized, one of the tiles near the bathtubs was moveable (though barely) and a tunnel was hidden underneath. I crawled through it just to see where it would lead and found its exit outside the Hideaway dome.

The second day was when the tension rose. Around noon, the entire dome collapsed as squads of soldiers with bloodhounds came running through the property. The dogs barked at the manor and the soldiers didn't know it, but they were barking at me.

The soldiers were led by Wrath, King Arthureus, and Camaro, who instructed everyone to surround the property and let the hounds loose in the manor.

Wait, was this whole thing really a plan to sell me? No, he's being watched so he must join the search to throw off any suspicion.

I immediately took my things and hid in the tunnel, covering the opening with the tile. It would've been easy to escape, but I'm sure the nearby forest was swarming with soldiers.

My best chance was to stay hidden and shut off my gates.

The soldiers spent most of the time in the men's bath. The hounds were barking and sniffing. They spent around three hours looking for me but gave up and assumed their hounds caught a false scent.

I stayed hidden for another couple of hours before coming out to find the manor empty once more.

The next day at around noon, I heard the doors open.

I didn't even notice anyone. It was as if they just appeared. This was one person—their quiet footsteps told me so.

Could this be them?

I began to push aside the tile in preparation to hide.

"Why did Ray use such a weird word?" a girl's voice wondered. "It's an uncommon word to say in conversations, I suppose."

I sat there, listening for that one word.

"This is stupid," she said. "How am I supposed to say the word trajectory to call someone?"