Sleeping Player (Project Chrysalis Book 3) by John Gold (novel24 TXT) 📕

he refused to breach prison protocol. Instead, he was patiently waiting for the end of Femida’s sentence. She had just three months to go.

He never ever said a word about it, though Femida could tell that it was what he was waiting for. Hisan was perfect, open to everyone, and the entire female wing knew he had a soft spot for Femida. And that was the best kind of thing to talk about—forbidden love, romance, the two of them in a closed room. The only person who had a hard time with it was Femida. Isaac, certainly, never shared his thoughts. Even the worst things come to an end eventually, however, and she was three months away from that end.

That day, the regular Criminals Anonymous meeting was held. Half the group was newly arrived at Valhalla, and a couple of people had already shared twenty minutes later. But that was when the door to the room creaked open. In walked a young man about twenty years old wearing a striped costume, someone Femida had never seen before.

“Excuse me, but somebody told me I could find Femida here.”

By the way he was looking around, the people there could tell that he was from the latest batch. Probably a newcomer late for the meeting.

“Yes, have a seat. The meeting just got started, but feel free to ask any questions you have when we finish.”

When he got closer, the group noticed that his clothes were a bit singed. It was a surprise that someone that young could even find his way into a maximum-security prison.

The newcomer walked across the room, glancing at the other participants and frowning in dissatisfaction. After just a quick look at Femida, he fixed his gaze on Isaac to the surprise of everyone there. The taciturn guard returned the look. Curiosity seeped out of the dark recess of his helmet, and a second, two, five went by as they eyed each other as squeamishly as if the other was just a pile of dirt and fecal matter. The boy looked over at Femida before turning back to Isaac. His disgust was replaced by confusion.

“Sit down! You’re disturbing the group.”

The newcomer sat down quietly as if nothing had happened. But no sooner had Femida opened her mouth, then he laughed noiselessly, covering his face with his hands. He needed to be taught a lesson.

“It looks like somebody wants to share!”

Everybody turned to look at the young man, who had sat down in the first row right in front of the podium. When he realized she was talking about him, he stopped laughing and flashed a snide smile.

“What do you want to hear?”

“You’re at a Criminals Anonymous meeting. This is where we talk about the mistakes we’ve made and the lessons we’ve learned. Most newcomers share at the end of their first meeting, but we can make an exception for you.”

The guy thought for a few seconds about what she wanted, finally glancing over at Isaac and flashing another snide smile.

Femida gave up her place at the podium. For a second, the boy closed his eyes, concentrating. The room fell silent—even the guards could be heard yelling out on the street. When he opened his eyes, the frivolity, youthful excitement, and tomfoolery were gone. The group was faced with a clump of bare nerves ready to kill anyone who dared interrupt him, and that was clear to everyone in the room.

“Hi, everyone. My name is LJ, and I’m a criminal. When I was much younger, I was a swordsman, an adventure-seeker, and, like many of you, a traveler of the world. But then I earned the genius achievement and an invitation to a trial with the League of Hunters. During their probation, I met a mage who smashed me into the ground, prepared to kill me for doing nothing more than trying to get closer. Although, I was in the wrong, too. She was wearing a boy’s clothing, and I called her an idiot.” For a second, the newcomer paused to let everyone imagine a girl mage at the trial for the Hunters. “She somehow figured out how to use meteors before she got to Level 1, killing raid bosses 500 levels above her and really just walking around as a death machine. She wouldn’t let me call her by her name, and I was just ‘L’ or ‘idiot’ for her. God, how I wanted to kill her for that! And that was the most flattering term she used for my level of intellect. Mine! She called someone with my incredible analytical capabilities an idiot.” The group had to laugh a little at the description. “At one point, we got involved in something really rough, and we had to flee the city we were in together. We were up against guards, spies, and enemy clans wherever we went. Ultimately, I had to carry her on my shoulders across the rooftops to get away. But at the end… Oh, god… You should have seen it! I had to carry that fat clod and our horse on my back across the wall… Down a rope… At night… And all she did was complain that she was going to fall.” Isaac reached for his sword, though he stopped at the last moment. LJ noticed and just smiled. “I’ve never heard so many creative and bloody ways for me to die. Anyway, it went off all right, and she just squished me into the ground at the next crossroads, more as a prophylactic. Then, we set off on a long journey to complete an epic quest I got from a god. We visited the Sea of Storms, the Sea of Calm with its…interesting inhabitants. We stopped by the River of Life and the floating cities. For a little while, we just enjoyed life, but when our money ran out, we had to head to the tropics and then to