32 • (D): Predeterminism

Volker Weingartner stood over Heinrich’s body alongside Fortuna Romano and Vogel. The man’s head had been propped up on a folded floral-print sweatshirt that Emilia Bergmann had provided.

They were still waiting in the baseball field for the men they had sent on reconnaissance to return. Volker had sent out a group of men alongside Mai about fifteen minutes ago. They had been tasked to simply investigate the cries from earlier and had yet to return which was concerning to Volker. Himmel, Hertz, and Schneider were the ones Volker had selected. The latter was one of the men who had gotten into a confrontation with Werner the first night they arrived but Volker had few other men to choose from. Too many lost to Ndoto or desertion. 

“I don’t understand why there’s a debate about this,” Fortuna said, arms crossed. “He has no pulse. He’s clinically dead. Your Heimler may be trying to find a solution to this but we all know that normal people just don’t die and come back to life. It’s better to just leave him here but if you are concerned about him just leave one or two people with him. It’s ridiculous spending so much manpower transporting one dead man from one place to another.”

“I agree with your point on the waste of manpower,” Vogel said. “And as we stand, I am the one who holds the highest rank. Martin has made his choice as has Friedhelm. We leave him.”

Volker could not argue with that logic. However, there was no humanity in it.

“If I may offer a suggestion…” Arjun Uttaretara approached them and dipped his head into a slight bow. He gestured to one of his men behind him. “I can offer one of my vassals to stand guard over Heinrich when we depart from here—”

A sharp voice in a language Volker recognized but did not know cut Arjun off short. Mai Beijixing approached Arjun and appeared rather upset. The two went back and forth for a moment before Mai pinched the bridge of her nose and waved her hand dismissively.

Arjun turned back to Volker and Vogel and nodded. “I believe even in death, there should be reverence, hauptmann.”

Volker returned the gesture. “Thank you, Prince Utarretara.”

Arjun glanced over at Fortuna.

The woman let out a breath. “They’re your men, Prince Utaretara.”

Commotion came from just beyond the baseball field. Two men and two women came dashing down the hill. The reconnaissance group that they had sent up earlier. The quartet stumbled in front of them, one Capricornian and one Sagittarian supporting a limping Capricornian. 

The leading Sagittarian bowed deeply in front of Mai and said something quickly. Mai took a step back and shared a look with Arjun.

“Monsters, sir,” one of the Capricornian men, Schneider, stammered as he looked to his injured companion. “People are turning into them.” His gaze drifted to Heinrich laying in-between them and he raised a shaky hand. “People die and they become monsters.”

Volker’s mind immediately went to his daughter and granddaughter. No, he had to focus on the now first.

The injured Capricornian, Himmel, abruptly lurched forward with an agonized groan. He shed the Sagittarian man and Hertz who had been supporting him and fell to his knees. Wincing and half-panicked, he pulled back his baggy pants leg to reveal a weeping wound around his ankle. It oozed a pus that began to glow and grow.

Mai grabbed her vassal by the wrist and pulled him back. “What is that?”

“We were caught off guard by one of the monsters, My Lady,” the vassal answered in Common. “Himmel intervened and saved us but his leg was caught by them. We managed to get away but—but the injury wasn’t that bad.”

The glow leaking from Himmel’s injury started crawling up his leg as if it had sentience. No, not crawling but consuming. 

They needed to cut it off.

“Has any Projector been able to successfully conduct without a conductor yet?” Volker called out, maintaining his calm as Himmel’s agonized cries continued. 

No one answered.

“Fall back!” Valentino ordered.

The few around them began to skirt backwards, although Volker maintained his ground as did Vogel beside him. Arjun drew nearer.

“Any Conjuror?” Volker asked, holding up his hand.

Again, no answer.

He himself had practiced somewhat with the group earlier but he had only been able to feel a warmth at his fingertips and nothing more. 

Arjun stepped forward, lifting his hand. “You wish to sever the affected area? Allow me to try.” He glanced at Volker. “I am not sure how effective this will be because this is not how our conducting is used.”

Volker nodded. 

Arjun brought his head down and pointed his index and middle finger at Himmel’s swollen leg. He took a in a breath—

—and suddenly Volker’s vision became flooded with a dark purple light. When the light faded,  Himmel’s body lay scattered in several different pieces before him. His foot there. His leg here. His head just a meter away. 

The smell of burnt flesh curled in the air.

“Himmel!” Hertz cried, lunging forward. 

The others began to search the area around them and search the skies for the source of the light.

Volker grabbed the woman by the scruff and pulled her back and away from the dismembered body as the clean cuts began to ooze out a glowing sap-like light instead of blood. 

Clearly, even amputating Himmel’s leg would not have saved him.

Volker looked over at Arjun who appeared absolutely bewildered by the sight before him. Before Volker could put the pieces together in his mind, his vision again became filled with dark purple light. When the light faded, Himmel’s body parts were no longer scattered in front of them.  Just burn marks singed into the earth.

“What the hell did you do, Kafke?!”

Emilia visibly tensed from where she stood a few meters away.

Volker turned towards where the familiar voice had originated from. Kafke Nezche, dressed in a pineapple-print blouse and tan trousers. Behind him stood Otto Vogt, gripping him by the arm. 

“Otto!” Emilia breathed.

Otto registered her before jerking Kafke backwards. “Kafke! What the hell are you doing? You said we’d go meet up with the boss and get out of this mess! Now you’re smacking around VNWs?”

Kafke pulled away from him and approached them. On his shoulders road a familiar and heavy ominousness.

“Capricorn,” he realized. 

Capricorn eyed him as he neared, “I advised you to bring Kafke along with you. This situation could have ended up much differently.”  

“You say that as if the Kafke of Ndoto is easy to convince to tag along,” Fortuna responded evenly from behind Volker.

Capricorn stared at her for a moment before he stiffened. “You’re a friend of Cadence Foxman…”

Volker paused. 

Fortuna regarded him and merely said, “I believe this would be the first time we’ve personally met in this setting.”

Capricorn cleared his throat and nodded at the spot Himmel once lay. “This is not something that can be reversed so people whose vitae reaches that hyper-elevated state or destabilizes need to be disposed of immediately. I warned you to handle this garden last—” 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Otto interjected, pulling Kafke back by the shoulder. “Why are you talking about yourself in third person? We need to get to the boss. Who knows what kind of trouble he’s gotten himself into in this mess.” He nodded at Emilia. “Emilia, you should come with us. These VNWs will get you killed.”

“Like how you killed Himmel?” Hertz snapped, rising to her feet, fists clenched. “You—” Her words became caught in her throat as soon as Capricorn’s gaze fell on her.

“We are not the ones who’ve cut the root, Capricorn,” Vogel informed Capricorn after a pause. “We are merely dealing with the fall out.” After a beat of hesitation, he said, “If you have any additional knowledge you believe may be helpful in deciding our next course of action, it would be appreciated. You are, after all, the saint candidate of our country.”

It was odd to hear Vogel speaking to someone as if they were above him. Even Kaiser Nezche had been treated as if an equal by the man. Then again, Capricorn was the only one Volker had ever witnessed slapping him.

Capricorn regarded him. “If it wasn’t you who cut the root, I advise you to locate who did and deal with them accordingly. They are an unneeded complication in the mission. Besides that, I would recommend that you find a root to slip through and begin working on the other gardens. There is no point in continuing here since the gardener has most likely noticed what has occurred and is launching a response.” His eyes narrowed as they fell on Heinrich’s unmoving form. “This would not have occurred if you had bided your time doing as I had suggested—”

“Hauptmann Weingartner!” 

Emilia whipped forward in front of him. Her eyes immediately brightened. “Klaus…?”

Up the field came Klaus Kleine holding hands with the woman Volker had often seen accompanying Francis Foxman. Charite. Klaus came to a running stop in front of Volker and immediately saluted.

He spewed out quickly, breathlessly, “H-Hauptmann, there are monsters. Just like the Week of Blindness. I wasn’t myself but suddenly I—”

Volker raised his hand. “At ease, Kleine. You may not need to explain yourself fully. From what I gather, you’re fully aware of yourself again and you’ve encountered people in elevated states of vitae.”

Klaus nodded breathlessly. Before he could get another word in, Emilia ran over to him and pulled him into a tight embrace. He froze and returned the gesture in kind with his free arm. When they pulled away, their gazes as well as Volker’s fell on Charite.

Charite was staring bullets at Capricorn.

Capricorn held her gaze. 

Charite eventually balked and pulled her hand away from Klaus’s. “Klaus, you should stay here. With your people. I need to go to Francis.”

Klaus reached out for her wrist. “Charite, it’s dangerous—”

Charite freed her wrist and eyed Capricorn. “Klaus, please.” She eyed Emilia who studied her quietly. “Just… be careful.”

She departed without another word. 

Volker could see Klaus struggle to go after her. He knew from previous reports that Klaus had known Charite Haussman from childhood before the ELPIS Leader was initiated into her. He, however, needed all men at hand, so when Klaus hesitated and looked back at him, Volker shook his head.

Specks of light suddenly twinkled down from above them.  A shadow passed overhead. 

Volker looked up just in time to see a flash of white just before a strange woman dressed in white garb landed in front of him. Something about her seemed ethereal and unreal. Beside her, floated down a more familiar young woman.

“Eunji!” Kai identified the latter from where he stood in-between Mai and Arjun. “You’re okay!”

“You—” Fortuna’s eyes narrowed as she registered the strange woman beside Eunji. “You were there on that boat… Altair.” She glanced over at Arjun who nodded as if in confirmation. 

Capricorn held the strange woman’s gaze and the strange woman held Capricorn’s. The familiarity was clear.

Arjun drew carefully, gaining the woman’s attention “If you are indeed Altair, then how did you get here and why are you here? We presumed you came from a different garden.”

The strange woman studied the man for a moment before lowered her head and dipped into a small bow. “I am indeed Altair, a Mathites from Ophiuchus’s.” She straightened herself, a small smile gracing her lips. “Although, you might be more familiar with me when I was known as Omicron or Charite.”

Klaus visibly tensed.

“I assure you that in these circumstances I am your ally.” She gestured to Eunji. “If you will not take my word for it, perhaps you will accept this young lady’s.”

Eunji proceeded to explain everything she’d encountered starting with her departure with Olive to her crossing with Fritz and Yulia to her arrival at their current location. Volker doubted that the Wibele was a very stable location to serve as the rendezvous point since the Ariesian princess and Sagittarian princess had a skirmish there. The Foxman’s mansion, on the other hand—

“If even you managed to slip through to come here, Altair,” Capricorn drew, “then the state of Ndoto must be more fragile than I initially thought.”

Altair studied him intently.

“I see you don’t recognize me as I am,” Capricorn realized. “I am Capricorn. I was unable to find any other suitable way of interacting with Ndoto than this.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Kafke?” Otto pressed.

Altair’s brows rose and she nodded at Capricorn but she continued to study him intently. 

“What is it?”

“Forgive me for being forward, but is it a good idea for you to be mingling in that body?” Altair drew slowly. “In our Ophiuchian garden, you were able to have corporeal form without interacting with the vitae here. Now, however—”

“You’re suggesting I may become influenced by the percularies of Ndoto due to the mingling of vitae of ‘Kafke Nezche’ who is of Ndoto and the vitae of myself.”

Altair nodded. 

“And what of yourself? Unlike me, you’re fully—”

“I know I’m not myself.” Altair chuckled lightly. “But I will not be able to bring that outside of here.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You, on the other hand—I’m sure you’ve considered the consequences.” 

Abruptly, they slipped into a language Volker did not recognize. 

Eventually, Altair turned back to them and continued in Common, “Anyways, you gentlemen wouldn’t have seen a Cadence Foxman, Francis Foxman, or a Charite Haussman around here, would you have? Or perhaps any of my fellow Mathites—or, ELPIS Leaders, as you would call them?”

Klaus tensed.

“Why are you looking for them?” Fortuna asked calmly, arms crossed.

Altair turned to Fortuna and studied her before calmly reaching into the folds of her cloth and procuring several silver chains with knife-shaped pendants attached to their ends.

Fortuna stiffened. “How did you get those? I thought…”

“A dear friend entrusted them to me,” Altair replied, “Miss Fortuna Romano.”

Fortuna’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the point of them? Are you implying Tau’s vitae and Theta’s vitae have somehow been returned to those resistors?”

“No, nothing like that,” Altair assured her. “These are completely empty. However, they can potentially survive as necessary reminders.”

“Reminders?”

“Weed killers, even…” Altair abruptly turned and stared towards Klaus who tensed under her gaze. “You’ve mentioned the Foxman’s mansion a few times now, Miss Eunji. Perhaps, I’ll be able to find my darling there—”

The vassal that had been standing beside Mai—the one that had been sent off on reconnaissance— suddenly let out a breathy gasp and tore herself away from Mai’s side. Before Mai could verbally question her, the vassal pushed back the sleeve of her shirt to reveal a pulsating line of light running her arm in place of her vein.

Altair lifted her hand.

The vassal immediately pulled a kitchen knife that had been strapped to her belt.

A fight?

No, the vassal flipped the weapon around and pointed its tip at her abdomen. 

Altair lowered her arm as an expression of pity crossed her face.

“That won’t be enough.” Capricorn lifted his hand and light danced at his fingertips.

A whistling sound rang in the air followed by a compressed boom. The vassal jerked forward. However, it was not a blade of purple light that cut through the vassal but a long spear about two meters long. It ran directly through her from head to toe: straight through her spinal cord.

Eunji sucked in a breath. “That’s my—”

Volker barely had the time to comprehend the gruesomeness before the spear began to vibrate. A torrent of wind exploded outwards from the spear and was accompanied by a wet shearing sound. 

Volker winced against the stinging winds briefly, and when he blinked away the tears in his eyes, he found himself and everyone else surrounded by many small red orbs no bigger than his thumb. Interspersed among the red orbs were flecks of blue light.

The vassal was no longer standing where she once was. Instead, only the spear remained. Now that it was no longer piercing the woman through, Volker could see that it was dotted with many holes. Most likely, it was hollowed out.

The red orbs pulsated faintly with light which was when it occurred to Volker that they were now surrounded by the remnants of the vassal. The air around him tightened as the blips of blue light began to collapse around the red orbs. They compressed the orbs further, further, further, thinning the air more and more and more until—the orbs disappeared completely along with the luminous specs and the air was light again.

All the Sagittarians besides Eunji were searching the skies. Volker followed the younger girl’s gaze to the spear still embedded into the ground just as a figure alighted onto the ground beside it.

Yuseong Claire. 

No. 

Sagittarius plucked the spear from the ground and gave it a twirl. It whistled with the motion, and he whistled too. “This is one mean thing.” He side-glanced at Mai. “You’re welcome, by the way—”

Eunji embraced him and whispered something in their native tongue.

Volker felt pity for the girl. He was glad she was not able to see the nonchalance on Saggitarius’s face as he patted her on the shoulder.

“Jin!” came a shout from above.

A woman descended from the skies while gripping a dangling familiar man below her. Guidance Officer Shion Myosotis and the royal guard Felix.

“Sagittarius,” Capricorn greeted him calmly.

Sagittarius stared at him for a moment before offering a mocking two fingered salute. He registered Altair and his brows rose but he said nothing. Instead he turned to Volker and thumbed behind him.

Volker resisted tensing at the attention.

“By the way, your peacekeeping buddies are all the way back there. Don’t know what they’re doing right now but they’re back there, alright.”

“What are your intentions, Sagittarius? Are you responsible for this?” 

Sagittarius sighed. “What is with people jumping to conclusions about me? No, I didn’t do this.” He slid his hands into his pockets and eyed Shion. “We’re actually headed to see what caused all of this, but…” He squinted up at the sky. “For some reason, we kept finding ourselves here.” He glanced at Capricorn and Altair. “Didn’t you notice that too?”

Was he implying that they were led here?

Altair took in an audible breath before swiveling around and scanning their surroundings. She let out the breath and her face became grim. “To think that they’d even be able to get a hold of darling’s conducting. She would throw a fit if she knew.”

Capricorn frowned.  “You mean Vega is behind this?”

“And how did you jump to that conclusion from what she said?” Sagittarius arched a brow. He nodded at Altair. “You think Gemini is planning our meet up?”

“It’s certainly not Vega.”

“That’s ludicrous. Gemini is a Transmutationist.”

Right. Capricorn had mentioned that before: that Gemini was an adept Transmutationist.

“Uh, no they’re not.” Sagittarius glanced at Altair. “They don’t call our buddy one of the Great Devourers cause they can do party parlor tricks.” He studied Capricorn carefully. “You’re not joking, are you? Capricorn, Gemini is a ‘Diverger’, remember? They can—”

A sharp and rhythmic click, clacking sound cut the man off.

Sagittarius craned his neck and then laughed. “Of course.”

A woman dressed in a khaki suit ascended the hill towards them accompanied by a wiry and fretful looking man. 

Volker immediately recognized the woman as the former peacekeeper and Saint Candidate Leona Gloria-Angelo.

Fortuna identified the man behind Leona for her, “Ambrose… No, Epsilon.”

“Who is that?” Capricorn asked, nodding at Sagittarius.

Sagittarius glanced at him. “Oh, right, you haven’t been baptized in since the war. That right there is Leona.”

“Leo, then. I haven’t seen them. Good—”

“No, not Leo.” Sagittarius shook his head. “I didn’t really realize it when I was Jin but Leona wasn’t baptized right. She wasn’t even able to conduct without a conductor. She was more ‘-na’ than ‘Leo-’. They call her Araceli here.”

“Then she is a conduit of this place,” Capricorn concluded as Araceli stopped short in front of them. “And she should be easy to deal with.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that…” Sagittarius hummed. “She did end up kicking my ass, so—”

Araceli inclined her head at Capricorn. She flicked her hand, forming a blade of pure gold light in her palms. “Kafke Nezche, you are being put under the custody of the guidance council.”

“What?” Otto snapped. “What for?” He gestured wildly around him. “I don’t know what the hell is going on but that makes the least sense out of all the bullshit that has happened so far.” He pointed at Leona. “You’re a guidance officer, aren’t you? Then help us get the hell out of here and to somewhere safe where people aren’t turning into monsters!”

Araceli offered Otto an understanding smile. “Mr. Vogt, I understand your frustrations. I assure you our safety is my priority—which is why I must take Kafke under my custody.” Her gaze swept them all. “Him and all those diagnosed with VNW here. You are a danger to not only yourselves but to everyone else around you.” She flicked her wrist, extending the blade in her hand. “If you resist, I will use force.”

A statement of truth. Not a warning.

Volker shared a look with Vogel.

Capricorn’s lips drew into a thin line. “We’ll handle this quickly. We have the advantage.”

“Uh… ‘we’?” Sagittarius snorted. “Count me out.” He kicked up towards the sky—

—and was immediately jerked to a stop as a golden chain of light shot up and wrapped around his ankle.

Araceli held the other end of the chain with little effort.

“Ah, crap,” was all Sagittarius said before Araceli slammed him to the ground.

“No, don’t touch him!”

Ferris tugged at Jericho’s arm as he knelt down beside the man who had just dropped like a stone in front of him. Jericho resisted her touch and reached out to shake the older man gently. As soon as his fingers brushed against the man’s shoulder, he felt a numbness run up from his fingertips to his arm to his chest.

The older man gasped and shot up to a sit. He looked around wildly and clutched Jericho’s hand.

“You’re okay,” Jericho assured him, shaking out the numbness from his other hand. “You fell unconscious there for a moment.” 

Alwin joined him and began to methodically check his eyes, mouth, and ears. Just like how someone studying to work in the medical wing of Small Services would do.

Did the older man have a health condition?

No, there were no chronic health conditions in Ndoto.

“What…?” Ferris whispered, releasing Jericho’s arm. “But… he should have…”

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

More people began to collapse around them.

Jericho released the older man and ran to the woman who had collapsed nearest to him. Again, as soon as she reached out to touch her shoulder, he felt the numbness shoot up his arm again. The woman, just like the man before her, gasped and grabbed a hold of Jericho’s arm.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

“What the actual blazes is going on here? Mass hysteria?” Vincente snapped, gaze sweeping the crowd around them. “We are not equipped to handle this! This is why the guidance officers need a protocol for these kind of events!”

One of the men who had collapsed farther away from Jericho caught his eye.  He was twitching: violently. A seizure?

Jericho whipped around to Alwin who was already dashing to where there the convulsing man lay. Before Alwin could reach the man’s side, however, a cry broke out into the crowd.

Jericho scanned the now moving, stampeding, disorderly bodies around and froze. A glowing mass erupted from the body of one of the men who had collapsed in the distance. That strangely, disgustingly familiar liquid light flowed out from the man’s body and was enveloping everything and every person that it touched.

Something clicked in Jericho’s mind and only one thought followed:

His siblings. 

Jericho abandoned the woman who clung to him and swiveled around. His siblings, now standing and peering curiously in his and the crowd’s direction, were still gathered at the sidewalk.

Jericho ran forward and jerked Alwin back by the arm. “Alwin, no. Leave it.” He waved his hand in the air and shouted, “Everyone, leave the area now! Get yourself out before you go back to help others.”

It was difficult to tell if anyone heeded his instruction but Jericho did not have the time to check. He pushed past the crowd and made it to his siblings.

“W-What’s going on?” Sidra stammered.

Hayal pulled the white cat close to her.  Fear burned in her eyes. “Ah-hee…”

Jericho pulled Hayal, Sidra, and Ahlam close as he scanned the chaos for an exit.

There.

An alleyway opening.

Perhaps they could scale a fire escape to the roof. 

Just as he began to drag his siblings to the opening, Sidra took in a deep breath and stared past his shoulder. “Ah-hee, look…”

A low rumbling reached his ears and the ground beneath his feet began to shake. The warmth from the sky light on his back faded away but the light itself did not. The buildings around him began to become illuminated in pink.

Jericho turned.

The crowd behind him was still in chaos, and there were more of those disgusting masses of light dotting the foray. However, beyond them, and towards the beach now grew a wall that was taller than himself, taller than the buildings around them. And it was coming closer.

“Ah-hee, a dolphin!” Hayal pointed over his shoulder and at the wall.

Jericho followed her point and saw that there was indeed a dolphin casually swimming inside the wall. There were other things swimming inside of it too: schools of fish, turtles, even a shark. 

Jericho tried to wrap his mind around the sight before he realized that the wall of pink light was not a wall at all, but the ocean.

He’d seen this somewhere before, hadn’t he?

“That fool… he’s going to kill us all.” 

Jericho looked to his left. Agape Rosario stood there, staring up at the ocean wall. 

“Jericho,” came a shaking voice to his right as a hand hesitantly rested on his shoulder, “we need to get to a rooftop.”

It was Ferris. Her gaze kept flicking between himself and his siblings.

Jericho looked up at the wall of water. It was only a meter away from the buildings now and its shape was beginning to waver.

“No, we won’t make it,” Jericho realized.

As soon as he said that, the wall of water lost its shape and began to crash down on them.

“Hold onto me!” Jericho ordered his siblings, mind racing.

They obeyed: Sidra hugging him from the left, Hayal hugging him from the right, and Ahlam wrapping around from Hayal.

Screams tore through the air around them as the water rushed down, sending sprays of mist before it swept people and masses of light away left and right. Soon the waterfront was crashing down on them.

“I’m scared, Ah-hee!” Sidra cried. “I’m scared!”

Jericho put a hand around her, raised his other hand, and concentrated. The rush of water met him—but it sizzled away as it made contact with the gray light emitting from his hands. That gray light spread through the ocean torrent, eating up every droplet and molecule of water it made contact with. The only streams of water to escape were the ones rushing around his touch.

Steam fogged up the air around making it difficult to breathe but Jericho did not relent. He had been given this gift from the tree for this purpose: to keep his family, friends, and those he cared for safe. A gift capable of countering all other gifts from the tree. A gift he was not supposed to use on people who were not members of ELPIS: like the people currently lost in the ocean waves around him.

Jericho faltered for just a second, but a second was all the torrent of the ocean needed.

“Hold your breath!” Jericho shouted as he grabbed hold of his siblings.

Just a blink later, and the torrent slammed into him full force. His feet lost contact with the ground and was thrown into a twisting watery darkness. He knew there was no point in fighting against it right now, so he simply tucked his head in and curled around his siblings. He held item in an iron group and refused to let go.

There was darkness for a long time, and he was unable to tell up from down. Something cracked hard against his back and something else brushed against his leg. A stray piece of debris or someone’s body or hand: he didn’t know.

Abruptly, he found himself breaking through the water’s surface. He took in a deep breath and was relieved to hear three small gasps beside him. He couldn’t see anything, however, and realized his glasses had been knocked from his face. Even so, he could feel the current tugging them along.

“Hayal,” Jericho called out, “Sidra? Alham?”

Three shaking whimpers gave him reassurance. 

He shifted a bit in the water, hoisting his siblings up more with slight difficulty.

“I can’t see anything,” Jericho panted, spitting out some of the water that had gotten into his mouth. “I lost my glasses. Do you see any places or anything we can hold onto?”

“There!” Alham pointed at some flat shape not too far off in the distance. “The roof of the old radio shack! It’s slightly above the water.”

Alham wiggled slightly out of Jericho’s hold. He gripped Jericho tight by the arm and Jericho did the same to him as the boy began to lead them to the roof top. Alham clambered up first before helping Jericho pull and hoist Sidra and Hayal up onto the roof.

He tried to take a moment to catch his breath afterwards but—

“Hurry up, Ah-hee!”

“Ah-hee, come on! What if you’re ripped out by the current?”

—he was pulled onto the roof by his siblings.

As soon as he found his balance up there, he began to assess his siblings. Holding their faces up close to his eyes, checking their arms and legs for injury, taking note of their shivering.

“The kitty is okay too…” Hayal muttered. “She’s right here.”

They were quieter than normal. They were scared. But they were alive. 

Jericho felt a weight lift from his shoulders before his mind went to his fellow club members.

Alham abruptly ran to the edge of the roof. “Ah-hee, there’s more people—”

A second later Alham was pulling up two women onto the rooftop with Sidra’s help.

“Be careful,” Jericho panted, catching his breath.

Even with his blurred vision, he could identify that one of the women had bubblegum pink hair. It was Ferris. The other woman with her was probably that Agape Rosario.

“P-Partner?”

Jericho craned his neck and squinted. Two blurry figures approached him.

“Talib?”

“It is you, Jericho!” the familiar voice shouted. Two hands rested on his shoulder and shook him. “You’re okay!”

Talib’s blurry figure was brushed to the side by another. Something was being held out for him now. Jericho squinted. A pair of glasses.

Jericho accepted them and put them on.

He immediately made out that it was Talib Al-Jarrah and Alice Kingsley who stood in front of him.

“They’re an older prescription of yours,” Alice said calmly, folding her arms, her eyes searching his frame, “but they should suffice.” She glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening slightly. “Ferris…?”

“Alice?!” Ferris yelped behind him. “And Gabrielle!”

They knew each other, it seemed. 

Jericho paused.

Had she called out for Gabrielle…?

Jericho peered over Alice and Talib’s shoulders. Two more figures approached—Gabrielle Law, waving, and Proteus. 

Olive’s head was pounding and a nauseating sensation of deja vu. Nostalgic. It felt like he was about to synchronize with one of the others—maybe recall something from their pasts. Key words: about to. Whatever threshold was required to synchronize properly refused to be crossed. 

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

“Are you hoping my answer of ‘yes’ will change if you ask it ten more times?” Olive muttered. “Isn’t that the opposite of what a royal guard should be hoping for or are you actually a sadist?”

“I’m just worried for you, Your Highness,” Alexander replied. “Hence the nagging.”

Olive had been weaving through the alleyways alongside Alexander, Trystan, and Soha for the past fifteen minutes. They were headed to a cafe in the adjacent district: where Lavi had told him she’d be this morning visiting the Wtoreks. Gabrielle and Alice had mentioned meeting the Wtoreks there. He just hoped they were still around the area and safe.

A sobbing woman brushed past them. Olive grabbed her by the arm and directed her to a nearby abandoned building’s rooftop. It was safer at least than running on the streets. He’d been doing this every time someone panicked passed him by. It was the least he could do to push down the guilt he felt gnawing at his stomach that this was all his fault. He knew he wasn’t the one who brought that proto-conductor down in that facility— the root—in the Small Services District, but at the same time he felt as if he’d done it himself. 

Atienna…. why?

“Olive, you look like you need a break,” Trystan whispered.

Olive stopped short and looked back at him. 

Then there was Trystan. “It’s my duty,” he’d said. When Olive had pressed him for what he meant when he’d said that, Trystan’s answer had been a simple “I don’t know.”

Olive felt like this place was playing with his feelings, playing with this other Trystan’s fate, and he despised it. 

“I agree,” Soha said from behind Trystan. She had been given the task to man the rear since, besides Olive, she was the only one who was able to conduct without their conductor. Trystan didn’t count. “Our pace has slowed considerably. Perhaps your royal guard can carry you on his back.”

Olive frowned. “That is not happening. I already said that I’m fine—”

A shriek from around the corner cut him off short.

Heart hammering and that guilt in his chest building, Olive rounded the corner and found himself standing in a small open square. At the far corner of that square was a family of four who were backed up against the wall. The wall opposite to them was completely enveloped in a viscous light that was reaching out hand-like tendrils towards them. 

“It’s too big,” Soha whispered beside him, gripping his shoulder. “We need to go in the opposite direction.”

Olive knew this but—he shrugged her off. “Just stay back!”

He ran forward a bit and threw his hands out at the being of vitae.  Flames shot out from his palms and seared through the thing’s form. It began to retract its tendrils as the putrid smell of smoke curled in the air.

Olive shouted at the family, “Get away! Now!” 

They obeyed, slowly inching along the wall and heading towards the alleyway opening behind him.

Trystan and Alexander joined him much to his annoyance as he focused his attention back on the mass of vitae. His flames only covered half of the thing’s body, leaving the other half to slowly begin to creep over the walls and back towards him.

Alexander gripped him by the arm. “Your Highness, we need to go. Now.”

“Olive!” Trystan shouted, just a foot behind him. “He’s right!” 

Olive’s gaze flitted to the family that was still trying to skirt along the walls towards him. “No, take Trystan and get back!” He locked eyes with Alexander. “This… This is an order!” 

Alexander faltered. 

Abruptly, Olive’s flames grew in strength, consuming the entire thing’s form in an instant. No, it wasn’t that his flames had suddenly grown stronger but that they had been joined by another set of flames that was a stronger and deeper red than his own. 

Those flames soon consumed his own until the entire vitae creature’s body was coated in it. 

Hesitantly, as the creature ebbed away beneath the heat, Olive lowered his hands. The family of four gave him grateful looks before slipping away but he was too focused on the mystery of the fire to acknowledge them. Before he could identify the source of the other fire, he was pulled back by the scruff of his shirt.

“You got a suicide wish, you dumb brat?”

Olive looked up and froze.

Derik Stein stood behind him wearing his usual sneer. 

Was he dreaming? 

Olive spun around, looked Derik up and down. He took a hopeful step forward—and was immediately shoved back. 

“Were you just about to fucking hug me?” Derik wrinkled his nose. “I already told you. The only people that can hug me are bombshell dolls.”

Ugh. 

Olive felt his cheeks burn but pushed down biting retaliatory words because he just felt so relieved to see the man. 

Alexander abruptly stepped in-between them. 

Derik jutted his chin out. “Not you again—” He trailed off as he registered Trystan. Something unreadable passed his face. He eyed Olive. “You brought him too? That’s pretty fucking pathetic.”

Trystan frowned. 

“I didn’t bring him,” Olive muttered. “I couldn’t stop him.”

Derik grunted and jerked his head back toward the dying flames. “I’m guessing you really are your usually bratty self again since you went to do something stupid like that.”

Olive let out a breath. “Yes, I’m myself again… and I’m… glad you’re okay.”

Derik studied him for a moment before he shrugged and came closer before Alexander held out a hand. Derik sneered and shoved Alexander back hard. “Want to do that again? You’re acting real big for someone who calls themselves a guard and was just about to let their charge kick the bucket.”

Alexander’s eyes narrowed. “You’re dangerous and disrespectful. I don’t understand how you came to be at the prince’s side but you—”

“I ‘came to be’ at the brat’s side because I’m a hell of a lot better at this than you.” Derik jabbed a finger at Alexander’s chest. “For one, I don’t bend over backwards for the brat. And for two—” he pointed at Trystan “—I don’t fucking die.”

Olive’s heart fell into his stomach. “Derik. Stop.”

Derik stiffened and shut his mouth. He pulled back for a moment, muttered something under his breath. Then he jerked his thumb back again to the smouldering building. “Didn’t think you had that sort of gas in you—”

“I… don’t,” Olive drew slowly. “That wasn’t all me—”

“It was me.”

The familiar voice lifted the heaviness in Olive’s chest.

Lavi emerged from the smoke shrouding the center of the square. Where she had come from, Olive didn’t know. And he didn’t care to know.

“He’s right about you being foolish and having a death wish—”

Olive dashed forward and wrapped his sister in a tight hug before she could finish her sentence. A beat past before she returned his hug just as tightly.

He pulled away first, assessing her. “Are you okay?” He looked around. “Are you not with anyone else?”

Lavi shook her head, brows furrowing. “Ollie, you shouldn’t be here. What are you doing here?”

Olive arched a brow. “I was looking for you. What are you doing here?”

Lavi hesitated. “I was…. looking for you.”

Olive frowned. “You’re not going to hurt my feelings if you tell me that you weren’t looking for me nad that you were doing something else. I told you before. You’re my sister—”

Lavi sighed with clear annoyance and slapped his arm away. “Ollie, you always say things and do things based on how you feel. You’re a good person, but that’s just not enough—”

“You can say that again,” Derik grunted.

Olive sent him a glare.

“I know that a root has been cut,” Olive pressed, studying Lavi’s face. “And I know that maybe you were looking for me but maybe you were going to go investigate that too. I… know you care about this place. Or maybe I’m delusional and I just think that you do, but just let me know if we’re on the same page. If we’re not, then help me understand it.”

“You know that the root’s been cut…? Who told you?” 

Olive tensed. “It’s not hard to guess that’s what happened when people are becoming blobs of vitae and Ndoto is falling apart and the word root has been thrown around more than I care to count.”

Lavi studied him for a moment. “You know who did it…”

Olive tensed even further and he felt guilty for the action— for the apprehension and need he felt to keep Atienna’s actions hidden from his own sister.

“For fuck’s sake. I even fucking know who did it.” Derik rolled his eyes. “Enough of this sibling back and forth drama. You’re not the only ones here. Just pick what you want to do and let’s get on with it.”

Alexander shook his head at Derik, while Olive whipped to Derik in surprise. Derik knew? But how? The gears in Olive’s head turned as a familiar, nauseating wave of deja vu overcame him once again. Then it clicked. Derik had been with Atienna—

“Olive…?”

Olive turned towards the alleyway they had just come from. A group stood there, and Olive could literally feel the tension between them. His heart leapt in his chest, however, as he identified the woman who led the group:

“Atienna?”

Wtorek Csilla had only an idea of where additional roots could be. She only had an inkling of the identity of two possible roots. She only had a vague theory on where one of the roots were. But with her father’s cold body weighing heavily on her back, those ideas, inklings, theories, hopes were solid enough reasons for her to continue forward.

“Csilla, let me take him,” her mother insisted for the fifth time.

“I’m stronger than you,” Csilla murmured, brushing her hand aside. “It’s okay… I can do it.”

“You may be stronger than me, Csilla,” her mother said after a pause, “but you’re the only one between us who can…” She hesitated. “Csilla, let me take him.”

Csilla understood the words her mother could not say. “Okay, Mama…” Nodding quietly, she shifted her father off of her back and onto her mother’s. Her mother struggled temporarily with the added weight but managed to right herself.

They continued down the alley together, Csilla leading but holding onto her mother’s arm for reassurance. They came to a fork in the alley. One path leading to the left and the other continuing on straight ahead. Just as they were about to round the corner together, Csilla tensed and held her mother back.

“What is it?” her mother whispered. “Another one of those vitae mutations?”

Four figures rounded the said left turn and stopped short upon apparently registering them.

Csilla recognized them immediately as they were always at the Wibele whenever Csilla frequented there. The couple Fritz and Yulia von Spiel and two Capricornians. A general and a foot soldier, if Csilla recalled correctly. What were two Capricornian soldiers doing here split off from their larger group—

Csilla realized Fritz was carrying Kovich in his arms. 

“Fritz…” Yulia took in a breath. “It’s him…”

Csilla followed Yulia’s gaze to her mother—no, to her father.

The walls around them blurred into high-rise buildings and the sky over their heads darkened. The space between Csilla’s family and the group of five grew long, long, longer. An apparition came into reality in front of Csilla’s eyes. She recognized her father’s sturdy back immediately but did not recognize the stiff stance he took.  Upon peering around to see his face, she froze.

A painfully white snake tattoo gleamed on his lower jaw.

White light blipped at her father’s gloved right hand as he conjured a pistol there.  Without hesitation, he lifted the weapon and aimed it in the other group’s direction. There was a soft click—

“Do not fear. You will return to the cycle.”

“Why? Even though they’ve ruined everything in my life…I can’t help but go to them when they call me…”

“Y-Yulia. Y-Yulia!”

Csilla couldn’t tell if those disorientating cries were echoing in her own head or the alleyway around them.

“Izsak, no!” her mother cried.

The illusion disappeared instantaneously. 

Csilla found herself back at crossroads with her mother behind her and the group of Capricornians only a meter ahead of her.

Fritz looked pale, and Yulia’s eyes burned with hate. It was not either of them that took the first step forward, however, but the general whose eyes were unreadable.

“I see. So, that man,” the general drew, reaching for something at his belt as his gaze locked onto her father’s unconscious form, “is the one who killed my son.” 

“Martin…” the Capricornian foot soldier drew, voice filled with sympathy but tension as well. 

His words were simple but his tone sent shivers down Csilla’s spine—which was ridiculous because she was a saint candidate.

Csilla’s mother took a step back. “No, listen to me. This isn’t Gamma. I’m telling you, it isn’t. I’m sorry for your loss but—”

“You’re trying to get him to a root too,” Yulia realized. 

Csilla’s mother paled. “Yes… we are. Because this isn’t—”

“You’re a peacekeeper, aren’t you?” the general interjected. “I’ve seen you in the papers. You were the vice chair to the Ophiuchus’s Medical Department.” His voice again remained calm but his tone— “And as a peacekeeper, you should believe in fairness. So tell me why you are trying to save a murderous ELPIS Leader.”

Csilla’s eyes narrowed and she allowed her vitae to spill across her hand. She lifted it warningly, drawing upon the depths of everything that made her a saint candidate as she held their gazes. “Stand down.”

The group faltered—but Martin maintained his gaze.

“Listen,” Csilla’s mother’s voice cut through. “We don’t want a fight. That boy—he’s also suffering complications from the root being cut, isn’t he? It’s better if we work together and find a solution for all of our sakes.”

Yulia scoffed, conjuring a pistol identical to the one Gamma had wielded in a flash of light. “You’re insane.”

Csilla’s mother let out a breath. “If not for us then for them. The more time we waste bickering here, the less time they have.”

No one moved.

Csilla bit the inside of her cheek.

Click, clack, click, clack.

Csilla stared down the opposite end of the alley. Her heart fell into her stomach as a sliver of dark pink light lit up the darkness there.

“What the hell was that thing…?” Carl panted, doubled over. “What the hell came out of that kid’s face?!”

“Calm down, Carl.” Allen rolled his damp sleeves up his arm as he surveyed the room Francis had just whisked them away to. 

A long table ran down the center of the room and a familiar chandelier gleamed above it. Around him cowered the children from the care center they had just been at the park with. He began to do a quick head count and noted three heads were missing. The two boys and one girl that had caused them to escape here in the first place. 

Only moments before this, those three had collapsed onto the ground like dead logs. When Francis, Cadence, and the careworker that had been with them ran to the children’s sides, the children began to be eaten from the inside out by something monstrous. The poor careworker got the short end of the stick and had gotten pulled into those glowing masses.

Francis had gotten worked up just like he always did and Allen had to slap him to come to his senses and transport them here. Here at—

“We’re home,” Cadence reassured the terrified children alongside Feliciano and Donato. “It’s okay. We’re home.”

“Donato, bring out the TV,” Francis called out to the man as he began to circle the room trending to the children. “Flip on the news.”

He sounded calm but Allen could see that he was on the edge.

Donato exited the dining hall and returned a moment later with a cart topped with a television box. Francis went to it immediately as Donato flipped it on. Both men hovered, but the only thing on the screen were colorful neon bars. Static and a high-pitched drone resonated from the TV’s sound box.

Francis’s lips drew thin as he flipped through the channels with the same result. He eventually pulled back and fell into one of the chairs at the table before standing back up and heading to the window. 

Allen approached him. “Francis, calm down.”

“I am calm, Al.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m not fuckin’ calm at all either!” Carl interjected across the room. “Thanks for askin’.”

Francis let out a breath.

“We’re out of the ditches,” Allen told him calmly. “Take a breather and don’t go off doin’ anythin’ stupid.”

The static and ringing sound from the television abruptly stopped. The bright colorful bars on the screen pulled a way revealing the silhouette of a man—or perhaps a woman—seated on a nondescript chair. Although a single bulb spilling out green light swung about that person’s head, their features were indistinguishable. 

“This is Ndoto’s emergency broadcast system,” a milky voice rang out. “This is not a test. This is an emergency message from Ndoto’s guidance council.”

Words began flashing on the screen in front of the figure.

SHELTER IN PLACE.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HELP OTHERS OR SAVE PETS.

IF ANYONE APPROACHES YOU AND IS NOT A GUIDANCE OFFICER, DO NOT INTERACT.

DO NOT APPROACH THE FAINTED OR THE DEAD.

THEY ARE NOT FAINTED. THEY ARE NOT DEAD. THEY WILL HURT YOU.

WATCH OUT FOR THIS MAN:

An image of a tanned math with dark-curls appeared on the screen.

“Hey, it’s Veles!” Carl jabbed a finger at the screen.

HE HAS ABDUCTED SEVERAL PEOPLE.

A few images flashed across the screen, only one of them that Allen really recognized.

“Isn’t that that damned peacekeeping chairman?” Carl snapped in disbelief. “Seamus what’s-his-face?”

“Seamus Dolby,” Francis corrected. “And he’s not a ‘peacekeeping chairmen’—whatever that is. He’s Policymaker Wolff’s agent…” 

REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS IMMEDIATELY.

AVOID THESE PEOPLE:

Images of Gabrielle Law, Volker Weingartner, and others who had arrived in Ndoto with them flew across the screen.

WE SUSPECT THEM TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE CURRENT FALLOUT.

Francis darted to the television and frowned. “What? This makes no sense.”

REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS IMMEDIATELY.

The words faded, making the figure on the screen prominent again.

“This is Ndoto’s emergency broadcast system,” a milky voice said. “This is not a test. This is an emergency message from Ndoto’s guidance council.”

The words reappeared, repeating the message over and over again.

Francis stared at the screen for a while longer before he finally said, “I’m going out to find Charite and Fortuna.”

“What?!” Cadence pulled away from the children and stormed over to him. “Francis, that’s unbelievably reckless. Did you not hear what the guidance council said?”

“The guidance council also said that a bunch of people with VNW are behind people turning into monsters, Cadence,” Francis returned evenly. “I’m not too keen on following their word.”

“Francis!” Cadence sighed in exasperation.

“You’re talkin’ nuts, Francis,” Carl agreed, approaching them. “Not to sound like Allen, but don’t you remember what happened the last time you stormed off by yourself? ”

Cadence and Francis stared at Carl blankly. 

Allen tensed.

Carl glanced between them, clearly unnerved. “What the hell?”

Cadence faced Francis again and touched his arm. “At least let me come with you. That way, we can at least try to hide…” She huffed. “I am the only one who’s taken any form of self-defense lessons in our family, aren’t I?”

“Now you’re talkin’ nuts,” Carl muttered. 

Allen ruminated. 

Francis was too stubborn to give up when he got his mind set on something.

Cadence here was a pushover.

And he needed to keep them all together.

“I’ll come too,” Allen said.

Carl’s eyes bulged.

“You too Carl. I want us together,” Allen continued. “We leave the house and the kids under Donato and Feliciano. Francis’s gates can get us in and out quick.” He nodded at Francis. “We don’t stay in one place for more than a minute. We’re in and out. We find your fiance and Fortuna and get back and stay put. We look out only for our own. Got it?”

Francis and Cadence exchanged a look.

“Whatever you say, Al.”

Atienna raised her hands placatingly. “Albertine, I don’t want anything from you. I’m just as  confused as you are, presuming that you’ve suddenly found yourself here without any explanation.”

Albertine remained silent, tense.

Troublesome.

She gestured to herself. “I think I might understand why you’re apprehensive of me. I know this might sound ridiculous but there is someone capable here of making themselves look exactly like another—down to the conducting. There are also… duplicates of individuals in this place. I assure you if there is an Atienna out there who has done you wrong, it is not me.”

A lie. In a sense. But also a truth. In a sense.

Albertine frowned. “Do you really expect me to believe you, Miss Imamu…?”

Atienna feigned lowering her eyes. “I understand. As I’ve said, I know how ridiculous this sounds—”

“Do you expect me to believe that you’re not that Atienna and that you’re some other Atienna instead?” Albertine’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Forgive me for my apprehension.”

Ah—so he knew about multiples and doppelgangers?

“I’ve encountered a doppelganger and a copy of myself as well,” Atienna tried gently. “I know how unsettling it can be and also how alarming it can be when you witness how drastic their actions can be. I assure you, I am not a fake.” She paused in thought. “I wonder… if you are so apprehensive, if it would be best if we parted ways here…”

Cvetka cleared her throat and flashed Albertine a soft smile upon gaining his attention. “If it reassures you any, Monsieur Albertine, this Atienna is certainly not the Atienna I believe you have in mind.”

Atienna glanced at her.

“In fact, we’re going to meet that Atienna right now.” Cveta’s gaze shifted to Atienna. “Isn’t that right, Atienna?”