18.⭑-1: Saint Candidate, ∞ Zugzwang

Flannery Caertas still remembered when absolute darkness was her friend. ‘Total blindness’ was what the doctors had called it. The condition had left a lot to her imagination. At the same time, it had a degree of certainty to it. Because she couldn’t see anything, what she defined in her mind was ‘reality.’ An all-powerfulContinue reading “18.⭑-1: Saint Candidate, ∞ Zugzwang”

16.[]: Peacekeepers, 0900 Sehnsucht

Peacekeeper Alice Kingsley still remembered the sound of the conducting grenades pounding above her head as she’d huddled between her parents in the shelter. The sound had been a deep bellow—always proceeding a high-pitched whine and a brief skip of silence.  She had known at the time that there had been nothing to be afraidContinue reading “16.[]: Peacekeepers, 0900 Sehnsucht”

16.( ): ELPIS Leader & Crime Leader, 0007 Filial Affection

Twin Cities, Gemini  “So, we gonna use it or what? I mean, this is a good time to use it, right? Not like there’s any better time to use it.” Stomp, stomp. Sigh. “Well, maybe we’d need to lie low or something, but it ain’t like we ain’t gonna be able to use it againContinue reading “16.( ): ELPIS Leader & Crime Leader, 0007 Filial Affection”

13b: Solitary Maidens

On Monday the following week, Eunji received the results of her State Conducting Exam. She passed with flying colors and received a printed certificate detailing her accomplishment, along with a note informing her she would receive her physical license within a few months. Her brother, Soha, and Felix congratulated her, while Olive offered her hisContinue reading “13b: Solitary Maidens”

13a: Copper Cadence

Twin Cities, Gemini  Cadence pulled herself onto all fours with a grimace. Her head pounded, her ears rang, her mind was clouded by memories and feelings that weren’t her own—a battle between saint candidates inside Ophiuchus, the death of True Conductors, and a murderous rampage of revenge. From these things, she reached a conclusion— TheirContinue reading “13a: Copper Cadence”

11.[]: Francis’s (Theta’s) Singularity

Twin Cities, Gemini  The past had become a blur for Francis. Sometimes memories of running barefoot across limestone brick on a warm summer’s day crossed over with memories of squeezing between tight alleyway walls while wearing hole-riddled shoes. Echoes of laughter ringing through open halls lined with white pillars bled into echoes of the metalContinue reading “11.[]: Francis’s (Theta’s) Singularity”

11.5: Jericho’s (Dicotomico) Hatred

Twin Cities, Gemini  Talib had many questions for Jericho when he arrived at Warehouse 13. He procured a bullet-pointed list out from his journal and promptly read the list out word-for-word: “Why did Jericho want me to track Colonel—rather, Oberst—Fritz von Spiel? Why is Jericho working alongside an associate of the Romano Family? Why isContinue reading “11.5: Jericho’s (Dicotomico) Hatred”

11.1: Cadence’s (Sincero) Deception

Twin Cities, Gemini  Cadence opened her eyes. She was flat on her back with the dampness of the pavement beneath her soaked into her suit jacket and pants. Pain throbbed up and down her limbs—unpleasant when paired with the taste of iron in her mouth. She blinked and squinted. It was pitch black. She couldn’tContinue reading “11.1: Cadence’s (Sincero) Deception”

10.( ): The People of Sin City

Fortuna requested another round of Itero Recino. Theta didn’t question her about it when returning alone several hours after ELPIS revealed their questions, didn’t even question Tau on how he became locked in the room with them. When Tau left after receiving another proto-conductor from him, Theta settled into the requested game as if nothingContinue reading “10.( ): The People of Sin City”

10.5: Jericho’s Cycling (Vendetta)

“I see you are still grieving,” Theta—correction: that version of Theta—had said, cupping Jericho’s cheek on that moonlit night all those years ago. The silver moonlight had made the tattoo on the right side of her face glow. “But there is no reason to be sad.” “No reason to be sad?” “They have died, yes,Continue reading “10.5: Jericho’s Cycling (Vendetta)”