A thin, grotesque silhouette climbs the North building walls. Without exposing itself to the light, leaving only the red claws show up in the window, it says:
_ Miss Ayla... The target fell into our trap...
_ Perfect. _ The green-eyed Witch responds, while finishing a seal at the exit door of the ballroom _ It would be ideal for our plan if he died. But for now, that is enough.
The door does not move no matter how much people pry it open. The woman has no expression when she approaches the window to contemplate the neighboring fire.
In one of the building's interior corridors, Amadeo is sitting on the floor, hugging his knees. He feels sick, as if his life has been sucked in by an Amanojaku*, unsure of the reason behind it."I must have been overwhelmed because of the Aristourgima, I guess", he thinks, but even that is painful. His memories are confused, and he can't quite recall the ending of the presentation.
Suddenly, the sound of the explosion prevents him from continuing his languish. Vertigo makes it difficult for him to walk, but he leaves the building and finds the other one on fire. Several people try to hold back the flames and firefighters struggle to keep the structure upright. He approaches a man and offers help.
_ We need to call out the people at the party!
Amadeo tries to obey, however, he hears a familiar voice from the rubble. "Johan?!", he approaches the scene. One of the firefighters says:
_ There are people inside, but we can't put out the fire...!
Fighting his own weakness, the boy brings his hands close to the fire and pulls it towards him, absorbing as much of the heat as he can. His temperature rises and he feels his conscience waver. The passage is open and he enters with the firewoman. Not far from the entrance, they identify a figure with his arms up, holding a column that insists on collapsing. At his feet two wounded Fabulares, a pair of Alkosnot**, lie unconscious.
_ Johan?!
Amadeo's voice echoes and the figure, hostage to the pillar, grunts in response. The blonde tries to help, but fails. The firewoman creates supports for the surrounding walls, stabilizing the collapse. Johan falls to his knees, his body covered with huge black injuries. The firefighter hugs the Fabulares and Amadeo supports his colleague.
Everyone comes out of the smoke chaos. Amadeo passes out moments later.
Reinforcements arrive and the fire is subdued. In addition to the large number of wounded, there were three fatalities; all Alium Genus. Firefighters identified signs of arson. However, before it was even necessary to investigate, the woman with the green eyes, hiding her grayish Witch skin under a powerful disguise spell, appears, shouting:
_ Ecclesia is infested with monsters!! I did what I should to clean it from this plague!
A Ranger slaps her in the face and immobilizes her. Without delay, she is taken by the civil police... with a smile. Her plan succeded. At the same time, it was clarified that she was not a member of the institution, but an infiltrated "terrorist". An international statement was issued, saying that the Ecclesia will increase security at upcoming events and will also invest more in campaigns for peace and social tolerance.
Amadeo wakes up in a gray room. It's cold. His head weighs at least 300 tons and he can barely move. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Keisha, reading. He mumbles an unintelligible sound to get her attention. She says:
_ Welcome back to the world of living, Alscher. Are you conscious enough to talk right now? I have to go soon...
_ O-Of course... I'm fine.
_ Yeah, well. I can keep an encyclopedia in the bags under your eyes, man. _ She hides her laughter _ Anyway, straight to the point: Do you wanna join Aunt Shina's team or stay with our knucklehead friend in Meigdan? Aunt Eve said you have to decide for yourself.
_ Maybe... I'm not... conscious enough for this conversation, actually... Heh.
He makes an effort to get up and looks Keisha in the eyes. She continues:
_ Aunt Eve told me her opinion, if you wanna know: "He is too young to start his career on this team. I do not want him to die anytime soon". Even so, Aunt Shina said that she's gonna guarantee a "vacancy" for you anyway.
Amadeo still hesitates. Keisha insists:
_ I know this isn't the best time to talk about this, but tomorrow morning is our last chance to speak directly to Fortescue. _ She purses her lips _ Sorry 'bout the situation...
_ Heh, don't worry, Tôoru. I'm glad you came to talk to me... I'm feeling so bad that... I definitely don't wanna get involved with such dangerous stuff, for now. I need to get stronger first. And that I need to do in Meigdan. _ He pauses _ I'll live a little longer and move on with my own legs.
_ Man, it's very impolite to say "move on with my own legs" in front of a WHEELCHAIR USER, y'know! _ She makes a minute of silence _ It's a joke! _ And laughs _ Then, I'll talk to Aunt Eve. And you get ready for the retaliation of your "Paragon-mommy".
Amadeo laughs when he hears she say that, even though he knows it's true.
In the following morning, carriages start to leave for the four corners of the world. Johan says goodbye to Keisha with a genuine smile and she asks if he will learn to read properly so they can exchange letters. Johan responds with a flick on her nose. The Arts committee says goodbye to Dijana with hugs and kisses. Nayla exchanges nods to several people. As usual, Amadeo has no one to say goodbye to.
They leave for Meigdan, in a crowded carriage.
Keisha sighs and waits with Fayola for the others who will travel with her. Shina is the first to arrive. She smiles at the little girl, but she replies:
_ Aunt Shina, why are you lying?
The woman does not answer. After searching through her thoughts, she replies:
_ Everyone is an open book in front of you, Keisha. I hope you believe me when I say that... I'm glad everything ended like this.
Meigdan is sunny and beautiful, as always.
--------------
Author's notes:
*Amanojaku: Evil creature from Japanese folklore. It's a rare spiritual entity, observed in Flavi. It's generally categorized as a Grade 2 threat, as it feeds on one individual's vital energy each month. They have the form of typical Japanese demons, but generally don't assume material form. They're commonly associated with heinous crimes, for manipulating the dark desires of humans.
**Alkosnot: Creature from Slavic mythology. They're women with the body of a bird (usually kingfisher), rational and inserted in society. They're strongly associated with seas and storms, famous for their benevolence and beauty.
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Three Spheres
FantasyAmadeo is 20 years old young man, with a sword attached to his waist and an insatiable desire for freedom... The burden of his title, and the weight of his cape don't let him forget such destiny that he never chose. However, what he doesn't know is...
