Chapter 30
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the shining stone, Levi finally stood, his eyes locked on the White Tower's gleaming form. "Soon," he whispered, his voice barely more than breath. The anticipation thrummed through him, electric and unstoppable. He was close — so close — to cracking open one of the most powerful strongholds in the world. But there was still more to learn, and Levi was nothing if not patient. His hunger for knowledge would wait — for now.
The night wrapped Tar Valon in its cool embrace as Levi finally made his move. Cloaked in shadows, he approached the White Tower's western side, where the smaller entrance near the river's edge lay hidden from the more traveled roads. The air smelled faintly of water and stone, and the soft ripple of the river masked his footsteps. Levi kept his breathing slow and steady, his senses sharp. He murmured under his breath, "Oh magic, soften the sounds of my movements and conceal me from watching eyes." The spell was simple, draining only a sliver of his mana, and the effect was immediate. His steps became whispers against the stone, and the occasional sweep of a Tower Guard's gaze slid right over him, as though he were part of the night itself.
The entrance was guarded — two men in the white and gold of the Tower's garrison, standing with the rigid stillness of professionals. Levi waited, patient and still, until their attention drifted toward an approaching patrol. In that brief moment of distraction, he slipped forward, his fingers brushing against the lock. "Oh magic, silence the turning of metal and open what is closed." The lock clicked softly, and the door swung inward without a sound. Levi was inside. The corridor stretched ahead in dim light, the polished stone floors reflecting the faintest glimmer from the wall sconces. He moved quickly but carefully, his eyes and ears alert. The scent of parchment and ink grew stronger as he made his way deeper — the library was close.
The first depository opened before him like a scholar's dream. Tall shelves of ancient tomes and scrolls stretched toward the vaulted ceiling, arranged in meticulous order. The chamber was silent, save for the occasional rustle of pages as a few Aes Sedai and Accepted studied at long wooden tables. Levi stayed to the edges, moving from shadow to shadow. His fingers brushed the spines of the books as he passed, and he whispered his next spell: "Oh magic, let me absorb the content of the books by touching them and let me memorize them." The effect was subtle but immediate — knowledge poured into his mind, filling every corner with histories, theories, and arcane studies. It was intoxicating. He moved swiftly, absorbing entire shelves without drawing a single eye.
He slipped from one depository to the next, each offering new treasures. The third depository held works on politics and diplomacy, while the fifth focused on geography and exploration. Levi's mind expanded with every touch, his miniature library growing with each step. In the Ninth Depository — the one focused on mathematics — he paused briefly, taking in the beauty of the large oval chamber with its flattened dome ceiling and the intricate seven-colored floor tiles. The room was nearly empty, and Levi worked quickly, his hands brushing over volumes of advanced arithmetic and theoretical constructs. But as his pace quickened, so did the drain on his mana. The constant spellwork, light as it was, began to take its toll.
By the time he reached the Twelfth Depository — a collection dedicated to philosophy and ethics — Levi felt the strain. His steps slowed, his breathing grew heavier, and the edges of his vision dimmed with the telltale signs of dwindling mana. Still, he pushed forward, his hunger for knowledge overriding his caution. It wasn't until his fingers began to tremble against the leather-bound covers of the books that he forced himself to stop. He was close to empty, and the risk was growing with every moment he lingered. Levi pulled back into the shadows, his eyes flicking toward the deeper corridors. He knew there was more — the elusive Thirteenth Depository, the hidden archive that held the Tower's most guarded secrets. But that would have to wait. For now, survival came first.
Silently, Levi began his retreat, slipping back the way he came with the same careful grace. The halls were quiet, but the weight of danger pressed down on him with every step. He had gathered a wealth of knowledge, but the White Tower was no fool — the longer he stayed, the greater the chance of discovery. His heart pounded as he neared the outer corridors, his mind already calculating his next move. The Thirteenth Depository would require more planning, more preparation — and above all, more mana. But for now, Levi smiled. He was one step closer to his goal, and the greatest library in the world had already begun to yield its secrets to him.
-scene change-
The room was dim, lit only by the soft flicker of a single candle, casting long shadows against the wooden walls of the small inn room. Levi sat cross-legged on the bed, his miniature library resting in his hands as he worked. His fingers brushed the cover, and the book began to hum with energy — the knowledge of twelve entire depositories flowing into its pages. The soft vibration grew stronger, and the book trembled in his grip like a living thing. Levi raised an eyebrow, amused. "Hmm… looks like the knowledge is too much for this little thing. Makes sense — after all, it's just a mundane book." He ran his thumb along the spine thoughtfully, considering his next step. A book meant to hold this much knowledge would need to be something far more durable, possibly magical. The idea intrigued him, and he added it to his ever-growing list of projects.
For now, though, practicality won. Levi sighed, already planning his next move. "I'll just purchase another book for the Thirteenth Depository's knowledge," he mused, a small smile tugging at his lips. But despite his exhaustion, sleep wouldn't come. How could it? His mind was a storm of curiosity and anticipation, freshly fed with more knowledge than most people would see in a lifetime. The White Tower's library had given him more than he could've hoped for — and he hadn't even reached the real treasure yet. His eyes gleamed in the dim light as he opened his miniature library, eager to explore its new additions.
The first thing he flipped to was a treatise on the One Power, the force wielded by the Aes Sedai — and one of the most heavily guarded secrets of the Tower. He read about saidar and saidin, the two halves of the One Power, and the delicate balance required to wield them. Techniques of channeling were detailed with surprising clarity — weaving flows of Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit into intricate patterns that produced everything from healing and illusions to devastating attacks. Levi was particularly fascinated by a technique called "Delving," used to diagnose injuries and illnesses, and the idea of creating wards — invisible barriers of power designed to alert or protect. His mind spun with possibilities.