Three Spheres

Chapter 124 - Angel

A few days before the publication of the delation letter and the invasion of the Witches' castle, Fumio and Keisha met to settle some details of the information to be published. The most important question they raised was: To reveal or not how and why Amadeo is involved with the case. Keisha argued:

_ We're already gonna break down people's faith in a Marescallum Ducis Paragon... I don't think it's a good idea to crucify her pupil too. Even if we write 'bout him being a victim, people will only get that he's gonna fight in the Witches' side. _ She sighs _ Then all our effort to save him will go to waste if a random human dude decided to kill him, y'know!

_ Yes, you are right. Also, we're not sure of Amadeo's potential as the Witch's "general", are we? I haven't been able to define yet what is it that Amadeo has within that makes him even more exceptional...

_ What'ya mean? Something besides being "the chosen one" of the Witches?

_ Yes. _ Fumio says, sitting down next to the girl. _ When I introduced myself to you, I told you about my premonitions, correct? That he is part of something grand and evil...

_ Yeah, I know... _ Keisha frowns _ I thought you were referring to the Witches.

Fumio smiles and searches around the shelves with his eyes. Finally, he finds the book he wants and brings it to the table. With a cold seriousness, he justifies:

_ While we were in the Research Unit, months ago, some people complained that, during the night, Amadeo was making noises. We thought it was sleeptalking or some parasomnia, so I went to check it out.

_ Ah, Johan told me about that. He said that the lil' Paragon has a bunch of bizarre dreams...

_ And that's our misunderstanding. _ Fumio pauses. _ While he was sleeping, I gave myself the freedom to watch some of his dreams... The problem is, they weren't dreams, Keisha. They were memories. _ He flips through the booklet _ Memories of a non-existing reality, repeating hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times. I saw alternative versions of all of us, futures and pasts that couldn't be real... Not on our "timeline", at least.

The two remain silent. Keisha is skeptical; she never believed in this sci-fi "time travel" nonsense. Only the Goddesses can inhabit time...

_ After seeing this and getting as confused as you are now, I used a clairvoyance spell... The best one I could conjure. _ He laughs _ The problem is that, at every moment of the reading I was doing, the future changed! Do you know what that means? His "fate" is malleable! The only thing in common with all the possibilities I saw were... the catastrophes. _ Sighs _ So, I told Amadeo that I wanted to support him in every way I could, and managed for us to keep in touch by mail.

_ Let me guess... _ Keisha interrupts _ You were so curious and obstinate about it, that you went after something that could justify these "memories" and this "malleable fate" and then found Hieronymus Hier's bullshit about that "Guardian Angel Theory".

_ Precisely! If Mr. Hier is right, someone who carries the "Guardian Angel" could relive the past, modifying the future. This explains inexplicable memories... "Residues" engraved in Amadeo's Spheres about past existences. We just need to identify his "trigger". I'm pretty sure it involves Johan, but I'm not sure what it is...

_ But Fumio, from what you're saying, Amadeo went and came back hundreds of times, huh?! I think you're going crazy, man. This theory doesn't exist. Hier didn't even explain how to "evoke", "conjure", Idk, the "Angel" guy.

Fumio shrugs, and smiles at Keisha:

_ That this is our bet then!

_ AMADEO!!!!

Johan screams as he gets close enough to the crater where the Paragon languishes. For a second, the energy ceases. Amadeo's eyes widen, as if the world has frozen around him... He turns back and sees, for the tiniest instant, Johan's silhouette approaching; his expression is of fear, pain, but also relief. He exhales slowly; the turquoise of his eyes shines once more.

As Johan initiates a kick movement, the energy calamity instinctively rises like self-defense. Johan's leg hits Amadeo's head just below the ear, over the arch of the jaw. As the rays spread and then converge, the Aberration inexplicably manages to bury the Paragon's face in the ground.

He doesn't feel any pain when his body is disintegrated.

Amadeo passes out.

Keisha screams. Terror stamps her youthful face as she watches smoke rise. The few present who experienced the collapse of a Demon react in different ways: Some fall to their knees; others back off; the minority runs towards the victims of chaos.

_ He's alive...

One of the rescuers exclaims as he palpates Amadeo's pulse with some trepidation. At the same moment, another one who follows him places a nullification seal on his chest, to avoid further catastrophes. He seems to sleep, serene as a child.

_ This one... isn't...

Little was left of the Aberration's body. Much of it has been obliterated by the cathartic energy rays. This time, the Ciiontes couldn't save him. His fate is completed in this reality once again...

The Paragon is taken to one of the tents that help the wounded. All the Veneficus present rush to prepare the spell capable of sealing all that power under lock and key. Keisha's words, however, bring tears to everyone's eyes:

_ This is not fair!!! Why did he have to die?!?! For you...!!! _ She sobs _ Everything's, EVERYTHING!, is your fault!! And your bureaucracies and stupid rules!! Y-You who should have died!! Not him... Noooo!!!! _ She sobs _ You almost killed him several times and now he killed himself to save ya'!!! I DON'T accept that...!! It's not fair! It's not! _ She takes a while to catch her breath _ Everything he's done so far was for the sake of other people!! It was for Amadeo's sake!

Amadeo feels his shoulders sore and heavy. Gradually he manages to separate his eyelids, awakened by the nearby screams of a compulsive cry:

_ It was all for Amadeo! He told me that!! And now they won't ever see each other again!!! It's not fair!!!! Aaaa...! _ She lowers her voice, covering her face _ He's just a boy... He's not bad... he never was... Johan...

Amadeo's heart misses a beat. It's happening again. The mourning screams, the burning smell, the psychic pain... it's all so familiar. It's the thousandth time he's seen himself in this situation.

With difficulty, he gets up from the gurney. His expression is of pure sadness:

_ I killed Johan again... did I?

Again.

Some of those present are startled to hear the boy's voice and step towards him. However, as if watching the world crumbling before his eyes, he reaches for a pair of scissors from the first-aid kit beside his makeshift bed.

"I killed Johan again", he thinks, ripping open his throat with the blunt blade.

The pain is unimaginable, but negligible once he sets fire to the bleeding cut. The flames spread into his body, consuming the air from his lungs and the grief of his existence.

Between exclamations and tears, he feels his life slipping away.

Quickly, his sight turns black; as black as the "Void".

Before, however, he could fear the darkness, a warm golden light blind his eyes, brightening a hellenic and futuristic hall.

For the thousandth (or perhaps more) time, he reaches the Limit of Time.