The Tree of Ecrof

by Kobe Bryant

  When the students had assembled, Janos stood in front of them. “It seems that whatever has infected our tree has caused the ground to be unsafe. From now on, this field and any other outdoor arena will be off-limits. All training will continue indoors. And the result of the steeplechase will be scrubbed from Field Day. As it stands now, the Realists are ahead by two points. When things settle down, we will hold an indoor event in place of the steeplechase to determine the Field Day winner. And if they don’t improve by the end of term next week, victory will go to the Realists, who are currently in the lead.”

  A chorus of groans rose from the slighted Dreamers. But these were drowned out by a volley of questions.

  “What happened to the kids who fell?” Virgil called. “Are they all right?”

  Castor cupped his hands over his mouth. “Shouldn’t the Realists just be declared winners?”

  Pretia shot a look at her cousin, then added her own suggestion. “Shouldn’t Vera get the Dreamers extra points for saving someone?”

  Janos blew his whistle loudly, but he couldn’t quiet the students.

  Pretia took advantage of this moment to slip away. She needed to find Rovi and tell him what had happened. She had to tell him that it wasn’t his fault.

  24

  ROVI

  THE THERACENTER

  If Rovi were honest, he would have to admit that his wrist wasn’t that bad. The medic had told him he had a hairline fracture. And the Mineral Sleeves at the TheraCenter had done their job, healing Rovi’s broken wrist overnight. But Rovi didn’t want to risk being around if something terrible happened at Field Day—something that Castor would claim was his fault. So he’d faked it, telling the medics that his hand ached whenever he walked around.

  It was boring in the TheraCenter. There was nothing to do but stare at the ceiling while he “healed.” At least the place smelled great—steamy, eucalyptus-scented air that wafted up from the stone baths on the lower level. Rovi had pestered the medics for a chance to soak in the large tubs, but no matter how many times he’d asked, they told him no.

  He could hear the festivities from Dreamer Field Day underway—the fireworks and singing. Soon, the events would start. Then it would be over and then he could stop pretending to be hurt.

  Rovi rang the bell and asked the medic on duty to bring him a second dinner. If he had nothing else to do, he might as well eat. After he’d finished that dinner, he rang for dessert. And then seconds on dessert. Full and bored, what else did Rovi have to do but sleep? Which he did.

  “Rovi!”

  Rovi rolled his head from side to side. His stomach was full. The bed was comfortable. He had nowhere to be.

  “Rovi!”

  Why was someone shaking him awake?

  He cracked his eyelids. In the dim light of the TheraCenter room, he could just make out Pretia standing next to his bed.

  “Come on, Pretia. This is my one chance to rest without worrying about oversleeping,” Rovi grumbled.

  “Rovi, wake up!” Pretia grabbed his shoulder and yanked him into a sitting position.

  “Wha . . .” Rovi groaned. “Wha . . .”

  “Rovi, you’re not going to believe what happened. You’re so lucky you weren’t there.”

  “Slow down,” Rovi said. “Pretia, slow down.”

  “The ground around the Tree of Ecrof just sort of . . . opened up during the steeplechase. It swallowed some of the students and there were these big black roots, like tentacles, that tried to grab the runners.”

  A smile had broken out on Rovi’s face.

  “Why are you smiling?” Pretia snapped. “It was terrifying.”

  “Because I wasn’t there.”

  “So what?”

  “I wasn’t there,” Rovi repeated. “I was here. So whatever the tree did, it wasn’t my fault. Now no one can blame me.” He was beaming so widely that his cheeks hurt.

  “Rovi, concentrate on what’s important here!” Pretia said. “I think the tree is hurting the students. I think it’s attacking us.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know,” Pretia said. “The tree seemed to be chasing the kids with its roots. And when the ground opened up and the runners fell in, it seemed like they couldn’t breathe. Vera saved one of them by pulling him out of the root’s grasp. Then the medics came and brought everyone to the TheraCenter.”

  Rovi must have been fast asleep to have missed the arrival of the injured athletes.

  “How’s your wrist, by the way?”

  Rovi looked at his bandaged hand guiltily. “Okay, I guess.”

  “So how long are you going to have to stay in here?”

  “I can leave tonight,” Rovi said. Now that it was clear he wasn’t responsible for whatever was going on with the tree, he wanted to get out.

  “Tonight,” Pretia said. “They’ll just let you leave whenever you want?”

  Rovi shrugged. “Sure. In fact, I think I’ll leave now.” He swung his legs out of bed and looked around for his Grana Gleams. “You coming?”

  “Rovi, you can’t just sneak out.”

  “Why not?” Rovi said. “I’m feeling much better.”

  They headed down the dim hallway. From somewhere in the TheraCenter they could hear voices. “They’re probably too busy with the Field Day athletes to care much about me,” Rovi said as they approached a corner.

  Suddenly they heard footsteps. Someone was running down the hallway they were about to turn in to. Rovi stopped walking, unsure of whether he should head back to his room or keep going. But before he had time to decide, Vera came racing down the hall. She skidded to a stop when she saw them. Her eyes were wild.

  “What’s wrong?” Rovi asked.

  “It’s Julius,” Vera gasped.

  “What’s Julius?” Rovi said.

  “He’s here.”

  “Isn’t he at training?” Pretia asked.

  “That’s what Janos said,” Vera whispered. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me. But I saw him. I think they’ve been lying this whole time.”

  “Why would they be lying about that?” Rovi asked.

  “Because they didn’t want me to know,” Vera said. She was nearly panting.

  “Know what?” Pretia asked.

  “That he’s really sick.” Vera looked about her frantically.

  “Where is he?” Rovi asked.

  “Downstairs,” Vera replied. “I wanted to see if the kid I rescued was okay. So I followed the medics downstairs behind the baths. I lost them in all the steam. I tried opening a few doors. And that’s where I saw Julius. He’s—he’s—he’s . . .” Tears sprang to Vera’s eyes. She was breathing so fast it seemed she was about to hyperventilate.

  “Vera,” Rovi said, “calm down.”

  “Calm down! Calm down? You haven’t seen my brother. Or what’s left of him.”

  Pretia took Vera’s hands to try to calm her. “What do you mean, what’s left of him?”

  Vera tried to take a deep breath. “I’ve known Julius my whole life. I’ve seen him tired. I’ve seen him sick and injured. But I have never seen him like this. I’ve never seen anyone like this. It’s like, it’s like—”

  Vera stopped talking, searching for the words.

  “It’s like what?” Rovi said.

  “It’s like he’s not there. It’s like he’s beyond exhausted. He can barely move. He can barely talk. But it’s more than that. It’s like part of him is missing. Let me show you,” Vera said. “You need to see him. Otherwise, you can’t understand.”

  Pretia tried to object, but Vera was already hurrying down the hall. Rovi didn’t hesitate. He followed close on her heels, descending the circular stairs to the bottom level of the TheraCenter. Downstairs, the halls were filled with thick eucalyptus steam that cleared Rovi’s lungs and nose. It was hard to see, but Ve
ra seemed to know the way.

  She led them past the warm, bubbling baths. All around them they could hear water dripping down the walls.

  “Here,” Vera said, pushing open a wooden door.

  Rovi had to stoop to get into the room. Pretia followed behind him, trying to muffle a cough.

  The room was illuminated by a small lamp in a far corner that caught the thick, steamy air. On one side was a small cot, on the other all sorts of equipment that on closer inspection turned out to be breathing tubes and oxygen masks.

  It took Rovi’s eyes a moment to adjust to the dim, foggy room. It took him a few seconds to make out a person on the bed.

  “Julius,” Vera said, crouching down near the pillow. “Julius!”

  The person on the bed rolled over.

  “Julius, come on. Stand up.”

  There was no reply. Rovi waved the steam away. And when the air in front of him cleared, he gasped. It was definitely Julius, but also not Julius—more like a shadow or the shape of the track star. There was no solidity to him. He looked like a ghost.

  Julius was withered. His face was slack, as if it had lost all its muscle. Rovi had seen only one other person look like this before—his father, in the months before his death. Like Pallas, Julius’s lips were purple. But it was his eyes that terrified Rovi. They were vacant. Totally empty. Hollow. It was as if he were dead. He was breathing, but it sounded labored.

  “Can you at least sit up?” Vera asked, shaking his shoulder. “What happened to you?”

  Finally, Julius moved. He lifted his head slightly. “Tired,” he whispered.

  The effort—the effort to say that single word—seemed to have exhausted him. He closed his eyes. “I’m so tired,” he whispered.

  “Come on, Julius! Sit up.”

  “I can’t,” Vera’s brother said. His voice was so far away. “I can’t. It’s too hard. I just want to sleep.”

  “Please,” Vera said.

  Julius sighed. Then he put his hands on the mattress and pushed himself to a sitting position.

  “Are you sick?” Vera cried.

  “The medics tell me I need to rest,” Julius said. His breathing was raspy, like the air was choking him.

  Vera tugged on his arm, as if she could bring him back to his normal self. “Are you sick?”

  Slowly, and with great difficulty, Julius shook his head. “I don’t think so. No. I’m just tired.” And then, without warning, he collapsed back on the bed.

  Vera whirled around so she was facing Rovi and Pretia. “See?” she said.

  Rovi was staring at Julius. He’d seen this before. He knew what was wrong. But still, it didn’t seem possible.

  “Vera,” Rovi said slowly. “Vera, I know what’s wrong with him.”

  “What? How?” Vera cried.

  “I’ve seen this before. My father was a Somnium addict—” Rovi began.

  Vera whirled around, a furious look in her eyes. “Rovi! Julius is not a Somnium addict.”

  “I’m not saying he is. But listen. Do you know what Somnium does to your body over time? It drains your grana.”

  “What?” Pretia and Vera exclaimed in unison.

  “That’s how my father died. He lost all his grana. He looked exactly like Julius. Exactly. He was exhausted and pale. He could barely stand. He just . . . wasn’t there.”

  Now Vera was staring at her brother. “His grana? He’s lost his grana?”

  Rovi couldn’t take his eyes off Julius. It wasn’t what was there in front of him—the deflated superstar athlete—but what wasn’t. Something was missing. Some sense or essence.

  “Julius!” She held her face inches from her brother’s. “There’s nothing in there,” she said. “Nothing.”

  This time when she whirled around to face Rovi, her eyes weren’t filled with anger but with tears. “How can this be happening?” she said.

  “I don’t think it’s just Julius,” Rovi said slowly. “I ran into Iskander a while ago when he was supposed to be at Epic Elite training. I didn’t think much of it. I just thought he was really worn out. But he was like this—sort of vacant and not aware.”

  “Iskander was also hurt in the leaf tornado,” Vera said. “I bet,” she began, unable for a moment to finish her thought. “I bet he and Julius never went to Epic Elite training at all. I bet they’ve been sick this whole time. And that’s why Janos kept me off the squad. He didn’t want me to know. He knew I’d be suspicious if I went to train and my brother wasn’t there. So he kept me off on purpose.”

  Pretia looked around uncertainly. “Do you think Iskander is down here? Do you think there are more kids down here?”

  “Let’s see,” Rovi said, heading for the door.

  “I don’t want to leave him,” Vera cried.

  “Vera,” Pretia said. “He’s not going anywhere.”

  “That’s not the point; he’s my brother, even if I’m a Replacement. You guys wouldn’t understand. You don’t have siblings.”

  “Rovi,” Pretia said, “don’t you have a brother?”

  “What?” Rovi asked.

  “When we were on the boat to Ecrof, you told me your brother gave you your Grana Gleams.”

  “I what—” Rovi said. It took him a moment to remember that he’d told Pretia that his brother Issa had given him the shoes. But now wasn’t the time to explain. “It’s a long story,” he said. Then he turned to Vera. “Vera, I know you’re worried about Julius. But if we learn more about what’s going on here, maybe we’ll find a way to help him.”

  Vera looked from her brother to Rovi and Pretia. “Okay,” she said. “I’m coming.”

  Rovi led the way through the damp hallways, pushing away the steam and trying not to slip on the wet stones. He traced the wall with his hand, hoping for another door. After a few minutes, he found one. He pressed his shoulder against it and it opened.

  It was identical to Julius’s room—small, steamy, with a lamp at the back that barely cut through the chest-clearing eucalyptus­-scented air. Together, Rovi, Pretia, and Vera waved their arms until they could make out a figure lying on the bed.

  “Iskander?” Rovi whispered.

  He tiptoed closer.

  “Iskander?”

  A noise filled the air in this room—a wheezing, whirring sound. The person on the bed was hooked up to a breathing machine. Vera stayed in the doorway. She clearly didn’t want to enter the room.

  “Iskander,” Pretia said, kneeling next to the bed. Rovi watched her reach out and touch the patient. Suddenly she recoiled. “Leo!” she cried, crashing into Rovi. “It’s Leo.”

  Rovi rushed to the bed, waving his arms so he could see through the steam. It was indeed Leo. He looked just as Julius had, but worse. There were strange black marks around his neck.

  “What are those?” Rovi asked.

  “I don’t know,” Pretia said.

  Leo lay still, pale and limp on the bed. He looked as if he was missing blood and muscle. Rovi bent over him, still waving away the steam. “Pretia, look.” He pointed at Leo’s discolored skin. “Do those look like—”

  “Leaves,” Pretia said. “They look like leaves.”

  “Maybe you’re right about the tree,” Rovi said. “Maybe—”

  But before he could finish the thought, Pretia interrupted with another question. “Since this is Leo, where’s Iskander?”

  “I don’t know,” Rovi said. Then he bent close to Leo’s ear. “Leo, can you hear me?”

  Slowly, Leo opened his eyes. His eyelids moved as if they were attached to heavy weights. It seemed as if it was taking every ounce of his strength to keep them open. He moved his lips.

  “What’s he saying?” Pretia asked.

  “I can’t hear through the oxygen mask,” Rovi said. Carefully, he reached out and lifted the mask. Then he bent over Leo
. “It’s like my book,” Leo said. “It’s like my book.”

  “What did he say?” Pretia asked.

  “His book,” Rovi whispered. “He said it’s like his book.”

  “Grana.” Rovi and Pretia turned to see Vera still standing in the doorway. “That’s what Leo saw in his book. That his grana was going to be stolen. Rovi, you’re right.” Vera leaned against the wall and sank to the floor. “What’s going on?” she said, sounding dazed. “Ecrof was supposed to be a dream come true. But this school is a nightmare.” Tears were streaming down her face. “First I turn out to be a Replacement, and now my brother has lost his grana.” Her voice was reaching hysteria. “I hate this place. I hate it, hate it, hate it. And I won’t spend one more minute here.”

  “Hold on,” Pretia said, reaching out to comfort Vera.

  “If no one at Ecrof will help my brother,” Vera said as she stood up, “I’m going to find someone back home who will.”

  “Wait,” Rovi said, rushing to the door. But he was too late.

  Before Rovi or Pretia could do anything, Vera sprinted away, her feet slapping the condensation on the damp floor.

  25

  PRETIA

  THE TEMPLE

  In an instant, Pretia and Rovi were chasing Vera. Pretia’s thoughts were racing as she ran through the damp corridors of the TheraCenter. Leo was right. How could Leo have been right? It sounded impossible: How could you lose your grana? But he’d predicted it. And it had happened.

  Vera was right to be scared. She was right to want to find help for Julius. But running away from Ecrof was not the solution. How was she even planning to get off the island? They had to find her.

  The circular basement of the TheraCenter was like a labyrinth. Vera’s footsteps faded into the distance, and Rovi and Pretia lost her. They stumbled, slipped, and tripped. In searching for the exit, they found more doors. Behind each one was another one of the students who’d been injured.

  Pretia couldn’t believe it. They were all there, and they were all just like Julius and Leo: pale, drained, exhausted. They had all lost their grana. It was obvious now.