𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐌 ⸻ argentum chronicles

𝟎𝟓, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆

THE HALLWAYS were bright and seemed to be full of light, but the people in it told another story. They were all dressed in dark clothing; why wouldn't they be, if they were so eager to run away from their past life?

She was no different than the others as she sat face-to-face with one of the staff members. At least her red hair gave her a pop of color. Even her eyes, despite their bright color, held no emotion at all.

But the same couldn't be said for her bubbly and energetic accomplice who was waiting downstairs for her.

The staff member dipped his head in respect, then offered no small talk as he spun around in his chair to face her and his TelOwl. Another one of Aulus' inventions? In her company? She resisted a look of disgust. Keep calm at all times, she reminded herself.

Though he knew full well that she was familiar with the instructions—after all, it was she that had written them—it was the part of the procedure to explain. "The name that you select today will appear on your files from now on. However, if you'd like to keep your real name so that your identity online completely doesn't exist and is a mystery, you can." At last, he asked, "Would you like a moment to consider this?"

Smiling, she shook her head. "No, I've made my decision already," she said. "Atalanta Ekdikisi."

He returned the smile, dimples appearing in his cheeks as he did so. "After the Greek mythology character?"

"Yes," she said. "And Ekdikisi is Greek for revenge."

"Is that why you came here to change your name?" he asked, a ghost of a knowing smile lingering on his lips.

Again, she nodded. "It has been many years." She stopped herself from saying anything more. "And my plan has finally been set into motion. As the Greeks say, 'η εκδίκηση είναι ένα πιάτο που τρώγεται κρύο."

"Revenge is a dish that is best served cold," he translated.

She nodded, but inside her mind, she added, "I would gladly be the waitress."

✧･☆: *✧･☆:*✧･☆: *✧･☆:*✧･☆: *✧･☆:*

IT WAS eerily silent in DNA Detections.

Of course, there was the inevitable scuffing of shoes against the tiled floor and footsteps as people moved around the waiting room, but even the television played with its sound turned off.

A TeleOwl was pointed to a blank wall like a projector, and the latest news broadcast was playing. Adin strained to read the moving words on the bottom corner of the screen — Traffic Expected on Highway After Terrible Car Collision.

The captions flashed past far too quickly and all he managed to catch was, "Good . . . Amethirus . . . this . . . Anna . . . reporting . . . highway!"

Adin gave up on reading the headings and began to read her lips instead. That turned out to be harder. Though he knew that Anna was reporting the incident on the highway, he couldn't help but imagine that she was demanding, "What in the world did you do to that poor pig, Adin Aulus?"

He swallowed, guilt rising in his chest. Njord didn't care and Chris didn't blame him, so he shouldn't have minded, right? Still, he couldn't repress the urge to pull up the hood of his cloak every time someone glanced in his direction only to remember that it was already over his head and covering his messy hair. His concentration drifted away but it was pulled back toward the screen when a horrendous photograph of the collision flashed onto the screen. Adin froze, his mind racing to catch his ideas before they fell and were never to be found again.