“AAAAAH!”

Ami jumped up, almost dropping the fragile tablet on the floor. 

The panic! It came back again and even tripled the value.

Oh!.. That was… really unexpected! 

But Lucy… isn't even here. We’re occupying her cubicle. And we're rummaging through official materials! How embarrassing…

Should we… hide? 

No. We’ve already been seen. Let’s pretend it’s meant to be like that. Act naturally. Be confident.

- Lucy's… not here... - Ami said in a dumb, uncertain tone, struggling with a dry throat.

“You are “Lucy now”. You can’t hide from it.”

Oh. Riiiight!.. What a… terrible discovery.

- …I'm in her place. - the Kantinian added unwillingly in a completely slumped voice.

- Oh, sorry! Yes. - realised someone on the other side. - Milo told me. What's your name?

- Am…elia. - mumbled hoarsely the Archivist began to come round.

“Why all this officialism and our full name?”

Hate it too. I’m scared. It doesn't matter.

- I'm Rayleen. - A visitor introduced herself, a striking blonde, as far as the window allowed one to see from the darkness into the light of the Hall. - I need my latest files updated.

The Archivist squinted. It was difficult to see from the dark room into the more or less bright Hall. Anyway, Amelia didn't remember this face... because... she was extremely bad at remembering faces in general.

Rayleen... right? 

The one who came looked so bright and great from this angle... What's she doing here? With such a distinguished appearance, a well-pitched voice and a strong-willed manner, she could work in Omill's Chief Crew. Or even in the Monarchical Court of Prime...

"She's looking for files she needs to do her job."

But how are we going to find anything? There's an endless Ocean of reports and everything!

"It's just a bunch of shelves. It’s an Archive. There was a human being who worked here before. We can do it too".

Maybe.

- Recent... files. - Ami repeated stupidly, then shook her head decisively. - Look... I don't really know... the contents of my domains here. If you can name their list, I'll try to find them. And even after that... I have no idea where they are, especially in this clay Aeon. It will take some time... Sorry about that.

Rayleen hummed.

- Alright... Try searching for "Strange loud noise in the Forest". It's not the only one. Give me all the ones you find and I'll pick the right one. Although... you know. I'll help you and myself. Just give me a compilation of the latest. I'll take what I need.

- Thanks…

I guess. I'm not sure anything in the world can help me now. But thanks.

...How to find it... Where to look? 

...Panic?

An extremely unpleasant cold sweat returned. Not for the last time in this workplace, it seems. Ami has to do the laundry afterwards. But she doesn't know where and how to do it in this city...

Why is Everything so complicated?!

"Because there are a lot of difficulties. First things first. Find the damn report".

Yessss… Trying... No! Not trying! I can't! I can't concentrate! Just walking around in circles here... It brings on more panic!

"Do. Do something."

I'm doing it!

"Panicking again doesn't count."

…Flip you…

The Kantinian walked slowly, as if in a nightmare, towards the wall of tablets that went up into the darkness. And now her eyes darkened and she felt dizzy....

…Flip it all… Bring the gnats every piece of dung from their swamps here…

She rested her hand on the edge of the table and closed her eyes. Red spots flickered and faded under the closed lids. Blood rushed to her cheeks.

...Everything is out of control. It's over...

"Think, Ami... think."

"The last cases must be close. You don't need to check all the plates here."

"Lucille said something about there being a system in the arrangement of the boards." 

The newer ones... are lower, the older ones are higher... like trees... But... a roundel of swamp dwellers... Where could the case be in the huge lower part of this "tree"?! 

"We need more time".

Definitely... More time to panic, swear and accept.

The new Secretary opened her eyes in a flash.

- I... I can't find anything. - She admitted hoarsely. - Not even the latest cases. What... other cases would you need? I'll try to memorise... No. I'll write them down and try to find them. I have to find out where and what is here anyway. But now I've no idea, really.

- So. "Noises in the Forest", as I said. And “The Warehouses. A missing sack of ilpa".

- A sack of ilpa! - the Kantinian scoffed nervously. - Swamp dwellers... Who cares about a whole sack of this cheap silt?

It was a relief to hear something familiar. Something that reminded her of the experience she was trying to escape was now refreshing and even encouraging. Things she hadn't mastered back home.

- Well. We'll try to find out. - Rayleen shook her head. - It probably fell off a self-propelled vehicle and they didn't notice... It's not within the Station's jurisdiction. But Milo has promised to help them.

- Interesting...

The captured operative found the courage to approach the void of frightening amounts of information.

Searching. Not panicking. Look for "warehouses". The latest ones. Do it.

...Wow!! You won't believe it! There's one... about a sack!

The Archive newcomer was all about screaming and jumping. She’s insane! She's doing it! She's a monster! Her first find! 

Not the missing sack itself, of course, but at least something within the limits of her new profession... it's a good start.

It doesn't feel so bleak and hopeless here anymore, although it's still a weird job. The wall of tablets wasn't so invincible, though it's still tough. There's something to be found in this clutterflip.

"The emerging roots of the joy of being a clay digger, what do they call it here?"

Oh, shut up... Don't spoil the moment of triumph.

"Look. It has a little green label in a hole."

Yes! So small, almost invisible... Especially in the dark. We have to visit a boss... if they'll give us a break!

- Well, here! - Puffing contentedly, the Archivist hurriedly pushed the tablet through the drop window. - I found the sack! Uh... Information about the sack, I mean... Is this it?

The officer took the trophy from Amelia's trembling hands and examined the documents carefully.

- Yes, that's it. - Rayleen nodded.

So patient! But there's more to find... Damn swamps...

"It should be somewhere near the empty space from the document we just retrieved, supposedly... These are the last cases."

"Look at the labels. Rayleen said it was her case."

The bag... Did we find it here? Or there? I don't remember... The Forest, the Forest... Or... Noise, noise... There's nothing even close...

The rookie quickly scanned the labels again. They began to blur treacherously before her eyes. Stop it.

"Hey. Look! I think I've noticed something... Look there. A label. "Rayleen's". You missed it last time."

What? Missed what? Everything's so stressful, like a nightmare... Ah, yes! Grabbing. Trying not to smash this tablet... Here we go.

- I'm... Not sure about this. Is this it? - Amelia held out the document with a hopeful question.

- That's it. - the Station officer confirmed shortly.

The Lumins bless you! You see? It's not that scary and hopeless. Well, scary, but not hopeless.

- And what... was that noise? 

Encouraged, Ami suddenly became curious.

- Some rumbling in the night... Like the others in various parts of the Forest. We found nothing suspicious in the direction the locals had pointed out. 

Raelyn seemed to have made some indefinable gesture that manifested itself in the dark room as an eerie shadow running across the shelves.

An odd effect.

- Interesting... And what... part of the Forest were you looking at?

"Leave her alone, chatterbox. You can read the reports yourself."

It's... quicker to ask. I'm trying to buy time and distract her.

- In the part closest to the city. And in the farthest parts too. Everywhere.

- And?

- There was nothing. And nothing again. The Forest is full of nothing that stands out. But Milo is still inconsolable, hoping to find something.

The servicewoman snorted slightly irritatedly, but it seemed she was in no mood for jokes. Raeleen sounded more puzzled than annoyed. And there was also fear and fatigue. Something that had happened lately was definitely bothering her. It was the same intonation in Milo's voice. Something frightening and disturbing to him. And infuriating for Finnian.

- Interesting... - Amelia repeated, making another attempt to find the other documents. 

But it was as fruitless as "the noisy business" of this Station. The labels were small. The letters on them were indistinct in the dark and due to Ami's panic.

The amount of which Rayleen had suddenly decided to increase.

- Ooh! I remembered something! There's something else I need... Look for “a missing book from the Witchery Archives”. I also need this case while Faella is busy.

- Oh dear... Someone really likes to read, don't they? - Amelia tried to sound nonchalant as she broke into another cold sweat.

- It's unlikely to be given to anyone. Except trainees and those with clearance. But there was no record of anyone taking it.

- Interesting... - the word stuck in our frightened Secretary's mind.

And Rayleen doesn't seem to mind chatting either... Good. Despite the huge, awkward pauses as Ami tries to find the document and the right words to say.

But... This is really interesting!

...What kind of book was it? She wants to read the Witchium book too. Someone is so lucky! All of Witchium is lucky. And a thief. We at least need to know what the book was about. But there's another problem. 

 There's no tablet around the empty spaces of the newly retrieved cases... Even after examining this empty space for thirty times. 

No, there's no hope. These cold, unforgiving mountains of clay would bury them here.

- Ah... Which cycle was it?

Final attempt.

- Not sure... It's not my case, it's Faella and Talla's. Hm... I don't remember. I don't know what date it is. We didn't even notice it was missing when Finnian complained. Well, they read it out, it'll be returned. And nobody knows exactly when the book went missing. So messed up.

Oh great… Find no one knows what somewhere you wouldn’t find ever.

Ami continued to frantically rummage through all the shelves along the shelf. This depressingly hypnotic activity had already reduced the panic somewhat, but still increased the dizziness.

"You know she can't wait forever. Say something... what a mature woman like you would say in this case. Admit the obvious."

Right...

Luckily, from the bright hallway in the darkness of the room, Rayleen didn't notice Ami blushing.

- So... This is going to take a while... As I said. Thank you for your patience and your insights into the cases. I can't find anything now. 

- Don't beat yourself up. 

If only she could. Despite the fact that no one is beating her from the outside now, she's already internalised this pattern of behaviour from her homeland, where a dozen or two venomous comments about her intellectual abilities and her functionality in general will be commonplace in this case. Even though she had never worked as a Secretary before. Mistakes were absolutely unacceptable, everyone in Kantene was supposed to be perfect from the start of their careers and lives.

But no one was, and it didn't help anyone to beat themselves into powerlessness and ruin their beginnings. 

And the inner fire of unbearable shame, burning like that, spread further. Ami blushed even more, as if it were possible. Blood pulsed in her ears and at the back of her neck.

This impeccably elegant and condescending Omillian had sympathised with her. And there was absolutely nothing Ami could do in return. Not even to make her work easier or faster. In fact, she was an obstacle. For everyone and since her birth.

- First of all, you're here for the first light. - Rayleen brought her out of her dark stupor. - Secondly, some tablets may have already been taken. Look at Lucy's journal. 

- That's probably what happened... - Ami agreed quietly. - I can’t find the journal here either... It's so dark here... I have to find Milo first. He must enlighten me about a lot of things here.

"This is no excuse for your incompetence."

- Oh, I had a vague feeling that something was wrong here, but I couldn't put my finger on it! Now I see. Why aren't you?.. - the Omillian sounded confused. - Oh! You just can't. Because you're a non-witch.

- Yesss.

- What kind of performance do you expect then? Well... Solve your initial problems, then we can talk. I think I'll change my plans and go to the Warehouse first. Good luck...

- Wait! You've been so patient, I'm so grateful... I would like to do something in return. Let me bring the documents when I find them.

"What are you doing?!"

- Alright. - agreed the officer. 

- Great. Do you need anything else? I'm searching, and I'm already buried by these tons of clay, a few more documents won't be a critical amount for my grave.

“We’re doomed now.”

Rayleen laughed.

- Hmm... If you're sure. I'll need copies of the latest reports on the cured. All of them. 

- Accepted.

“Write it down quickly! Or you'll be embarrassed twice."

More than twice.

Amelia rushed to her bag and began another search for writing utensils, hearing footsteps in the Hall out of the corner of her ear. She heard the truthful officer cross the room with a firm, unhurried stride and walk away. Leaving Amelia once more alone in the dark.