WitchHunter ✔️

Trouble's Brewing

Ace

Cleansing Day always brings out the same emotions in me. I hate it. Cleansing Day, my birthday, always elicits such intense waves of homesickness for a place and for people I hardly know anymore. People I have no business feeling homesick for. Not after what they did.

I can't help but wonder how things would be if life had been different. What if we had been a real family? What would today have brought if I was spending it with my parents and all of my siblings. What city would we be in? What country? What kinds of foreign foods would we be indulging in before getting back to the show? How truly different life would be if I could still perform in bright colors, instead of skulk around in all black.

That place, surrounded by those who love and care for me, is a lifetime away. I'm not meant for such a life. It's not meant for me.

The sun begins to descend behind the rooftops of the tallest buildings and Hale returns to Fortress to dress for the parade. I wait just outside the entrance, pressed against the wall between an outcropping of stone and one of the high glass windows, just another casting shadow. A steady flood of people come and go, all unaware of my presence. Fortress will be making good money tonight. Velius will be pleased.

"Excuse me!" A boy's voice shouts over the crowd. "Hale Arsen! I need to find Hale Arsen! I need to see the Ace! Please excuse me!"

I push off from the wall. Who's looking for Hale? More curiously, who's looking for me?

The boy stumbles from the crowd, falling on his back on the grass at the edge of the path, having been shoved from the crowd's drunken progress. His head falls back into the grass, straight, chin length hair fanned out around his face. The stable boy is dressed in brown rice bag pants that are simultaneously too short and too big for him. As he stands, they ride low on his bony hips. His shirt is the same, too short, like that of a child, showing off his lower abdomen. He holds a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. His eyes dart to me suddenly and light up. "Ace!"

"You're looking for me." I say, only slightly perturbed by his ability to spot me.

He jogs to me, unfurling the paper, revealing one of the wanted posters. He's taller than me, but not by much.

I had gone to Velius last night once I was sure Hale had fallen asleep and told him what happened. Calla had helped me with the fliers and we spent most of the night hanging them around town.

The stable boy points at the crudely drawn black and yellow cloaked figure. "I think I saw these men enter town a few days ago."

"Men? There are multiple?"

"Five. They have orange on their cloaks too. They said they were performers and they would be doing their show after the parade. I've been trying to find you."

Komorebi. It has to be. Five of them on Cleansing Day. They're going to recreate the Cleansing. "I have to warn Hale. Thank you."

The door is crowded, full of drunk men and women. I hook my fingers into the rough stone walls of Fortress, scrambling with ease up and around, into the window of Hale's room. It's dark and empty, probably for the best. No need to walk in on him changing. My cheeks warm. I have to remind myself that it is in fact for the best. There's no time for that now.

I whip out of his room and jump down between the stairs and the wall, narrowly missing a gambling table that had been pushed closer to the wall to make room for more. The back hall is quiet compared to the front, but still bustling with activity. Half dressed Hunters in all shades of red, orange, and yellow body paint brush past me, and I have to work to avoid getting trampled. A blonde beard rushes past me and I reach out, grabbing ahold of the attached bare bicep.