

## The Bird Knows More

Written and created by

Joseph M. Berrellez & Christopher R. Settle

Published by TBKM Books

Distributed by Smashwords

All rights reserved. Copyright 2015 Joseph M. Berrellez & Christopher R. Settle

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

### Acknowledgements

Book cover designed at CreativeParamita.com

Contributors:

Mariela Torres

Lisa Settle

Stephanie Berrellez

Amy Garrison

A special thanks to these ladies for helping put the pieces together. Every criticism and every compliment propelled us to do more to make our story the best that it could be.

### Table of Contents

Chapter I: Smoke and Fears

Chapter II: Young Hearts, Old Problems

Chapter III: Live and Let Die

Chapter IV: Poise and Control

Chapter V: Marking Territory

Chapter VI: Hunting Blind

Chapter VII: An Acquired Taste

Chapter VIII: Price of Admission

Chapter IX: Keeping Friends Close

Chapter X: Nation of Segregation

Chapter XI: Misguiding Mirrors

Chapter XII: Sessions

Chapter XIII: Bird in the Hand: "Ian's Boy"

Chapter XIII: Bird in the Hand: "Boy with the Book"

Chapter XIV: Kicking and Screaming

Chapter XV: Two Worlds Collide

Chapter XVI: Vexed and Hexed

Chapter XVII: Blood-Soaked Dreams

Chapter XVIII: Beyond the Sea

Authors

Contact

### Chapter I: Smoke and Fears

The streets—empty. The shops—closed. The trees were all withering or dead, except for one lonesome willow with a spiraling trunk. The sky was dark with clouds of ash, and small beams of light pierced through from a ball of dancing blue and black flames up above. A single bird flew overhead as a fire raged throughout an otherwise empty city. A wonder, a calamity, a beautiful sight—all at once.

"Good morning, cadets," a merry voice shouted from a muffled speaker. "This is a reminder that Evaluations are just around the corner, so study hard over the break."

A boy lifted his head and forced open his eyelids, back to reality from the world of his dreams. _Wednesday, October 7, 2122, by Kasside R. Cissine_ was written neatly in black ink on the top right corner of a piece of lined notebook paper. The 19-year-old boy brushed brown hair away from his pale forehead and held his head in his hands as an excessively loud bell rang throughout the building. A portion his hair was blue and looked unnatural from the rest. His eyes were golden in color, comparable only to the morning sun.

"Have a good day, see you tomorrow," a thin, well-dressed, middle-aged woman with narrow black-rimmed glasses and a blonde ponytail said with unconvincing enthusiasm.

A plaque that read _Ms. Gleenate_ sat on the woman's wooden desk. Ms. Gleenate sat in the front of the classroom, her desk pushed away from the door. She wasn't much of a teacher, as she never actually taught anything, by definition. Her class was comprised of journal entries that focused on demanding (and often morally questionable) hypothetical situations which served to evaluate each cadet's personality.

Another cadet approached Kasside's desk as his classmates packed their belongings and left the classroom. A small black book with an intricate red symbol on the cover closed in the boy's right hand as he placed his free hand on Kasside's shoulder.

"Get up, it's time to go," the boy said sternly.

Kasside turned his head to see his friend Maron giving him a blank and bored stare.

Maron was dressed in a dark green shirt and gray pants (the standard uniform for cadets over the age of 13). He wore a white undershirt that showed near his neck and at his wrists. His hair was long and black, neatly tied back with only a few strands of noticeably white hair hanging down in the front. Unlike Kasside, Maron's skin was tan, and his eyes were a blue-gray color.

Kasside arched his back and rolled his neck. He grabbed his bag and hooded jacket, slowly rose out of his seat, and followed Maron into the hall. Maron waited patiently, holding the door open until Kasside stumbled through. Maron opened his book as they strolled down the wide locker-filled hallway and kept his eyes on the pages.

"You need to get more sleep," Maron stated. "Although I appreciate your help, I can do plenty by myself if your schedule suffers that badly." Maron licked his finger and flipped a page in his book.

Kasside yawned and stretched out his arms, "I get plenty of sleep at my desk."

Cadets were buzzing through the hallways, opening and shutting doors and busily jogging up and down staircases. A girl with dark skin, fiery-red eyes, and a ponytail of red and yellow burst through a nearby door and shoved inattentive peers out of her path. The girl was Tethia Entagie—Kasside's girlfriend of three years. Tethia made her way to Kasside's side and walked beside the boys without saying a word.

They approached double doors at the end of the hallway. Light pierced through dirt-stained windows and hit the tile floors in front of them. Tethia and Maron simultaneously pushed the doors open as sunlight aggressively greeted their eyes. The three cadets walked down several steps to ground level and kept on the paved path between two fields of grass.

"I need coffee," Tethia mumbled as her knees bumped her low-hanging textbook.

"You'd both greatly benefit from a regular sleeping pattern, and perhaps a proper diet," Maron suggested.

"No, I'd benefit from a damn cup of coffee," Tethia spewed. "And what would you know about any of that?"

"Getting good sleep would be easier if I didn't have to be up during ungodly hours of the day," Kasside said, shielding his eyes from the sunlight.

"Most people hardly consider seven in the morning as an 'ungodly' hour," Maron replied.

As they walked along the paved path, a group of cadets in shorts and t-shirts came into view, running along a circular track around the back of the buildings. Two of the cadets suddenly fell to the ground, causing several more to topple over their bodies. As the cadets stood back up, they began to shout and cast blame upon one another, pushing each other's shoulders as level-headed peers tried to calm the tension.

A few more cadets fell to the ground, this time gripping each other's shirt collars as they exchanged fists and rolled around the track. Several armored soldiers rushed toward the group, shouting at them to separate and cease fighting.

"At least you have that to look forward to, Kasside," Tethia said.

"I can hardly contain myself," Kasside replied.

They approached an intersection of walkways in the middle of the buildings and patches of grass around them. In the center was a bronze statue of a man in a long coat and wearing circular-rimmed glasses, standing heroically on top of a small pile of rubble.

"All right, see you later, losers," Tethia said. She quickly kissed Kasside on the lips, turned around, and walked toward a building to their right side.

"I'll see you during history," Maron told Kasside.

"Yeah, see you there," Kasside responded as they parted ways.

Kasside turned walked toward a curved building as another bell rang throughout the campus. Small groups of cadets hurried along the pathways and in and out of the entrances as armored soldiers watched with careful eyes. Kasside entered the building through a plain door with a blue triangle painted on it. As he came to a dim hallway, several people pushed their way past him without making eye contact.

In the next room, thin streams of light beamed down through small windows that ran across the top of each wall. The light cast down upon the dull rows of gray lockers that filled the room. Several boys were inside, changing into gray shirts and green shorts before slamming their lockers and heading through the far door. An armed guard stood near the exit and scanned the room carefully with his hands clasped over his waist.

Kasside found his locker and quickly changed into the shirt and shorts that were tucked inside. He felt the chilling gaze of action-ready eyes behind him. Keeping his head down, he exited through the back of the building, which led him back into the harsh, unblocked sunlight that warmed the rocky pavement beneath him. A few other cadets were sitting in a circle, stretching their arms and legs while two men in gym clothes watched with crossed arms. Kasside could see the red gravel track running along the border of the academy, only several yards away from the trees that blocked his view to the outside world.

"Let's get moving, cadets," one of the men shouted.

Most of the other cadets shared Kasside's same worn-down look on their faces. The two men turned and began to jog toward the track while the cadets followed close behind. Kasside stayed in the back of the group and hid behind one of the larger cadets in front of him.

"I hate running," Kasside mumbled to himself as their feet crunched along the gravel.

Kasside stared out above the trees. He watched as two birds gracefully looped around in the air—a perfectly choreographed performance the birds never intended to perform. He watched for a few uninterrupted minutes without thought or care, and followed the sounds of grinding gravel to keep him on the track.

Suddenly, the sounds stopped, and the only noise that remained was that of his steps. Kasside looked back toward the group just before running into the back of a fellow cadet.

"Sorry," Kasside said as he maintained his balance.

The cadet didn't respond. The entire group was now standing completely still, staring at the side of a building in silence.

A small boy was sitting against the wall of the building, motionless and covered in dark red blood from head to toe. The two men leading the cadets walked up to the boy and examined him closely.

"Son, can you hear me?" one of the men asked in a soft voice.

"I'll go get CROSS," the other man said. He briskly jogged around the side of the building and out of sight.

"Frainer, have the group finish the lap and wait on the pavement until I get back," the first man said.

The cadets continued their route without looking back at the lifeless and beaten body.

"Any idea who that was?" one of the cadets asked.

They each shook their heads.

"I think he was wearing red, so he must be one of the younger kids. Then again, it might have just been all the blood," another said.

"If he's dead, that will be the third death this year," a third cadet glumly remarked.

"All right, that's enough," the leading cadet said.

"Just in time for winter break," Kasside said to himself.

After finishing a lap around the academy, they came back to the paved area behind the locker rooms and patiently waited for the instructors to return. Some of the cadets continued to exercise while others found refuge from the sun in shaded spots. One cadet was crying into her hands as another consoled her. The rest of the group seemed hardly affected and even less surprised.

Over half an hour later, one of the instructors finally returned just as the bell began to ring. The cadets waited as he approached with his head down.

"You are dismissed," he said.

"Is he going to be all right?" a cadet asked.

"Let me worry about that. Go get changed," the instructor replied.

Kasside sighed and trudged back to the locker room, feeling unaccomplished and unmotivated. He quickly changed clothes and slammed the locker door shut. He exited through the door with the blue triangle and walked through the large groups of conversing cadets. He entered one of the nearby buildings and made his way up a flight of stairs and into a hallway that connected two buildings together. The walls of the hallway were made of glass, making it the best possible view in the academy without having to sneak to the roof.

Inside his next classroom sat a large number of cadets, including Maron. History of the States was a class strongly monitored and incredibly important to the graduating status of any cadet, which explained the high attendance rate. History represented the cadet's ability to comprehend the mistakes and triumphs of those before them, according to the academy.

A short-haired woman came into the classroom and set her shoulder bag down at the front desk. She was wearing khaki pants and a white shirt with a tie. The majority of her face was covered with blistered acne scars.

"Hello cadets, please take your seats," the woman said. "Mr. Janner is going to be out today, so I will be taking his place. Some of you already know me, but for those who don't, my name is Mrs. Phelligher. Feel free to call me by my first name, Ninda. We're all adults here."

If Ninda Phelligher's scent didn't give it away, her voice was a sure fact that she had been smoking for some years. The rasp of her voice hit the ears hard and was unpleasant, to say the least. Her resting face made her look confused and frustrated. As she opened the blinds in the classroom, the light showed her damaged and wrinkled skin that looked like a crumpled grid of thousands of defined lines.

Ninda looked down at a small white card, "He didn't leave me a lot to go on, but finals are next week, so we will be focusing on review and an educational video. Who can tell me what was happening just before the Alchemy War?" Her grin hardly helped her face look any less angry.

A few cadets raised their hands.

Ninda used her index finger to scan the room and selected a cadet, "You, the girl in the back."

"Alchemists were being attacked and blamed for a lot of the issues during that time," the girl said. Her voice was soft, and her attempt at projecting across the classroom fell a few cadets short of success.

Mrs. Phelligher began strolling between the desks, "Does anyone else have a different answer, or anything to add?" She waited only a few seconds before taking it upon herself to explain, "The few years preceding the war were detrimental to the future of our country's welfare. Alchemists were using illegal practices and holding secret meetings, thought to be terrorist plots. When the government caught wind, they intended to keep it from the people, in lieu of an uprising. We all know how that worked out."

She turned on a projector that beamed at a large screen in the front of the class. The projection showed a bullet-pointed sheet of notes covering the topic of war. Thousands of dust particles danced through the beam of light, distracting each attention-deficit eye.

"When these Alchemists started being arrested," Ninda began to enlighten again, "it was discovered that a number of them were here illegally from The Coalition of Independence. In response to the invasion, we sent our own special forces in to neutralize the enemy quickly and quietly. Unfortunately, a few of them were caught and held hostage by COI military in what was formerly Texas."

She paused to set herself against the wooden desk, putting her arms behind her and grabbing the edge to support the rest of her body. "Now, someone tell me about the trade," she said in a raspy voice.

A few cadets raised their hands once again.

"You, boy in the blue shirt," Ninda said.

The boy cleared his throat, "The Coalition offered to trade our hostages for theirs, but the hostage turned out to be one of their spies, and uh—" the boy answered as he flipped through a book, searching for more information.

"Do you guys know who figured all that out? You should know this," Ninda said. "Cepher Zsiel was the answer. As you should know, Cepher was a relatively unknown military scientist at the time, and according to his own statements, he knew there was something off about the soon-to-be-discovered Alchens. He had suspected a traitor among them and even reported her before the trade, but his words went unheard. Luckily, Zsiel was at the trade and recognized signs of alchenergy production from the traitor, Jacquel Hermita. Early morning on January 3rd, 2032, Hermita—a name you'll need to remember for the finals—was about to be traded back to the States. She started to glow and lifted her hands to commence a surprise attack on our forces. She had already killed several men before Zsiel was able to stop her," Mrs. Phelligher said in a serious manner, as if she had been there at the time it happened.

Kasside rolled his eyes and twirled his pencil in his left hand.

"Cepher Zsiel died an American hero, and don't any of you forget that," Ninda said. "That war destroyed many states and created this very island, but things could have been much worse, so consider yourselves lucky. Now, take notes on this video about the secession. You never know what will be on the test."

The movie hadn't yet ended when the bell rang out at the end of class. Unknown to Mrs. Phelligher, the cadets had seen the same movie multiple times in the past few weeks, but watching a movie was infinitely more pleasurable than listening to her voice.

Kasside and Maron waited for the rest of the cadets to exit the classroom before they entered the hallway.

"Did you hear about what happened?" Kasside whispered to Maron as they made their way down the halls.

"Word travels fast," Maron replied as he opened up his book. "It was your class that found him, then?"

"Leaned up against a wall and covered in blood. He couldn't have been over thirteen," Kasside said.

"That makes three deaths this year," Maron commented.

"How do you know he's dead?" Kasside asked.

"When are they ever left alive?" Maron quickly retorted.

Just outside of the building, Tethia was waiting for them with her arms crossed and eyes to the ground. She looked up as they came near and waited for a group of passing cadets before approaching them.

"You guys hear about the dead kid?" she asked.

They both nodded as they continued to walk down the paved pathway.

"Any more deaths and we'll be on full lockdown. I don't think even Leo can help us get out at that point," Kasside said.

"Let's hope that's not the case," Maron said, flipping to the next page of his book.
Chapter II: Young Hearts, Old Problems

The grass—short. The buildings—decaying. A herd of obedient cadets scrambled absentmindedly around the campus. Watchful and unblinking eyes caused the neck hairs of each cadet to stand at attention.

Kasside, Maron, and Tethia passed by the familiar bronze statue and walked toward one of two identical buildings that were separated by plants and trees. The buildings were several stories tall, and both were dark red with cracked bricks holding them together and sporting long vines around the bases. Both buildings had an armed guard standing in front of the doors.

As the three cadets came closer to the building on the right, the guard stepped forward and held up his hand to stop them.

"No women beyond this point. You three are going to have to turn around and go back to the girls' dorms," he said.

"Hilarious, Leo," Kasside said in a monotone voice.

"Even if girls were allowed over here, your creepy grin would sure as hell scare them away," Tethia mocked.

"Yet here you are," Leo smirked.

Leo Ascenler was very young for a CROSS soldier. He had brown eyes and short, light-brown hair that glistened as if permanently wet. He had a noticeably long and slightly discolored scar that ran across the front of his neck. Unlike most other soldiers, Leo did not wear a signature CROSS mask (complete with light-up eye panels) over his face, although he still carried the standard weapons.

Maron, Kasside, and Tethia each took a seat on a nearby bench.

Leo stood with his back facing them at his post, "I'm assuming you guys want to know more about the kid that died today," he said over his shoulder.

"So, he is dead after all?" Kasside asked.

"Yeah, but I haven't heard much else. His name was Quinn Dharran. Doesn't look like he put up much of a fight. Pretty much the same story as with the others, except this one was younger than the rest," Leo replied.

"Well, let's just hope he didn't suffer too much," Tethia said.

They remained silent as a few cadets walked into the building, laughing as they strolled along.

"And you're sure it isn't CROSS doing this?" Kasside asked Leo.

"Listen, I know how you guys feel about CROSS, but there's no way they're behind this. How would that benefit them in any way?" Leo asked.

"Perhaps young Quinn knew or saw something that he shouldn't have," Maron suggested.

"I wish I had more answers, but Presider Oritz and I aren't exactly best friends, so I get left out of most meetings," Leo said.

A bell rang throughout the academy, causing the birds in the surrounding trees to flee in terror.

"Isn't this your lunch break? Don't any of you eat?" Leo inquired.

"Eating makes you fat," Tethia responded with a straight face.

"Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry," Kasside said, touching his stomach.

"We can always find food, but what we do not always have is a way out," Maron said. "Are you still going to be able to help us get to Nenemé's during the break?"

"I'm not sure," Leo replied. "There's been talk about putting a few modders down here for added security, and I think they're beginning to realize that the same three cadets keep spending lunch with an entry. Can't Tethia just turn into me when you guys need to leave? You guys are Alchens, so why do you constantly need my help?"

"Things aren't that simple, you idiot," Tethia sharply responded.

"Wishful thinking," Leo said with a shrug.

"I'm going to the dorm to get something to eat before Evaluation Prep starts," Kasside said as he stood up.

Tethia and Maron followed behind as they entered the building. The first room had two elevators on the left wall and a few hallways leading in different directions on the far end. Decorative potted plants lined the right side of the room. In the center, there was a coffee table and a dirt-stained couch.

Kasside pushed the button on the wall and waited for the lift.

"You guys have been pretty quiet today," he said.

"Yeah, well, I never did get my coffee," Tethia grumbled.

"I don't understand why people drink something that needs four different ingredients added to it to be drinkable," Kasside said.

"It isn't about what you put in it, it's about what you get out of it," Maron said, still reading his book.

"You don't even drink coffee," Kasside said.

A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened. They got inside and took the lift up to the third floor in silence. The doors reopened and they entered the new hallway.

"Our plan better work out ... I don't want to stay here another year," Kasside said. "We all know those tests are complete crap, and we sure as hell aren't joining CROSS." He took out a key from his pocket and began unlocking a door in the middle of the hallway.

"About that ... I've changed my mind," Tethia said quietly.

"What does that mean?" Kasside asked.

"I'm not going," Tethia answered.

"What? Why not?" Kasside asked.

"Perhaps we should go inside," Maron said.

They entered their small abode and shut the door behind them. The entry room had a view of the kitchen to the left and two small beds on the right. Sunlight beamed through a slightly opened window that separated the beds, falling on a desk and a chair that sat underneath the windowsill.

"Why would you not be going? We've been talking about leaving for years, Tethia. It's either leave, or stay long enough to end up like that kid today," Kasside said.

"Those aren't the only options we have. I still think you guys should leave, but I can stay behind to make sure no one goes after you," Tethia said.

"Tethia, Maron is sick. We need you to come with us," Kasside pled.

"No, she's right. If she stays she can cover our tracks, and since she can morph into anyone she wants, she can get us a huge head start," Maron said.

"You actually agree with her? You guys never agree on anything," Kasside said. He began pacing between the two rooms with his hands on his head.

"Kasside, calm down," Maron ordered.

"I just don't understand. All the work we did, all the planning—we were supposed to stay together," Kasside responded.

A few minutes went by and the sounds of a bell came from the campus.

"We'd better get to class," Tethia said.

"Just go. I'll meet you there," Kasside said, sitting down on the farthest bed.

Tethia got up and stomped out of the room, leaving the door open as she left in a huff.

Maron headed for the door, closing his book in his hand and looking over to Kasside from the doorway, "I know you're worried, but our plan will still work, and Tethia will be just fine."

"And what about you?" Kasside asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I knew," he replied. Maron reopened his book and exited the room, disappearing behind a corner.

Kasside got up and stared out of the window and down to the grassed area. He took a deep breath and stretched his shoulders, "Now I'm late."

After a few minutes of walking, Kasside entered his next class and took his seat. The class was small compared to the others, with a total of 15 cadets. Maron and Tethia sat in the classroom with their heads down. Kasside twirled a pencil in his left hand as a hunched-over elderly man wrote on a whiteboard with his back to the room. The man was tall (even with the hunch) and had completely white hair on the sides of his head, with no hair whatsoever on the top. He had scattered facial hair that reached down to his neck toward the brown collar of his coat.

He finally turned to the class and put his hands down on the desk in front of him, "I cannot stress enough how important these tests are. Evaluations are next week, and some of you have taken them a few times already. You think you'll make it out there without a diploma? Think again. You'll be lucky to get your foot in the door _with_ the diploma," he said. "I can only lead a horse to water. I urge you to take this seriously, lest you end up in a CROSS facility."

"We're already in a CROSS facility," a cadet responded.

"More reason to graduate, then," the man sharply replied.

Suddenly, a three-toned jingle came over the speakers in the classroom, "This is Presider Juna Oritz reminding all cadets that fights are taken very seriously and will not be tolerated. Guilty parties will be punished accordingly. Anyone withholding information will also be severely punished. If you know anything, come to the main office before closing or face the consequences. That is all," a cold female voice said through the speakers.

The cadets began to whisper and shake their heads.

"All right, keep focused. I'm handing out a review worksheet that will help you remember the laws," the teacher said.

Kasside shot a glance at Tethia at the other end of the room. Her eyes were cast down on her desk and strands of blond and red hair fell in front of her face. The old man came to Kasside's desk and placed a sheet of paper in front of him. The paper had paragraphs numbered by roman numerals and highlighted sections within each one.

The highlighted section in the first paragraph covered a major law. The law stated that Alchens "are not permitted, under any circumstance, to knowingly or purposely produce alchenergy which would alter or disrupt the general public or a place of business where Alchen abilities have not been expressly requested and approved for use by the Correctional Rehabilitation Organization for Subhuman Subjects."

Kasside glanced over the paper, his thoughts preoccupied by his plans being torn to shreds by Tethia's words. His mind wandered as the page went out of focus. His pen continued twirling along in his hand as he lost track of time.

A change in the mood of the room caught Kasside's senses, causing him to look up.

"Mr. Cissine?" the teacher called, as if to say it for the 12th time.

"Yes?" Kasside responded.

"Would you mind reading the highlighted area in Section 6, or am I interrupting something?" he asked.

" 'The practice of alchemy and alchemic rituals as defined in Section 5 are hereby banned in the Districts of the United States Pacific under penalty of law. Ownership of or otherwise association with alchemic stones or solutions as defined in Section 5 are cause for immediate searches and seizures,' " Kasside read in a robotic tone.

The moment the class was over, Tethia quickly got up from her chair and exited the room before anyone else had the chance. Kasside watched the rest of the cadets funnel through the slim doorway as Maron walked over to him.

"Don't make her feel worse than she already does," Maron told him.

"I'm the one that feels bad. If she feels so bad then why not just come with us?" Kasside asked.

"She isn't ready. Tethia may have a tough exterior, but she is afraid of the outside world. She would put us in jeopardy if she ever hesitated, and she doesn't want to be responsible for that," Maron answered.

"Did she tell you that?" he asked.

Maron opened up his book and walked to the door, "She didn't have to."

Kasside and Maron walked down the corridors of the building to their final class.

"Now to Workshop, also known as 'Slave Labor 101,' " Kasside said.

"I believe they still do this type of work in prison," Maron commented.

"Cataview is the most successful company in the world, so you'd think they would have enough employees to build their own shit," Kasside said.

"It's much harder to make money when you are actually paying your employees," Maron replied.

Kasside pushed open a large metal door that led to what resembled a warehouse. There were several workbenches and scattered equipment throughout the room. The ceiling was high and the entire vicinity smelled of burning gas. Kasside and Maron stared in confusion at a long row of leaned-back metal chairs that looked as if they were made for a medieval dentist.

A bearded man in a pair of safety goggles stood at a nearby bench. The man tilted his head side to side as he examined a manual.

"What are those, Mr. Burnham?" Kasside asked the man.

"Some new Mega-Magnet chairs that Cataview is making. Ugly things if you ask me, but I don't know what the hell people like anymore," the man replied, shaking his head.

Kasside and Maron each grabbed a pair of goggles from a shelf, secured them, and headed for the nearest empty worktable. Kasside pulled out a large cardboard box with _Cataview_ written on the side and set it next to him. He pulled out various pieces of metal and set them on the table.

"What could these chairs possibly be for? And don't they have machines for this?" Kasside asked as he held up the reflective metal.

"The magnets cause too many issues with other machines. As for what they are for, I'm not sure," Maron said.

"Well, as long as I get to play with magnets, I guess I can't really complain," Kasside said. He held two pieces of metal near each other and let go as they snapped together.

At the table adjacent from Kasside and Maron, a girl with wavy pink and brown hair struggled as she attempted to tug two magnets apart. She slammed them down on the table and sighed as she wiped her forehead.

"Let me help," Kasside said.

The girl looked up at Kasside with bright violet eyes, "Thank you. Cana is out sick or something, not that she's any help," she laughed.

"It's no problem," Kasside said as he grabbed the metal.

The girl held the other end as they pulled the pieces apart from each other.

"Kasside, right?" the girl said.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm sorry, I don't know your name," he said as he scratched his neck.

"Don't worry about it. I try to hide in the back for the most part, and I only remember your name because my grandmother's name was Cassidy," she said. "My name is Syre."

"Didn't we have a class together last year?" Kasside asked.

"Yes, we did, and I hid in the back for that one, too," she laughed.

"I remember the teacher always called you 'Bayleem' or something?" he said.

"My first name is Beline. He refused to call me by my middle name," she said.

Maron walked over to Syre's bench, reading his book through foggy plastic goggles.

"This is Maron," Kasside said.

"Pleasure to meet you, Syre," Maron said with a slight bow.

"Oh, but he knows my name," Syre said, sticking out her tongue.

"Some of us pay attention," Maron snidely remarked.

"Don't you guys usually hang out with that angry girl?" Syre asked.

"Yeah, that would be my girlfriend, Tethia." Kasside cleared his throat.

A look of regret fell over Syre's face, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

"It's all right. She's been extra angry lately," Kasside replied.

As the class came to an end, the final bell rang out and echoed through the room. The cadets each removed their goggles and stacked them on the shelving unit near the door.

"Thanks for the help," Syre said as she replaced her goggles.

"No problem. See you later," Kasside smiled.

Kasside and Maron walked back toward their dorm, going around the buildings near the cadets running on the track.

"You picked an odd time to start making friends, Kasside," Maron said.

"Why do you care all of a sudden?" Kasside asked.

"The less people who know us, the greater chance we have of escaping silently," Maron whispered.

"Just admit you're worried about Tethia not coming. If we can just convince her to change her mind, everything will be smooth," Kasside said confidently.

"Whether I'm worried or not, trying to change Tethia's mind is a waste of time," Maron replied.

The next morning, Kasside's slumber was disturbed once again in Ms. Gleenate's classroom by the sound of the tireless bell. He rubbed his eyes and slung his bag over his shoulder, stretching his back as he waited for Maron to reach his seat. Ms. Gleenate stared at her laptop with dull eyes, undeterred by the commotion of cadets fighting to be the first to leave the room.

Maron approached Kasside with his book in his hand, "Have you talked to Tethia since yesterday?"

Kasside shook his head, "I couldn't find her after class. Shouldn't I be the one that's mad?"

"I don't think she's mad, but this is Tethia we're dealing with. Give her time," he replied.

"If not for Nenemé, I'd say you and Tethia are perfect for each other," Kasside said.

"Then thank goodness for Nenemé," Maron retorted.

Maron and Kasside exited the classroom and began their trip down the hall. Kasside looked over as Tethia walked a straight line toward them, barreling through crowds of cadets with her usual bored stare.

"Here's your chance," Maron said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Kasside said under his breath.

Tethia caught up to Kasside's side and began walking with them, "Hey, can I talk to you when you have a minute?"

"Yeah, I actually wanted to talk to you, too. We can talk now," Kasside answered.

"I would rather be alone," Tethia said, giving Maron a menacing glare with her fiery eyes.

"Did I miss something?" Kasside asked as they approached the exit.

They opened up the courtyard doors to the immediate sounds of yelling and arguing. A group of cadets were mercilessly throwing each other around on the grass with blood-stained shirts and fists.

"You're kidding me," Kasside shook his head.

"Let's go the other way," Tethia suggested, tugging on Kasside's arm.

"This fight could ruin our chances of leaving," Maron said sternly, grabbing Tethia's arm.

"Nobody asked you," Tethia growled as she pulled away.

"No, he's right. We have to break this up before anyone gets seriously hurt," Kasside said.

Tethia let go of Kasside's arm and stormed off, back into the building.

Kasside watched as a female cadet barked at a male, coming closer to each other in the midst of the confrontation. A familiar head of pink and brown hair stepped in between the girl and the boy, pushing them away from each other. Kasside dropped his bag, wasting no time as he sprinted toward her. The boy pushed Syre out of his way, and she began to fall toward the ground. Kasside put out his arms as he dove to catch her from behind, but she vanished before him in a flash of blue light, causing him to charge directly into the male offender.

"Get off me," the cadet yelled, throwing Kasside off his body.

Kasside stumbled backward, grinding his teeth as the boy came toward him. The boy cocked his arm back, ready to strike. Kasside's eyes widened as his pupils began to fade into a cloud of golden specs, and everything suddenly became quiet.

The boy stopped and turned around in confusion. He and Kasside were now alone in a dark, empty place. Whispers started to come from all directions around them. The boy looked over to Kasside, who hadn't moved an inch.

The whispers became louder and louder. "Fire," they were saying.

The boy couldn't help but think it to himself as the voices became louder and louder still. His breathing became heavy as he felt warmth at his toes, crawling upward to his legs. He looked down as black and blue flames began to engulf his entire body.

"Help me! Please, someone help me!" he screamed as he dropped and writhed around on the ground. His skin began to dissolve into the flames, leaving visible bones that were being blackened with each passing moment. " _Somebody help me!_ " he cried out in desperation.

The boy opened his eyes as the burning pain ceased. He looked down at his hands and saw no marks or burns of any kind. He slowed his panic as his breathing became normal. He looked up toward Kasside. Maron was now standing next to Kasside with his hand on his shoulder.

Maron ripped out several pages from his book and threw them into the center of the crowd. The pages spiraled around each other and formed upward into a spinning tower, changing shape on their own. The pages formed branch-like sections that spewed out of the top of the tower. Maron gestured with his hand as the paper branches wrapped around the legs of each cadet that participated in the brawl. The cadets were pulled from below and hung upside-down as they flailed about, dangling helplessly. He then commanded the pages to release the cadets, sending them crashing to the ground as silence took over the area.

A few men in suits and ties stood at a nearby building entrance, laughing in amusement as they watched the fight come to a halt. A woman with an angry scowl and two armored soldiers burst through the doors of the nearest building and came straight toward Kasside and Maron. The woman was wearing a cap with a militant-looking logo of a hawk surrounded by stars. The logo had a banner at the bottom with _CROSS_ written on it.

Leo was a few yards away, approaching the scene from the other side. A handful of cadets quickly got up and ran off in different directions. The woman clasped her hands behind her back.

"Presider Oritz," Maron said with a slight bow.

"Save it," she responded. She looked around with narrowed eyes at the bloodstained battlefield, "This behavior is absolutely unacceptable," she said loudly. "I will not tolerate the use of alchenergy in my academy. There is absolutely no excuse for these childish actions, especially from those of you who have been here for several years or more." Her voice bounced off each surrounding wall, causing several echoes to follow.

The other cadets stayed quiet, too frightened to speak or make eye contact as more armored guards surrounded the area.

The presider removed a black baton from her belt, "You two, come with me," she ordered.

"Presider Oritz, maybe a public display would be better suited for this type of situation," Leo suggested quietly.

"Very well, you conduct the punishment, Entry Ascenler," she said, holding the baton out to Leo.

Leo glanced at Kasside and Maron as he nervously approached. He extended his arm with a trembling hand as he got near the baton.

"Excuse me, Presider, but some might perceive your inability to properly handle your cadets yourself as weakness," Maron said calmly.

She reached back with the baton and came down across Maron's cheek. Maron's head turned sharply, but his facial expression remained unmoved.

"Hey!" Kasside shouted as the soldiers held him back.

"All of you Alchens think you're invincible, that you are somehow superior to us, but I have news for you—" Juna said as she struck the back of Maron's knee, "you bleed just like the rest of us, and I will remind you of that every single day if I need to."

Juna swung again and struck Maron's head while Maron was on his knees. Feeling satisfied with her strike, she turned around and went back inside the building. After she left, the remaining soldiers began a barrage of attacks on Kasside and Maron. Kasside fell to the floor alongside Maron, covering his head with his hands as the rest of the cadets watched in horror.

After an intense thirty seconds of physical abuse, the soldiers stood up and dispersed in an orderly fashion. Kasside rolled over to his back and coughed a few times. Maron brought himself to his feet, clenching his book in one hand and offering the other to Kasside. The rest of the cadets left with their heads down and their tails tucked between their legs.

"You were right, bad time to start making friends," Kasside said as he wiped his mouth.

"So much for anonymity ... Can you walk?" Maron asked, brushing the dirt from his clothes.

"I'll manage," he replied.

Maron helped Kasside along as they walked back toward their dorm. Leo was standing near the door as they approached.

"Man, you guys look like shit," he said.

" 'Better make it a public display'? Whose side are you on, Leo?" Kasside asked.

"Hey, I didn't tell you guys to start beating kids up. Whatever Oritz had in store for you behind closed doors would have been much worse than what you got, so you're welcome," Leo replied.

"Thank you, Leo," Maron said and headed for the entrance.

"Where's Tethia?" Leo asked.

"She was smart enough to stay away from us," Maron answered.

Kasside and Maron reached the elevator and got inside. They leaned against the walls as they caught their breath. Maron retrieved his book and brushed the dirt from the cover.

"Well, no one died," Kasside said as the elevator began to rise.

"No, not yet, but if we weren't on Juna's radar before, we definitely are now," Maron said.

"It won't matter if we can get off 'Hell Island,' " Kasside remarked.

"Let's start with getting out of the academy," Maron said.

They exited the lift and walked down the hall, limping toward their door at the other end. Kasside reached into his pocket and found his key. As Kasside lifted his hand to put the key in the door, Maron grabbed his arm and put his hand out to stop him.

"What?" Kasside asked with raised eyebrows.

Maron opened his book and put his hand over the pages, "Someone's inside."
Chapter III: Live and Let Die

The clouds—gathering. The birds—singing. The trees were dancing with the help of the cool breeze just outside. Loud echoing voices squawked throughout the corridors. A shiny key slyly slid into a silver doorknob.

"It's probably just Tethia," Kasside whispered.

"Leo said he hadn't seen her," Maron said.

"Okay, ready?" Kasside asked as he tightly gripped the doorknob.

Maron tugged out a page from his book and nodded.

Kasside slowly turned the handle, and then pushed the door open quickly as Maron tossed his paper inside. The page wrapped around the legs of the intruder, causing her to fall to the floor.

"Let me go!" the girl shrieked as she fought to remove the paper from her ankles.

"You?" Maron said.

"Syre? What are you doing here?" Kasside asked.

Syre sat up and blew a strand of wavy hair from her face, "I came to thank you, but I'm not so sure anymore."

"Thank us?" Kasside asked.

"I saw you trying to help me, and I also saw you guys get the beating of a lifetime," she said lowly.

"You're welcome," Maron said.

"How do you even know where we live?" Kasside asked as he glanced around the room.

"I just asked the creepy guard at the front and he told me," she answered.

Kasside put his head down in his hand, "Figures."

Maron put his arm to his side and the paper fell flat to the floor. The page started slowly decomposing until it was no more than dust on the ground.

"Thanks for that," Syre said as Kasside helped her to her feet.

"Why didn't you wait outside instead of breaking in?" Maron asked.

"First of all, I didn't technically break in, I warped in. I apologize if I scared you, but I couldn't just wait outside and get caught in the boys' dorms," she explained.

"Didn't stop you from asking Leo where our room was," Kasside said.

Syre scoffed, "I see your girlfriend come here with you guys all the time. It's the other cadets that would have turned me in, not Leo."

A bell began to ring in intervals of three from the main buildings. Maron and Kasside looked sharply to the window on the far wall.

"I'd better be getting to class. Thanks again, and sorry again," Syre said.

"That isn't the class bell," Maron said.

They each walked up to the window and looked toward the courtyard. Cadets were being ushered inside the curved building by soldiers and teachers.

"That's never good," Kasside said.

The three Alchens hurried down the stairs and through the front door. Leo was standing nearby, pointing the cadets to the gymnasium.

"Leo, what's going on?" Kasside asked.

"I told you, they don't tell me anything," he said with a shrug. "I'm thinking Aero was spotted nearby."

"Aero?" Syre asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You've never heard about Aero?" Leo said excitedly.

"Here we go," Kasside sighed.

"Aero is this crazed vigilante that goes around killing CROSS soldiers. No one can touch the guy," Leo said. "And the scariest part is, he wears a white CROSS mask to hide his identity."

"That can't be real," Syre replied, shaking her head.

"Oh, he's real. He's been on the news and everything. Thankfully, he's never shown up to the academy," Leo said.

"Because he doesn't exist," Syre said.

After the last cadet passed by, they slowly began to walk toward the gym.

"How do we know you aren't Aero?" Maron asked Leo.

Leo furrowed his brow, "What?"

"You and Aero have never been in the same room, so how do we know you aren't him?" Maron asked.

"Because, if Aero and I were ever in the same room I'd be dead and covered in piss," Leo replied.

They walked inside the gym and found an empty row of chairs near the back. Leo went to stand along the wall with the other soldiers lining the room. On the opposite end of the room, there was a small stage and a podium with closed curtains behind it. The cadets all spoke freely while the teachers and instructors attempted to create ample seating.

Juna Oritz climbed onto the stage and walked to the podium. The ringing bell finally ceased as she tapped on the microphone twice. The cadets became quiet and shifted their attention to her as loud feedback came from the microphone.

"I am going to be blunt about this, because it has come to a point where your safety, as well as the safety of the staff, has been put at risk," Juna began to announce. "I apologize if this news is a bit grim, but most of you have probably heard that another one of your fellow cadets has been killed."

The cadets began to whisper to each other and peer around the room.

"As you know, this coming week marks the end of the year and the start of winter break," she said. "Unfortunately, due to the extreme circumstances, the regular leniency we provide during this time will not be possible. All classes have been cancelled for today. Consider yourselves on full lockdown until further notice. Legal guardians or contacts will be notified for you. Thank you."

The presider stepped down from the stage as the cadets began to stand and shout. The CROSS soldiers took aim at the angry cadets as the presider left through the back exit.

"Come on, let's go," Leo said as he led them out of the rising chaos.

"What just happened?" Syre asked, holding on to Kasside's shoulder as they found the exit.

"She opened the floodgates," Maron responded.

They quickly hid behind a corner of the building, away from the soldiers and other cadets that fought in the courtyard.

"We are going to have to shift our plans a bit. We'll leave tonight," Maron said.

"Kind of soon, don't you think?" Kasside said.

"We have no choice. Full lockdown means the longer we wait, the harder it gets," Maron replied.

"Leave where? Evaluations are next week, and if we pass we get out anyway," Syre said.

"Syre, you've never taken the Evaluations, have you?" Kasside asked. "The only way to get out of here is to join a CROSS cadet program. Trust me, I've taken the Evaluations, and Maron has taken them twice," he explained.

"I'm still right here, guys," Leo said, waving his hand.

"No offense, Leo, but we don't plan on signing up," Kasside said.

They walked back toward the dorms, hidden inside a large group of well-behaved cadets.

"We should at least tell Tethia before we go," Kasside whispered to Maron.

"Isn't Tethia going with you guys?" Leo asked.

Kasside shook his head, "She had a change of heart ... Want her spot?"

"No way, man, not with Aero running around out there," Leo said.

They stopped at the bronze statue that marked the separation of the gender segregated dorm buildings.

"Good luck with your travels, guys," Syre said as she waved goodbye.

"Good luck to you, too," Kasside said.

"Syre, before you go, could you take this note to Tethia? I'll write her room number inside." Maron scribbled on a page of his book and handed it to Syre. "Thank you, Syre."

"Nice meeting you," Leo said as he followed Kasside and Maron to the dorms.

As they walked toward the dorm, the radio on Leo's shoulder began to buzz with distorted voices. The voices shouted indiscernible codes while Leo carefully listened with his head tilted down to the side.

"What's the word?" Kasside asked.

"This lockdown is no joke. They're expecting deserters of all kinds, so whatever you're planning better be good and have nothing to do with me," Leo answered.

"I wonder what Aero would think of your unwillingness to help Alchens in need," Kasside said.

"Dude, don't even joke about that," Leo responded.

"If I were you, Leo, I'd be more concerned about the other cadets that are planning to leave. Not everyone has a steady temper," Maron warned.

Maron and Kasside entered the building as Leo stayed behind at his post. They went up the elevator and back to their dorm, locking the door behind them and standing frozen in the center of the room.

"Now what?" Kasside asked as he peered through the window.

"We pack. Then, when the sun goes down, we head out and hope Nenemé is either at home or at the café," Maron replied.

"The other cadets trying to leave might be a good enough distraction for us to head into the woods," Kasside said.

Maron sighed and grabbed his left arm, sitting down on the desk chair and leaving his book in his lap.

"Let me see," Kasside said in a concerned voice.

Maron rolled up his sleeve, revealing blue markings that covered his skin and almost seemed to be alive, moving ever so slightly around his arm like a constricting snake.

"We're going to find those prism things," Kasside said.

"That easy, is it?" Maron asked.

"That easy," he smirked.

Over the next few hours, Kasside and Maron busily packed their essential belongings and changed into their seldom-worn street clothes. Kasside came out to the front room where Maron was sitting at his desk and reading his book. Maron was wearing a dark blue coat with a white dress shirt underneath and dark pants, while Kasside wore a gray t-shirt with a sage colored jacket and blue jeans.

"You do realize how funny it is that your normal clothes still look like clothes from the academy, don't you?" Kasside asked.

Maron remained quiet as he flipped a page in his book.

Kasside turned around and stopped as a figure blocked his path.

"I'm going with you guys," the figure said.

Kasside knocked over a stack of books and paper as he stumbled backward, taken by surprise, "You almost gave me a damn heart attack, Syre. You can't just let yourself in like that."

"Well, how else was I supposed to get in? There's a guard at every entrance," Syre replied.

"What if I had been changing?" Kasside asked.

"In your living room? In front of Maron?" Syre asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's beside the point," Kasside said, scratching his neck.

Syre clutched a small green travel bag at her side, "So, can I come?"

"Why the sudden need to leave?" Maron asked.

"Have you not seen what's happening outside?" she asked as she looked toward the window.

Maron opened the window as they gathered around. Shouts and screams echoed faintly between the buildings outside. Lights flashed up ahead near the front entrance of the academy. Doors inside the dorm building were continuously being slammed shut, followed by quick and heavy footsteps through the halls.

"Cadets are starting to riot. Most of the fighting is at the front of the academy, but I won't be surprised if it finds its way back here," Syre said.

"The sun is almost down—now's the time," Maron said and opened the front door.

"Syre, if you come with us, you may never see this place again," Kasside warned.

Syre gazed outside as the screams continued, "Good riddance."

The three cadets ran down the winding stairs of the building to the first floor, passing by others with scarves and rags covering their faces. Maron led Kasside and Syre through the back doors that faced the woods.

"Hold on, I need to grab something." Maron turned back toward the academy.

"Now?" Kasside asked.

"Syre, can you warp other people as well as yourself?" Maron asked.

"No, I'm sorry, I can't," she said with a shrug.

"What could you possibly need to grab?" Kasside asked.

"Magnets," Maron answered.

Maron led them carefully around the building, ducking down as they hurried across the paved pathways. In the distance, groups of cadets could be seen charging at armored soldiers. The soldiers began to fire their weapons, sending most of the cadets to the ground.

They came to the large metal door that led to the warehouse.

Kasside tugged on the metal door handle, to no avail, "Locked," he sighed.

"I got it," Syre said.

In an instant, she vanished into a glimmer of blue light. The door began being unlocked from the other side and then was pushed open with Syre standing inside.

"Well, aren't you convenient?" Kasside smirked.

Maron immediately began rummaging through shelves in the warehouse, sticking seemingly random objects inside his bag. Kasside and Syre looked around the dark room and tried to find a light source. Kasside found a switch against the wall and turned it on, causing the overhead lights to illuminate the entire space.

"Much better," Kasside said as his voice echoed off the high ceilings.

At that moment, footsteps echoed through the hallway. They each looked back at the open entrance door.

"Who's there?" a voice asked as the steps came closer.

Syre, Maron, and Kasside each ducked behind a work bench as the man came into the room. Kasside peeked around the corner and saw a masked CROSS soldier, carefully looking around each table. Kasside helplessly watched as the man came around to Syre's table. Just before he looked over, Syre closed her eyes and warped away, vanishing completely from sight into a small flash of light.

"I know someone is in here." The man prepared his weapon in his hands.

"Shit," Kasside whispered as he scanned the room for Maron.

The man continued searching and stopped moving just before Kasside's bench. Just as the soldier's head became visible, a piece of paper flew by and wrapped around his face. He stumbled backward, struggling to remove the sheet. He quickly took of his mask and threw it aside, pointing his weapon forward as Kasside stood up. Kasside's eyes widened and his pupils faded away as the soldier's eyes began to widen in sync.

The soldier dropped his weapon to the ground and held his stomach. He made a face of disgust as his neck muscles tightened. He lifted his hand up as an uncontainable amount of vomit spewed from his mouth and ricocheted off his palm in all directions.

"Aw, gross," Kasside said as he wiped vomit from his sleeve.

A few more sheets of paper attached themselves to the man as Maron walked up to Kasside's side. The pages wrapped around him as if to cocoon him. The soldier fell on the floor as he fought to escape.

"Let's move," Maron said.

They exited the room and found Syre waiting for them in the hallway.

"What happened? You guys all right?" she asked.

"He puked on my jacket," Kasside complained.

"We're fine. Let's get moving before he calls for backup," Maron suggested.

They hastily exited the building and entered the courtyard, running back toward the wooded area behind the dorms. The sun had completely fallen behind the trees, and stars began to appear in the young night sky.

Kasside suddenly stopped in his tracks, "Hey, hold on, isn't that Leo?"

Maron and Syre looked near the bronze statue. Leo was fending off several relentlessly attacking cadets.

"Make it quick," Maron said.

Maron tore out a few pages from his book and tossed them toward the fight. The first page wrapped around a cadet's legs, causing him to fall to the ground. The second page bound another cadet's hands together as Kasside ran by and threw a swift fist to the cadet's head. Syre warped behind the third and covered his head with the hood of his jacket. Leo threw a punch at the blinded cadet and sent him to the ground.

"You're welcome," Kasside said as they continued running by and into the woods.

"I had that," Leo shouted.

Kasside, Syre, and Maron ran through the woods until the academy could no longer be seen, at which point they slowed to a walk to catch their breath. The shouts and sounds of gunfire still echoed throughout the area, bouncing through the trees and scaring away the creatures of the woods.

"I hope you know where we're going," Syre said as she began to shiver.

"It'll be a long trip if I can't get a hold of Nenemé," Maron said.

"I hate running," Kasside mumbled to himself.

The cadets walked on for several minutes while following Maron's lead. The scenery now seemed dull, as their surroundings seemed to repeat over and over.

"Syre, I feel like we don't know anything about you," Kasside said.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked.

"I don't know ... Where did you live before coming to this prison?" Kasside asked.

"San Francisco," She replied. "It's nice, but I wish I could have seen it before the war. I've seen a few old pictures, but they were pretty damaged."

"What brought you here?" Maron asked.

"I was really into gymnastics as a kid. One day, I slipped on a high beam in front of a crowd and warped home before hitting the ground. That was before anyone, including me, knew that I could do that," she said. "I guess my alchenergy was pathetic enough as a baby to pass the scanners, and the pink and purple didn't show up until a year later. My parents didn't know what to do with me. They let me stay with my grandfather who homeschooled me, until he passed away."

The group became quiet once more, walking through the endless abundance of nature.

"I was pathetic, too," Kasside said, breaking the silence.

Maron and Syre both stopped moving and glanced back at him.

"I mean, when I was a baby, I got through the scanner as well," he clarified. "I don't remember the first time I cast an illusion, but I remember that I did it pretty often until I could control it. My sister hated me because I needed constant attention. She and I were fighting one time, and I lost my temper and cast an illusion on her. I don't even remember doing it," Kasside said, taking a deep breath.

"So, what happened?" Syre asked.

"She threatened to turn me in to CROSS, so I freaked out and ran away. Spent a few days in a shack, then got caught trying to steal food and water from a store. The owner hated Alchens as it was, so he called CROSS and they came and got me. I had a short trial and the judge sent me here," Kasside said with a shrug. "Ironically enough, my sister joined CROSS and moved from Sacramento. Last I heard, she was stationed in New York somewhere, probably hunting down all kinds of Alchens like us," he said with a light laugh.

Maron silently read his book as they walked along the crunching path of twigs and leaves. Dark clouds gathered as a cold wind picked up and the remainder of sunlight disappeared. Syre shivered at the wind and clung to her coat, attempting to hide her face inside the collar.

"Hey Maron, you haven't told me where you're from yet," Syre said, distracting herself from the cold.

"That is a longer story than I care to share at the moment," he replied.

"Come on, we both shared," Syre said.

"You might have the pleasure of finding out some day, but not today," Maron responded.

They came to a steeply elevated rock formation. Maron walked directly toward the hill as pages from his book slipped out and caught his feet, lifting him higher and higher like an invisible staircase. He stopped once he reached the top and patiently waited for the other two, opening up his book and leaning against a nearby tree. Kasside ran to the rocks and jumped from one side to the next, eventually catching the top and pulling himself up. He breathed heavily and turned to Syre with an accomplished look on his face. He knelt over the edge and offered his hand in assistance to Syre. Syre had her arms crossed and a stared blankly at Kasside's hand. She flashed from her position and reappeared next to Kasside, clearing her throat and walking forward behind Maron.

"Right," Kasside mumbled, bringing himself to his feet and wiping the dirt from his pants.

Syre surveyed their surroundings as they came to an opening within the thick cover of greens and browns. The ground was flat and barren as far as the eye could see to the left and right of them, clear of plants and paved with dirt. Another wooded area started a few yards in front of them.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"We weren't the first ones to head into the woods. Juna had this put in so her minions could catch escaping cadets, like us," Maron answered.

"But you two never got caught?" she asked.

"We always came back before they came looking for us. Leo covered for us whenever we left," Maron explained.

"Besides, we're harder to catch than that," Kasside boasted as he crossed the dirt road.

As Kasside proceeded, Maron noticed a blinking red light being produced from a small black box just in front of him.

"Kasside, wait a second," Maron warned.

Kasside stopped and fell to his knees, his legs limp and gelatinous. Syre stopped just behind him, falling to her knees in the same manner. Maron turned around, feeling a tingling sensation in his legs, and was overcome by numbness. After a few moments of intense struggling, he fell to his side. He watched as headlights from a truck approached them on the dirt road.

The truck drove up to Maron, stopping just a few feet away from his head. Two armored CROSS soldiers exited the truck and approached them, shining flashlights back and forth. One of the soldiers knelt down and picked up the small black box.

"Numb Bug," he chortled, waving the device close to Kasside's face. "Cataview really outdid themselves on this one. Blocks brain signals to the legs, works its way up. Knew you dumbass kids would try the woods," the man laughed.

Their masks glowed yellow at the eyes, and their voices seemed slightly computerized coming through the vents in the masks. Indistinct buzzing voices could be heard on their radios as the chaotic sounds of revolt still flooded the area. Maron kept a straight face, taking deep breaths as he fought to keep his head above his shoulders. Kasside and Syre twitched on the ground while making faint grunting noises.

"Come on, round them up before they get back up," the second man said.

The man proceeded to lift Syre up over his shoulder while simultaneously dragging Kasside by the leg toward the back of the truck.

Maron began to regain feeling in his legs, standing up slowly while shaking at the knees. The first soldier drew his sidearm and pointed it at Maron. Maron slowly put both hands in the air with his palms facing outward and turned around.

"Hands on your head, Alchen!" the soldier shouted, briskly walking toward Maron with his weapon still aimed.

Maron complied and put his hands on his head, dropping his head down as long strands of hair dangled freely in the light wind. The soldier removed a pair of handcuffs from a belt clip and quickly placed them around Maron's wrists.

He led Maron to the back of the truck, "Go on," the man said to Maron, gesturing with his weapon.

Maron stepped inside and sat on a cold metal bench that stuck out from the wall of the truck. The second soldier removed a pair of handcuffs from his waist and locked the first on Syre's wrist and the second over Kasside's wrist. He pulled them to their feet and shoved them into the back with Maron. Their bags were thrown in with them and the doors were slammed closed as darkness fell over them. The soldier could be heard entering the truck and starting the engine. The vehicle began to move as the tireless yelling from the academy faded behind them.

Kasside slowly brought himself to a comfortable position on the opposite bench from Maron, "What happened?" He lifted his left arm with a limp wrist as Syre's right arm did the same, bound to the other end of the cuffs.

"We underestimated their tactics. It sounds like we're leaving the academy and are probably on our way to somewhere much worse. I suggest we remain quiet before we say too much," Maron said, gesturing to the small window that connected to the front seats of the truck.

Syre awoke in a panicked state, flickering in and out of sight with flashes of blue light. She desperately tried to pry her hand out of the shackle as tears streamed down her face.

Kasside put his free hand on her arm, "You're all right."

Over the next few minutes, the road became smooth, and the sound of passing cars was somewhat soothing with almost rhythmic timing.

"Syre, get my book out of my front pocket and place it in my hands. I might be able to get us out," Maron said quietly, turning to his side with his hands still restrained behind his back.

Syre reached over to his coat and dug out his book from the pocket, laying it carefully in his hands as requested.

Before Maron could act, there was a banging noise and the truck suddenly swerved, throwing them to the floor. The truck began to spin and the soldiers cursed from the front seats as they lost control. A few pages from Maron's book flew out and pinned Kasside and Syre to the truck, and Maron used several more to secure himself. The truck toppled over and began to roll downhill. Time seemed to move at an extremely slow rate as the world turned upside-down and back again.

The truck finally stopped and landed on its side as the two elevated wheels continued to rotate. One of the back doors to the truck had been thrown off somewhere along the hillside, and pieces of metal and tire marked the path of the crash. Maron released his pages, causing Kasside and Syre to fall to his side of the truck. Groaning came from the front seats of the truck as the soldiers attempted to move their broken limbs.

The soldiers stopped moving as a crunch of leaves was heard nearby.

"Is someone there? We're in here! We need help!" the driver shouted.

The driver's door was tossed open, and Kasside, Syre, and Maron watched from the back through the small window as two swift gunshots painted what was left of the truck with red spatter. Syre gasped and Kasside quickly put his hand over her mouth, sitting in silence as the creaking footsteps on top of the truck came toward the back.

The three watched through the newly opened back door as a hooded figure jumped down from the truck. They held their breath as the assailant holstered a gun and began to walk away. A slight turn of the head revealed a white CROSS mask underneath the hood. They waited for several minutes until the figure had vanished into the dark of the night.

"Everyone alive?" Kasside asked.

"Not everyone," Maron replied.

Kasside sighed, "Leo is never going to believe this."

### Chapter IV: Poise and Control

The stars—blinking. The moon—bright. A cold breeze wafted through the area, dancing over the faces of those bold enough to meet it. A single bird flew overhead, flying freely in the sky as it circled the area.

Kasside grabbed Maron's arm and pulled him up to his feet. They walked to the front of the truck, avoiding the large pieces of shattered glass and broken metal around them. Steam was protruding from the engine and the windshield was in pieces. Inside, two lifeless bodies were slumped over, hanging from secured seatbelts and covered in blood. Syre turned away and covered her eyes as she began to sob.

Maron began walking back to the other end of the truck, "Kasside, open my bag and give me a stone, please."

Kasside and Syre walked over to the back and pulled out Maron's travel bag. Kasside unzipped the bag and placed a black and purple rock in Maron's restrained hands. Maron held the stone to the chain of the cuffs and the stone began to melt onto the metal. The liquid overtook the chain and hardened in a matter of seconds. The chain cracked and the pieces of stone and metal fell to the ground.

Maron stretched his arms and grabbed another stone from the bag. Kasside and Syre held out their arms as Maron repeated the process on their cuffs.

"You use alchemy?" Syre asked.

"What of it?" Maron asked.

"Nothing, you just don't see it a lot," Syre answered.

"Probably because most of the other alchemists are in prison," Kasside interjected.

Kasside put his hood over his head as the wind picked up, throwing his bag over his shoulder, "So, am I the only one that thinks that we were just saved by Aero?"

" 'Saved' might be a strong word. I don't think he was intentionally helping us," Maron replied.

"But it _was_ Aero?" he emphasized.

"I don't know what it was, and I don't care at the moment. We need to figure a way out of here without being caught again," Maron said.

They climbed the hillside leading up to the road, where several cars passed by each minute. Maron surveyed the surroundings and saw the tire marks from the truck a few yards away.

"The academy is a few miles down this road," he said, pointing to the left.

"I don't suppose either of you have a way out of here?" Syre asked.

"We could steal a car," Kasside jokingly suggested.

Maron sighed and reached into a side pocket of his bag. He pulled out a pen, opened his book, and began writing furiously on one of the pages as Syre and Kasside watched. When Maron was finished, he pulled the paper out of his book and held it out in front of him. He clenched his eyes as the page slowly disintegrated as if being burnt by invisible fire. Once the paper was no more, he reopened his eyes and noticed Syre and Kasside intently staring at his neck.

"You got another mark," Kasside said.

A light-blue marking crawled above Maron's shirt collar and up the right side of his neck, staining his skin. Maron quickly covered his neck with his hand.

"What was that?" Syre said with concern in her voice.

"I sent a message to our friend Nenemé. Unfortunately, it takes quite a bit of alchenergy for me to do that, especially from this distance. Hopefully she finds the note," Maron explained nonchalantly.

"Okay, but why does _that_ happen to you?" Syre asked, pointing at Maron's neck.

"We don't know," Kasside answered. "This is part of why we needed to leave the academy. Maron thinks there might be answers in Decasus."

The trio walked slowly in the same direction the truck had been taking them, watching the cars pass from the side of the road. After a few miles of walking, they spotted a beige sedan on the side of the road next to a blue street sign.

"That's her," Maron said.

Their breath was like chimney smoke protruding from their mouths as they ran to the car in the cold air.

Maron took the front seat as Syre and Kasside climbed into the back, sighing as they felt the warmth of the heater. A woman with straight auburn hair sat in the driver's seat. She had shining brown eyes and an amused grin.

"What's up, kiddos?" the woman said.

"Nenemé, this is our friend Syre," Kasside said.

"Well, well, aren't we just a good looking group? And what horribly terrifying thing did these boys threaten you with to make you come with them?" Nenemé asked.

"It seemed like they knew what they were doing, at first," Syre said.

"Sorry, hon, these boys couldn't figure out a three-piece jigsaw puzzle," Nenemé laughed.

Nenemé pulled the car onto the road as drizzling raindrops lightly tapped the windshield thousands of times each second.

"You guys look like you were rollin' around in mud. What happened?" Nenemé asked.

"CROSS is losing control of the academy, and the cadets are fighting hard to get out. The presider had us on full lockdown, so you can imagine how that went," Kasside said.

"We were caught escaping by two soldiers and placed in a CROSS truck, but we crashed and the soldiers were executed by a gunman. The gunman did not appear to want anything to do with us, so we walked away mostly unharmed," Maron explained.

"And I thought I had a rough day," Nenemé said. "Is Tethia all right?"

"She decided to not come with us, but I'm sure she's fine," Maron answered.

"She's just bein' dramatic, she'll come around," Nenemé said.

Finally reaching civilization, they came across buildings and streetlights that went on as far as the eye could see. After a handful of turns, they ascended up a long, curved road that led to the flat top of a hill in a residential neighborhood. The houses along the street were large and spread far apart.

Nenemé parked in a wide driveway of an off-white house and shut off the car, "The boys will show you 'round the house. You'll probably be stayin' a while, so don't be afraid to get comfy and take your shoes off," she told Syre.

The group exited the car and entered through the front door.

Syre scanned the house in awe as she soaked in her surroundings, "This is awesome."

"It's not anything special. Plenty of work still needed, but Maron helps me out," Nenemé shrugged with her hands on her hips.

"It's been a while since I've been in a _house,_ house. It's much better than anything I've seen around Halnec before. How long have you lived here?" Syre asked.

"My whole life," Nenemé answered. "My parents left the house and their café to me after they moved from the island some years ago. They put a lot of money and work into both," she grinned.

"Speaking of money," Maron said, "we will need some to get around for the next few weeks, that is, if you two plan on eating. Nenemé, if these two helped you around the café for a few days, would you be able to pay them?"

"Of course. I never refuse help," Nenemé winked.

"And what will you be doing?" Kasside asked Maron.

"I have work to do here," Maron responded. "We will need transportation, weapons, and a plan. I will be providing these things, so you can clean a few dishes, Kasside."

"I don't know 'bout you guys, but I'm beat, and you'll need some sleep if you're gonna work the café tomorrow. Syre, let me show you where you'll be sleepin'," Nenemé said.

Syre followed Nenemé to a staircase near the center of the room with Kasside and Maron following close behind. Upstairs, there was a wide area with two couches, a desk, and small hallways on the sides leading to bedroom doors.

"Syre, you can take the extra bedroom on the right. Kasside will sleep in the office space, and you'll have to come in my room down the hall when you need to shower," Nenemé said.

"That's all right, I can sleep out here on the couch and Kasside can take the room. I'll be fine," Syre replied.

"Oh, please, he prefers the couch," Nenemé laughed and looked over to Kasside, who had already planted his face into the arm of the couch. "And Maron stays up all night working in the garage. It'll be good for someone to use that damn bed." Nenemé yawned and began to walk to her bedroom, "Goodnight. We're leaving bright and early tomorrow," she said in a singsong voice.

The next morning, Syre stretched her arms into the air and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was messy and tangled, and her breath was hot as she smacked her lips with a look of disgust. She pushed herself out of the bed, grabbed her travel bag from the floor, and exited the room. The sound of pots and pans clanking against a stove were coming from downstairs. Kasside was fast asleep on the couch in the exact position she had last seen him, except with a white blanket tossed over him.

She dragged her feet along the carpeted floor over to Nenemé's door. After knocking quietly and waiting several seconds, Syre slowly opened the door and entered the room. There was a large bed with white sheets, similar to the one she had slept in, and another door that led to the bathroom. She made her way to the bathroom door, putting her hand out to reach for the handle.

At that moment, the bathroom door swung wide open revealing Maron, wearing nothing but a white towel around his waist and carrying his book in one hand. His hair cascaded down past his shoulders, dripping with water. Blue markings were swirled throughout his entire visible body besides his face and hands, and the markings near the center of his torso seemed to be cut open and shining from within, as if staring into the starry night sky.

"I'm so sorry," she gasped, shielding her face with her hands and turning around.

"It's all right," Maron assured her, "there aren't many parts of me left to be ashamed of."

Maron walked over to his bag on the bed and unzipped it. He retrieved an outfit similar to the one he normally wore with variants in the colors. Syre averted her eyes and stared blankly at the wall as Maron got dressed behind her.

"What's happening to you?" she asked nervously.

"Misusing alchemy has its consequences," Maron answered. "You can turn around now."

Syre turned around as Maron buttoned up his coat over his dress shirt.

"Come here," Maron told her.

He set down his book on a small nightstand next to the bed and opened it to a random page in the middle. Syre watched as Maron ripped out a blank page and set it aside. After a few seconds, another page began to sprout from the center of the book as if it were a plant, slowly growing outward until it was the same size as the pages beside it.

"How do you do that?" Syre asked in astonishment.

"The book is a part of me. It is as much a part of me as the body you see in front of you," he said. "Unfortunately, the pages do not come back as quickly as they used to. I believe the day they stop coming back is the day I leave this world, back to Anexia."

"Anexia? What makes you say that?" Syre asked.

"Well, perhaps not the Anexia you and I are taught to believe in, but a plane of existence comprised of alchenergy, nonetheless," Maron said.

Syre raised an eyebrow, "And you're telling me you've been there before?"

"I'm not certain, but I believe so," he said. "My memory is blurry, but I remember whispers, and a wind that was both warm and cold at the same time."

"I'm not sure I fully understand," Syre responded.

Maron closed the book, "Neither do I."

"Maron, about that note—" Syre began to say.

"We can finish this conversation at a later time," Maron interrupted. "You'll be late for work if you don't get ready now. I'll get Kasside up."

Syre finished her shower and went downstairs to the kitchen. Nenemé was serving a plate to Kasside, and Maron was sitting at the table reading his book.

"Good morning, Syre. How did you sleep?" Nenemé asked.

"Very well, thank you," she replied as she took a seat next to Kasside.

Nenemé put a plate of steaming eggs, golden toast, and sizzling bacon in front of her.

"It's nice to have something to eat besides prison food," Kasside said.

"And it will be nice to have a job, seeing as the academy thought you wouldn't be smart enough to find one on your own," Maron added.

"Yeah, and we didn't even have to pass Evaluations," Syre said.

"I'm glad we didn't. No one who has passed that test has ever been seen again, unless they joined CROSS," Kasside replied.

"Can you blame the ones that left? I can't say that I would ever come back to the island after the academy. Although I've never considered joining CROSS before," Syre responded.

"Joining CROSS is a trade—your freedom for your safety, and even that is not guaranteed," Maron said.

After finishing breakfast, Nenemé, Syre, and Kasside took a short car ride to a one-story building that was centered between two empty intersections. The building had a neon orange sign on the outside that read _Nenemé's Café_. The front of the establishment had large glass windows that left blurred and distorted silhouettes of the chairs and tables inside.

Nenemé opened up the doors and they entered the café, "Welcome, welcome," she grinned.

She led them through the main room to the kitchen in the back. It was shining with clean silver appliances and had the pleasant scent of fresh fruit and coffee beans. Kasside yawned and rubbed his eyes as Nenemé handed him and Syre a yellow apron and yellow headband each.

"How long has it been since you wore one of these?" Nenemé asked.

"Too long," Kasside laughed.

Nenemé put on a white headband and white apron with her name stitched to the side pocket, "Alrighty, get your butts out there. All you guys have to do is take the orders and take 'em their plates, and I'll do the rest. It's super easy, I promise."

Kasside and Syre each picked up pen and paper and entered the dining area of the café. Customers were scarce for the first few hours, but the café slowly began to fill during lunch. Syre and Kasside rushed tirelessly between tables and back and forth from the kitchen. Several Alchen customers were scattered amongst the patrons, although noticeably sitting away from the non-Alchen customers.

Kasside welcomed a group of four as they took their seats at one of the round tables near the middle of the floor.

"My name is Kasside. Can I start you off with something to drink?" Kasside asked the group, raising the pen to the paper in preparation.

"Does anyone else work here?" a woman asked Kasside.

"Yes, the girl on the other end of the room with the headband and apron," Kasside answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Yeah, we saw her. She meant anyone _else_?" one of the men abruptly said.

"The owner is in the back. Is there some sort of problem?" Kasside asked.

"Yes, there is. The problem is we don't want a radioactive Alchen handling our food. Get me someone normal to talk to. It's bad enough you let them eat here," the man spouted.

Kasside tightly gripped the notepad and pen in his hands, swallowing his spit and grinding his teeth.

Nenemé came out of the kitchen from the back and walked to Kasside's side, "Hey folks, I heard some commotion out here. What seems to be the problem?"

"We were telling your boy here that we would like someone who doesn't leak cancer gas to take our orders, please," the man responded.

Nenemé reached into the pouch of her apron and removed a handgun that spun around her index finger. She pointed her gun at the table and shot a vase that sat in the middle. The vase shattered and sent water and pieces of glass flying in all directions.

"Whoops! Sorry, looks like you'll have to leave while we clean this up," Nenemé smiled.

The entire café was silent as the group brushed themselves off and tramped out of the room. The moment the door closed behind them, the café filled once more with conversation. Syre ran over to Kasside as Nenemé placed her smoking gun back into her apron.

"What was that?" Syre asked.

"Just some tourists in need of directions. It happens, but I usually don't shoot up my own tables," Nenemé chuckled.

They finished their long day of work (without any more incidents), put their aprons away, and returned to the car. Night was upon them, and a light drizzling rain came down as they made the drive back to Nenemé residence.

"Thanks for the help today, guys," Nenemé said. "I know it was a rough first day. I'm sorry you have to deal with ignorance like that ... I can't imagine what it feels like."

"It's not so bad. Besides, you're always there to tell us that we're special," Kasside smirked.

"You bet your ass I am. That includes you, too, Syre," Nenemé winked.

Nenemé pulled the car into the driveway of her house, only this time she drove through an open gate on the side that led them to a large yard in the back. She parked the car under a cement overhang near a wide garage space. A rusted car with an opened hood occupied the garage.

"Whose car is that?" Syre asked as they exited Nenemé's vehicle.

"Ours," Maron replied, stepping out from around the hood. He was wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The blue markings on his skin stuck out along his arms and neck.

Nenemé hugged Maron tightly and lovingly placed her head on his shoulder. She kissed his cheek and released him, and then merrily ambled inside the house.

"Maron, don't you think you should put a coat on?" Kasside said.

"Syre already saw the markings. She walked in on me getting out of the shower," Maron said.

Kasside's eyes widened, "What?"

Syre's face became red as she ducked her head and avoided eye contact.

"I had a towel," Maron shrugged. "Come over here, I have something to show you."

"It better not be you in a towel," Kasside mumbled.

Maron led them into a sizable rectangular room, filled with papers, books, multiple desks, and appliances. Maron picked up a metal mechanism from one of the desks and handed it to Kasside. It was cylindrical and had a rounded bar at the top. Embedded in the bar was a small black stone.

"Cool. What is it?" Kasside asked, turning it over in his hands.

"It goes over your arm. I'm calling it the 'Mercyblade.' That alchemy stone will produce enough energy to propel someone a few feet with a well-placed punch to the chest. The side houses a blade that will release if you press down on it, for a bit of a sharper attack," Maron explained.

"Wait, you were serious about the weapons?" Syre asked.

"I have one for you, too," Maron said. He reached down again and retrieved a thick black lace with a silver dagger attached to the end.

"No, hold on, this is crazy. What do you expect me to do with this, besides take my own eye out?" Syre asked.

"I'll teach you how to use it," Maron assured her. "Syre, where we are going, Alchens aren't exactly welcomed. You are going to have to defend yourself eventually. I don't need to remind you of what happened at the academy."

"I don't care. I am not killing anyone," Syre said, throwing the rope to the floor and leaving the room.

"Smooth," Kasside said.

"She needs to understand that we will be facing real threats, and if she doesn't learn to fight, she will die," Maron said.

"You need to understand that not everyone is like you," Kasside said.

The next morning, Syre awoke once again to the smell of eggs as the light from the sun came in through the breaks between the blinds. She exited the room and saw Kasside, mouth agate on the couch, his limbs hanging off the side. She approached him and nudged his shoulder. Kasside groaned softly as he adjusted his position on the couch.

"Hey, aren't we going to be late for work?" Syre whispered.

"It's Sunday," Kasside grumbled. "The café is closed on Sundays."

"That's true," Maron said, coming up from the stairs, "however, training begins in an hour. Meet me in the garage." Maron promptly walked back down the steps.

Kasside sat up and made room for Syre to sit on the couch. She sat down and slouched forward, holding her face in her hands.

"What's the matter?" Kasside asked.

"This whole 'death and fighting for survival' thing is just new to me. You guys don't seem fazed, but what I saw in that truck still hasn't really processed in my mind," she said. "Those men were murdered right in front of us ... Have you ever killed anyone before?"

Kasside took a deep breath, "Listen, you don't have to kill anyone for no good reason. This is about defending yourself and the people that matter to you," he replied. "If someone is holding a gun to your head, are you just going to let them kill you?"

"No, but I can escape without anyone getting hurt," she answered.

"Well, what if the gun is to my head? Will you just warp away then?" he asked. "There are people out there who will kill you for having purple eyes and pink in your hair. You're going to have to make tough decisions in a limited amount of time. I won't stop you if you want to leave on your own, but I'll be damned if I let you out of here without any way to defend yourself."

Down in the garage, Nenemé and Maron were leaning against a wall as Kasside and Syre entered the room. Kasside picked up the Mercyblade and secured it to his left arm. Maron approached Syre and handed her the black lace with a metal block in place of the dagger.

"What happened to the knife?" Syre asked.

"You'll start with this. I'll decide when it's time to use the dagger," Maron replied.

"Why not just teach me to use a gun?" Syre asked.

"Guns can jam, run out of ammo, and kill innocent people from yards away. Besides, everyone knows how to use a gun, and only you will know how to use this. Well, you and me," Maron said.

Syre sighed, "So, what did you name this one?"

"It's called 'Severance.' The dagger detaches with the first button on the handle and then comes back with the second button. It's made from the Cataview Mega-Magnets I picked up from the warehouse, so the handle will only attract your dagger," he explained.

"Cataview comes up with some crazy inventions," she said as she twirled the lace in her hands.

"I have set up some targets in the yard for you to practice on, seeing as it's not raining today," Maron said. "Kasside, your targets are the logs that are standing up on the left side of the yard. Syre, your target is to the right."

Maron led them from the garage to the partially grassed backyard with large brick walls surrounding the sides. The yard looked over a hillside, glistening with the previous night's rain. A chain-linked fence separated the yard from the agriculture that climbed down the hill. On the left side of the yard, three logs were stacked to the height of a small person. To the right, another log hung from a rope tied to a low tree branch.

"Kasside, the Mercyblade needs a push from your alchenergy. I know it's been a while since we've gone over alchemy, but try to remember what I taught you. Now, hit one of the logs while powering the stone," Maron instructed.

Kasside took a deep breath and shook his arms. He grunted as he threw his fist forward at the log, striking it forcefully as the tower lazily collapsed under him.

" _Son of a bitch!_ " he exclaimed as he gnawed at his knuckles.

Maron shook his head, "Set it up and try it again. Syre, throw the lace forward at the log and pull back hard, as if you're cracking a whip. Press the first button as soon as you pull back, then the second button right after."

"I've never cracked a whip," she replied.

"Give it to me," Maron said, holding his hand out to Syre.

Syre handed over the weapon to Maron. Maron wrapped the lace neatly around his arm. He stepped forward and threw the lace, snapping it back quickly as the metal block zipped through the air and smashed into the log. As the block fell to the ground, Maron pulled the lace upward and the block flew back toward him, reattaching itself to the lace. Nenemé, Kasside, and Syre all stared in awe as Maron calmly placed the device back in Syre's hands.

"Keep trying. Nenemé and I will check back in a while when we finish fixing the car, and then we can all take a break," Maron said.

Maron and Nenemé walked back into the garage as Kasside and Syre stared blankly at each other.

The wind began to pick up, forcing orange and yellow leaves to dance and twirl around the yard until being pressed against the fence as Kasside and Syre continued their trials.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Syre said. "How are you doing over there?"

"My knuckles are forming blood-sicles, so, you know, pretty good," Kasside replied.

Syre shrugged, "Maybe you just aren't doing it right. Or maybe the alchemy stone doesn't—"

She was interrupted as chunks of wood flew from the log and hailed down around the yard. What was left of the log was propelled forcefully over the fence and down the hillside.

"Whoa," Kasside and Syre said in unison.

Maron and Nenemé hastily ran over from the garage.

"Hey, you did it!" Nenemé cheered.

"Good," Maron said. "Syre, let's see how you're doing."

Syre picked up the lace and threw it toward the battered log. The block was released and smashed into the wood. She pulled the lace back and the block was pulled back in place.

"That's better. True Alchens learn quickly. Never forget, we are a product of evolution, no matter what anyone else says," Maron said. "Now then, throw the block at Kasside."

"What? Why would I do that?" Syre asked.

"You're right," Maron said, picking the lace up out of Syre's hands. He removed the metal block and replaced it with the dagger, "Now throw it at Kasside."

"You're insane—he could die," Syre argued.

"Do I get a say in this?" Kasside interjected.

Maron sighed and spun the lace in his hand as he looked toward Kasside. Kasside took a step back as he watched the blade spin round and round. The lace lunged forward like a striking snake toward Kasside's face. Kasside yelped and covered his face with his hands. He heard a loud clanking noise and slowly opened his eyes. He lowered his arms, checking himself for injuries. Kasside turned his left arm over and spotted the dagger lying flat on top of the Mercyblade over his forearm.

"You could have just told me," Kasside sighed, prying the dagger from his apparatus.

"It also blocks bullets," Maron said.

Kasside turned and spotted two handguns pointed directly at him. A barrage of rapid flashes blinded him as Nenemé fired repeatedly. Kasside lifted his arms with his palms facing outward. Each shot diverted to the ground, being pushed away from his body by an outside force. The shooting ceased as Kasside dropped to the ground, panting heavily as Nenemé burst out in laughter.

"If you hold your arm up that way, the underside will repel projectiles, not attract them. Try to think ahead if you have the time," Maron said.

"Wait, what if someone shoots me?" Syre asked. "Does the lace block bullets?"

"Unfortunately, we didn't have enough parts to make more than one magnet for projectiles, but I might be able to fashion one later. Although, unlike Kasside, you're a tough target because you can warp," Maron said.

"Well, I think you guys have earned a break. Go get somethin' to eat," Nenemé said.

"Get back to practicing right after you're done. Try sparring with her sometime, Kasside," Maron said. "You'll have to keep working and practicing until I can get this car running."

The next day, Nenemé, Syre, and Kasside returned from their shifts at the café.

"You see? I went a full day without having to fire a single shot," Nenemé proudly announced as they entered the house.

"Okay, but you still pointed a gun at someone for cutting you off in traffic," Kasside said.

"But I didn't shoot, and that's the important thing," she stated. "Anyways, I'll get dinner started. It'll be ready in about an hour." Nenemé walked into the kitchen and out of sight.

Kasside and Syre walked upstairs and removed their shoes and coats.

"I'm not as tired as I was yesterday, but my feet are still killing me," Syre said.

"I remember the café being a lot busier when I was a kid, and the people were a lot friendlier," Kasside commented.

"Maybe they just liked you because you were a cute kid, and now you're a hardened criminal." Syre stuck out her tongue.

"How would you know if I was a cute kid?" he asked.

"I saw some pictures in Nenemé's room," she answered. "She looks exactly the same as she did back then."

"And so does Maron's hair," he laughed. "She always wanted to cut it, but Maron wouldn't let her near it."

"Where is Maron?" Syre asked.

"Probably working on the car," he replied.

A few moments of silence went by as they stared around the room.

"We have an hour until dinner is ready," Syre said. "What do you want to do?"

Kasside shrugged, "Do you want to spar?"

"Like yesterday?" she asked.

"No, not a lesson, I mean really spar," he responded.

"If you think I'm ready," she replied.

Kasside put his fists up and stepped away from Syre. Syre nervously lifted her fists and turned her body.

"I won't hit you hard, I promise. Nenemé and I used to do this all the time," Kasside said.

Syre slowly threw her fist forward as Kasside ducked out of the way.

"You're gonna have to do better than that," Kasside said, pushing her slightly. "Come on, show me a little anger."

Syre stepped forward and threw another jab, but Kasside grabbed her arm and pushed her aside. Syre took a deep breath and turned back to Kasside. Kasside stepped toward her and extended his arm, but she curled backward and flipped over on her hands, landing back on her feet.

"Did you just backflip?" Kasside laughed.

"I told you I did gymnastics," she said.

Kasside came at her again, throwing quick jabs at her blocking hands.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Syre mocked.

"Don't get cocky because you landed one backflip," Kasside replied.

She grabbed Kasside's wrist in mid-strike and cartwheeled to the side, pulling him to the ground. Kasside held on to her arm and pulled her to the floor with him, causing her to fall on top of him. They stared at each other for a few seconds on the ground, and then burst into laughter.

Two days later, Syre, Kasside, and Nenemé arrived at the house after working their usual shifts at the café. Maron was standing in front of the garage as they pulled in, reading his book.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Kasside remarked as he stepped out of the car.

"I've been busy," Maron replied. "The car should be ready to go by the end of the day tomorrow."

"Awesome," Syre said.

"Can we finally relax?" Kasside asked.

"If I'm satisfied with your progress," Maron replied.

Maron tossed four sheets of paper to the ground. The pages reformed took the shape of human bodies, about his same height.

"Come on, we just got home," Kasside sighed.

"An enemy would not care where you just came from," Maron responded. "If I didn't believe this was important, I would not waste my alchenergy doing it."

Kasside sighed as he and Syre grabbed their weapons from a table behind Maron.

"I'll go make dinner," Nenemé said.

Maron stepped back as the four paper bodies rushed forward at Kasside and Syre. Syre warped a few feet back as the opponents threw quick punches at Kasside, knocking him to the ground. She threw her weapon toward the group, but the lace yanked her toward the Mercyblade as the dagger was attracted to it. Syre was thrown to the ground and pinned down by one of the bodies.

"Work together," Maron said.

Kasside pried the dagger from his arm and used it to stab the foot of one of the bodies. He then used the Mercyblade to blast the body away from him, tearing it from its leg. Syre whipped the lace around the body on top of her. She then pressed a button on the handle to call the dagger back, causing it to rip through the body to reattach.

Two enemies remained, and they both began to run toward Kasside.

"Syre," Kasside called out.

Syre threw the lace and released the dagger, sending it straight toward Kasside. Kasside turned his arm over and repelled the dagger toward one of the paper bodies, sending the dagger through its chest. Syre called the dagger back to the lace as the final body approached her. She tossed the lace and wrapped it around its neck. Kasside walked behind the body and squeezed the lace tighter and tighter, until the body flattened and gently fell to the ground.

"It's a start," Maron said.

### Chapter V: Marking Territory

The food—steaming. The chairs—wobbling. Forks clanked against ceramic plates as patrons of the café laughed and cheered. A single bird flew overhead outside, taking advantage of the pause in rainfall.

Nenemé pulled three red-rimmed menus from the large pocket of her apron and handed them to Kasside, Syre, and Maron.

"You guys worked your little butts off this week. I figure I at least owe you lunch," she smiled. She put her hand on Kasside's head and tossed his hair back and forth before taking her leave.

"I like Nenemé. I never did ask how you guys met her," Syre said.

"We met her years ago, not long after I met Maron," Kasside replied. "He and I were running from a CROSS team that had come after me. I had escaped the facility I was held in while waiting to be placed at the academy. They had armor and guns, and all I had was a pair of ripped jeans and a weird friend I met in the woods."

"We hid in the dumpsters in the back, but Nenemé saw us climb in," Maron said. "When the agents came to look for us, she told them she hadn't seen us. She took us in, fed us, and protected us."

"Don't let her kindness fool you," Kasside laughed, "she's the best shot around with a handgun. One of her parents used to make guns for her down in the basement of the café, and the other was a chef."

Syre smiled, but her face quickly turned sour as she stared toward the large windows near the entrance.

"What?" Kasside asked, turning his head.

Four men in CROSS armor entered the café, standing in a straight line and blocking the exit with their weapons drawn.

"This isn't good," Maron said.

"Attention, please. Everyone step outside and line up against the wall," one of the men commanded. The man wore dark armor plating that covered nearly every inch of his skin, with a mask that had glowing blue panels over the eyes. The other three men had lighter colored armor and yellow lights over their eyes.

"You're kidding me," Kasside whispered, ducking his head under the back of the booth.

Nenemé peeked out of the kitchen and signaled the three to come over. They carefully exited the booth, hidden behind a sea of bodies attempting to exit in the opposite direction.

"Let me handle this, loves," Nenemé winked as she exited the kitchen.

Kasside, Syre, and Maron exited through the back door and into the back parking lot. They ran through the lot, passing the backs of more shops and stores that shared it. Water splashed up as they tracked through rain puddles, moving toward an opening that led back out to the street. At the right was an alleyway between two long buildings, and a ladder was connected to the side of one of the buildings.

The drizzling rain returned, and the clouds were now barely transparent enough for sunlight to bleed through.

"Are we safe here?" Kasside asked.

"They had three modders and an advi. They will most likely be scouting the area for a while. We should wait them out up there," Maron said and pointed to the roof of the building.

The three climbed the ladder and reached the top of the one-story building. The rooftop was lined with small black and gray rocks, and had a structure with a stairwell entry door in the center. The added height made for a better view of the city, which looked surprisingly beautiful from their perspective.

"How long should we wait?" Syre asked, taking a seat against the side of the structure.

"I don't know what they are looking for. We should wait at least half an hour before one of us goes down to check, so get comfortable," Maron said, sitting down cross-legged and turning a page in his book.

Several minutes went by uninterrupted. The rainclouds had mostly cleared and birds had begun to chirp in the warmth of the light. Kasside sat with his back to the raised edge of the building, flicking rocks from the ground up into the air over and over as boredom ensued.

They each stood up quickly as clanking footsteps came from the direction of the ladder. The Alchens waited anxiously as the noise continued echoing throughout the alleyway. A hand finally reached the top bar, and a tall man lifted himself up. He wore a long, beige coat and dark dress pants. Peeking out from inside the open coat at his arms were long belt tails. He had varying shades of brown hair that was slicked back at an angle. His eyes were thin and green, and he had a horizontal scar over the bridge of his straight nose. The CROSS logo was sewn on the left side of his coat. A holster rested on his beltline, cradling a hunting knife.

"Excuse me, young Alchens, can I bother you with a few questions?" the man asked in a deep voice.

Maron calmly flipped a page in his book as they each remained completely silent.

"I am Presider Veret Impyo. You'll excuse my intrusion, but might I inquire what you are doing on a rooftop on a rainy day?" the man asked.

"We like to stare out and think about what life is like in the outer districts," Kasside said.

"I see," Veret responded, taking a few steps closer.

The presider's radio buzzed with the sound of static, and then a voice came through, "Presider Impyo, this is Advi Barreth," the voice blared. "We are in contact with rogue Alchens. Requesting permission to use lethal weaponry. Over."

Veret pick up the radio and held it to his mouth, "Permission granted, Advi Barreth. Over." He turned his attention back to the Alchens, "No one knows you're up here, and it can remain that way. Tell me where Aero is hiding and I'll call off my men."

"I assure you, we have no idea what you're talking about, Presider," Maron answered.

Screams were heard close by as the sound of gunfire bounced through the area. Syre began to step backward, away from Veret and toward the edge of the roof.

"Just go back, Syre, they won't be able to keep up with you," Kasside told her.

"I can't just leave with you guys still here," she said.

Maron, Kasside, and Syre turned around as two men with multicolored hair ran toward them from the neighboring rooftops. The Alchen men jumped across the gap and landed near them, still in full sprint toward Veret. Veret removed his knife from the sheath and proceeded to carefully cut his own palm as the men approached.

" _Go!_ " Maron shouted at Syre, thrusting his arm and pushing her over the edge of the building.

As she began to fall, Syre disappeared with a quick glint of blue light.

The first Alchen man lunged at Veret with a fist in full force. Veret calmly grabbed the man's wrist mid-strike and twisted his arm back with one hand, putting him on his knees. The second Alchen attempted the same motion to Veret's right, but received Veret's plunging dagger into his abdomen. Veret removed the knife and the man fell to the ground as a pool of shining blood formed around him. The first Alchen groaned as tears swelled up in his eyes.

"Don't!" Kasside shouted.

Veret pressed the knife fiercely into the man's back. He removed the blade and wiped the dripping blood away.

He sheathed his weapon while the two bodies gurgled beside him, "Last chance."

Maron and Kasside stood like statues as they stared at the pooling blood. A third man was seen running toward them from the neighboring rooftops. He jumped down and ran to them, stopping once he laid eyes on his fallen comrades.

"You son of a bitch!" the man screamed at Veret as spit flung from his mouth.

"If you attack him you'll die," Kasside warned the man.

Maron pulled Kasside aside, "We can't get involved, Kasside, or we will share their fate."

Kasside pulled away, "I won't let him die."

"He just killed the only family I had," the man said. "CROSS is slaughtering us down there in the streets every day. I'd rather be dead than a traitor to my own cause."

The man attempted to move toward Veret, but Kasside stepped in front of the man and held on to his shoulders. Kasside's eyes grew large and his pupils disappeared into golden clouds. The world around them became blank—an empty white abyss with only two inhabitants.

The man turned in circles, confused, "What is this? What did you do to me?"

"I'm trying to save your life. Think about what you're doing, please," Kasside told the man.

"You don't understand any of this. I will die either way, and I'd rather die knowing I tried everything I could," the man wept.

" _Kasside!_ " a voice echoed throughout the abyss.

Kasside's eyes regained focus as the world returned to normal. He turned around as Veret approached with his knife drawn. Veret's hand cocked back to strike as the man remained tranquil and idle.

" _No!_ " Kasside shouted, pushing Veret's shoulder as hard as he could.

Veret swung his arm horizontally, slitting the man's throat open as a sea of red spewed from the gash. Having been hit by Veret in the process, Kasside fell to the floor, holding his head in his hands.

Veret bent down and reached for Kasside, but was stopped as a piece of paper attached itself tightly around his face. He stood up, struggling to pry the page when several more sheets attached themselves to his body. Maron threw two more pages to the floor and they spiraled upward into the shape of human bodies. The paper men grabbed on to Veret's arms and held him back. Maron put his book in his coat pocket, grabbed Kasside, and brought him to the edge of the roof. He peered down, looking for a way to escape, seeing only concrete and the top of a large dumpster.

"This boy," Maron sighed, closing his eyes.

He turned his back to the edge and pulled Kasside close, letting himself fall backward. They fell through the air and crashed on top of the dumpster, and then rolled off and on to the pavement. Maron groaned as he struggled to get to his feet. Kasside made no sounds at all as he lay motionless, drenched in blood that ran down the side of his face. Maron used all of his remaining strength to lift Kasside up over his shoulder. He limped against the wall of the building as he made his way back to the café.

Maron stumbled inside the back entrance with Kasside still lying unconscious over his shoulder as Syre and Nenemé rushed over the help, "Help me take him downstairs."

Syre and Nenemé acted quickly, grabbing one of Kasside's arms each and carrying him downstairs to the basement below the café. They placed him gently on a workbench as Kasside coughed and convulsed. Maron grabbed a shirt from a nearby stack of laundry and tore off a long piece. He wrapped the shirt around Kasside's head and covered his eyes.

"What the hell happened to him?" Nenemé asked.

"He may be hurt," Maron said, turning Kasside on his side as the blood raced down to the table.

"What can we do?" Syre asked.

"Nothing. Both of you, go upstairs and stand guard. Don't attempt to come back in here until I say so," Maron sternly replied.

Nenemé loaded her two handguns and ran back upstairs with Syre.

Upstairs, the café had broken glass covering a great portion of the floor. Among the wreckage were overturned tables, knocked over chairs, and bullet holes in the walls.

"They really did a number on the ol' place, didn't they?" Nenemé chuckled. "It's been a while since somethin' like this has happened here. This place was supposed to be a safe place for Alchens." Nenemé smiled and put her hands on her hips, guns still equipped, "It was a nice thought."

"This is the world we live in, I guess," Syre said, gazing at the mess and the blood that lined the street just outside.

"Sweet girl like you has no business seeing somethin' like this," Nenemé said. "Most Alchens see this just about every day ... I knew some of those kids fightin' out there, since they were no taller than these chairs. They're good kids," Nenemé said. She dropped her guns on a counter and began sweeping up the glass with a nearby broom.

Several minutes went by as Syre assisted Nenemé in cleaning the remaining glass shards.

"I bet this isn't where you expected to be after leaving the academy," Nenemé laughed.

"I honestly had no idea where I'd be. I think I had this distorted view of what life was like as an adult, like it would be better somehow," Syre replied. "I was hoping that I would pass all of my tests, walk in a straight line, and one day they'd see me as more than just an Alchen."

"Listen, Alchens are incredible people. Other people seem to forget that that's just what you are—people. Maron and Kasside were some of the smartest and sweetest kids I ever met, no matter how much grief I give 'em," she said.

"And Tethia?" Syre asked.

"Well, I can't say Tethia is sweet, but she's definitely got a head on her shoulders," Nenemé answered. "Poor girl has been through so much ... it's a wonder she hasn't killed someone."

"Have her and Kasside always been close?" she asked.

"Ever since they met, Tethia has been attached to his hip," Nenemé responded. "I don't know what it was about him, but she took to him, and only him. I was surprised to find out she didn't come along this time."

Half an hour later, Maron emerged from the basement and walked calmly to the front where the girls were finishing picking up the last table, "He's going to be fine, but he probably won't wake up for a few hours. He's in good shape, considering we jumped from the roof."

Nenemé and Syre simultaneously expressed a sigh of relief.

"It looks like CROSS is done searching for now. I'll go make some food," Nenemé said and headed toward the kitchen.

Maron walked over to a trashcan in the center of the café and looked inside. Glass filled the bin almost to the brim. He picked the can up and carefully dumped the glass on the floor in a neat pile. He used his hand to spread the pile thin along the floor.

"We just cleaned that up," Syre said.

"I'm well aware of that," Maron replied.

Maron removed four small stones from his pocket and placed them at the corners of the rectangular pile. He put his hand in the center of the pile as the stones began to melt. The pieces of glass started to melt as well, forming into a single puddle of clear liquid. The liquid hardened within seconds, forming a large and unbroken piece of glass. Maron picked up the glass and carefully set it on one of the booths.

Syre walked over to the table and inspected the piece of glass, "How long does it take to teach someone to use alchemy like you do?"

"A few months, perhaps. Although, understanding it is more important than being able to use it, and that can take years," Maron answered. "Traditional alchemy is nothing like what Alchens can do. It was based on the idea of turning base metals into gold, more or less."

"Who taught you how to use alchemy?" she asked.

"The academy had plenty of books on alchemy in the library. Once I realized that my alchenergy was able to influence the stones, I taught myself to alter metals, among other things." Maron flipped a page in his book.

"I would like to learn someday, if you'd be willing to teach me," Syre said.

"It's definitely a skill worth having," Maron replied.

Several hours went by as the sun made a quick descent, lighting the sky with an array of oranges and pinks before disappearing under the buildings and exposing the moon's mid-sky location. Nenemé paced around the café, cleaning anything she could find. Syre dangled her feet from a stool as Maron quietly flipped through the pages of his book.

"I hope you see now that weapons are necessary," Maron said to Syre. "If we had them with us, we might've stood a chance. You mustn't be afraid to use them. The people who are afraid are the people who get caught."

"So, it's either be scared and get caught or fight and die?" Syre asked.

"It's about being smart," Maron replied. "While what Kasside did might have been courageous, it also got someone killed and almost cost him his own life."

"At least he did something," Syre replied.

The door to the basement creaked open slowly and Kasside walked out, dragging his feet along the ground. Syre and Maron rushed over to aid him, placing him on a chair as Nenemé brought over a glass of water.

"What happened?" Kasside asked in a daze, using both hands to guide the glass of water to his mouth.

"We jumped," Maron answered.

"How do I look?" Kasside said, touching his face with his fingers.

"You still look like an idiot," Nenemé said. "Come on, I'll take you guys back to the house."

The drive back was calm and quiet. The windows were slightly rolled down to let in the refreshing night air that smelled like past rain. The car's tires splashed the puddles away, disrupting the reflections of the streetlights that had settled in them. Kasside rested his head against the window as his eyes grew heavy.

"We'll have to leave tonight," Maron said from the front seat.

"CROSS barely evened questioned me, so I doubt they'd show up at the house," Nenemé responded.

"I'm not willing to take that chance. The longer we wait, the more danger we put you in," he replied.

"I'm a big girl, I can look out for myself. It's you three I'm worried about," she said.

Nenemé pulled the car into the driveway and shut it off. They each lazily walked inside the house while Maron went directly to the garage. Kasside and Syre walked up the stairs and sat down on the couch.

"Are you all right?" Syre asked.

"I feel fine," Kasside answered.

"Then I'm guessing the blood you were covered in wasn't your own?" she asked.

"I don't think you want to know what happened up there," he said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad Maron pushed you off the roof."

"Technically, he pushed us both off the roof," Syre giggled.

Hours went by, and inside the garage, Maron placed four bright red canisters of gasoline inside the trunk of the newly fixed car.

"That's it for the gas. We should have enough to reach the coast and back, if need be," Maron said, wiping his brow.

"You want me to go get the kids?" Nenemé asked.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't call them that. I'm barely a year older than Kasside," Maron replied.

"Little Maronnel is all grown up?" she asked, grabbing Maron's hands.

"We might be gone for a while, you know," Maron said.

"I know," Nenemé said, hugging Maron tightly around his neck. "I'll miss you, too."

Nenemé climbed up the stairs and found Syre and Kasside, fists up and striking at each other as they moved around the room.

"Do you guys ever stop?" Nenemé asked loudly.

"Not all of us can stay in shape by reading," Kasside said as he huffed and puffed, ducking and dodging Syre's punches.

"Well, the car is ready for you guys. I wouldn't keep Maron waiting too long," Nenemé said with her hands placed on her hips.

Kasside and Syre halted their fight and looked over at Nenemé.

"Thanks, for everything," Kasside said as he and Syre hugged her.

"Whoa, guys, it's not like you're leaving forever. We'll see each other soon, I promise. And Syre, you keep at it and you'll beat the hell outta Kasside in no time," Nenemé winked.

"Thank you, Nenemé," Syre said, sticking her tongue out at Kasside.

Kasside and Syre packed their belongings and placed them in the car as Maron waited patiently in the driver's seat with his book in his lap. Maron pressed a round button near the steering wheel of the car that flashed with a ring of blue light. The engine sputtered and turned over. Kasside entered the passenger seat and secured his seat belt.

"You do know how to drive, right?" Syre asked from the back.

"It has been a while, but it's like riding a bike," Maron replied.

"You've never ridden a bike," Kasside commented.

Maron paused and furrowed his brow, "I suppose you're right."
Chapter VI: Hunting Blind

The road—quiet. The radio—muffled. The windshield became fogged by mist that brushed over the hood of the car as they drove. The moon fought relentlessly with the support of the stars to shine rays of white through a profusion of darkening clouds.

"Where are we going again?" Syre asked as she yawned from the backseat of the car.

"Decasus," Kasside answered. "The district was notorious for housing alchemists before the war." Kasside's seat was pushed slightly backward and his arms were behind his head.

"Where is that?" Syre asked.

"Near the district lines, right outside of Halnec," Maron responded. "We'll be there in less than an hour, if I remember how to get there."

The cracked asphalt caused the car to bounce periodically as they made their way down the road. The street was mostly empty (as it often was at night) with the exception of a few passing cars. The few operational street lights on the sidewalks flickered intermittently. The road was slick and wet from the fallen microscopic drops of water on the ground. The shops and buildings they were silent and dark.

Kasside attempted to tune the radio to a working signal, to no avail, "Don't know why I bothered."

"Do you think CROSS is looking for us?" Syre asked. "We illegally escaped the academy, so aren't we criminals now?"

"I don't know about criminals," Kasside replied, "but I doubt they are looking for us, specifically. I'm sure that the public thinks we overthrew them."

"According to the public, we were criminals to begin with," Maron commented.

Maron suddenly pulled the car over to the curb and turned off the headlights, "Do you see that, across the street?" he asked.

On the other side of the street, a few figures could be seen wrestling over a reflective object.

"What about it? You always say not to get involved in other peoples' business," Kasside said.

"Look closely," Maron replied.

"They're just children, Kasside," Syre said.

Maron got out of the car and began to walk across the street as Syre and Kasside hurried to catch up. Two small identical boys fell to their knees as a hooded figure ran down the sidewalk in the other direction. Syre warped in the mysterious person's path, but was roughly pushed aside. Maron released a page from his book and sent it toward the attacker. The page wrapped around the assailant's wrist and caused the object to fall out of their hand. The reflective item bounced several times before landing in the street.

Kasside rushed to catch the thief, but abruptly stopped in his tracks as the thief turned a corner. Kasside stood like stone, still in a running stance. A green light appeared underneath him, revealing an ornate design on the sidewalk.

"Little help," he said.

Maron calmly approached the dropped object in the street. He picked it up and held it in his palm at eye-level. It was a small, glassy, translucent pyramid. It had a golden symbol on the base and multiple colors ran through, constantly shifting in the light.

"Maron, is Kasside all right?" Syre asked.

"You're in a preservation circle," Maron told Kasside. "Stop trying to move and you'll be free in a matter of seconds, unless the alchemist that drew it is still watching."

Kasside sighed as he was slowly released from the entrapment. He stretched his arms and legs as he walked back toward Syre and Maron. Maron approached the twin boys, holding the prism out to them.

"Just take it! Take it and leave us alone!" one of the boys shouted, breathing heavily with his face to the ground. The two boys had straight black hair and thin eyes. One boy had a circle of yellow on the left side of his hair, and the other had a circle of orange on the right side of his hair.

"We came over here to help you," Maron said.

"What's with the shiny thing?" Syre inquired.

"People keep robbing us," the second boy said. "This is all we have left and it belonged to our dad."

"Where do you live?" Kasside asked.

The twins led them down a small alleyway to an arrangement of stacked boxes. Behind the boxes was a small girl with light hair, covered with a blanket and resting on a stained pillow.

"You guys live back here?" Syre asked.

"We move around a lot," one boy said.

The other boy placed a pill in the mouth of the young girl and gave her a cup of water, "She is very sick, and we've been looking for medicine."

"I might have something," Syre replied. "It probably won't cure her, but she'll feel better." Syre reached in her pocket and pulled out a small bottle that rattled with pills. She handed the bottle to one of the boys.

"We can just have it?" asked the boy.

"I keep them around for myself when I'm feeling bad, but she needs them more," Syre replied. "My name is Syre, and this is Kasside and Maron. What are your names?"

"Weihobu Ekkeitahan, but call me Bu," the boy with orange in his hair said.

"Potteyama Ekkeitahan, but call me Po," said the boy with the yellow spot in his hair. "And this is our friend Gallana."

"This might seem rude, but how do you guys survive out here?" Kasside asked.

The boys looked sharply at each other and quickly stood back-to-back with their arms out in front of their bodies. A clear sphere surrounded them and began emitting a wind-like force as it spun with great speed. Kasside and Syre took a step away and watched in awe as the sphere slowed down and eventually stopped and disappeared.

"We can send each other alchenergy," Po said.

"We figured out a way to send and reject alchenergy from each other so quickly that the alchenergy spins around us and creates a barrier that others can't touch," Bu said.

"Other Alchens cannot share your alchenergy and therefore cannot pierce the pure energy around you," Maron said. "It's very clever, but it takes both of you to work and it must be strenuous."

The sickly girl began to cough and wheeze while turning over in her makeshift bed. Po and Bu sat at her side and patted her head as she calmed.

"Well, we have a car ... Do you want to come with us?" Syre asked.

"We're on our way to Decasus," Kasside added.

"No, but thank you for offering," Po said.

"We actually came from Decasus just a few months ago," Bu said. "Things aren't so great up there, so watch out."

"If all is well, we should be going," Maron said.

"Here, take this," said Po, handing the prism to Syre.

"No, you keep it. You said it belonged to your dad," Syre said.

"It did, but we'll be safer without it. I'd rather you have it than some robber," Po said.

"Our sister should still be in Decasus. If you see her, could you tell her that we're all right? Her name is Yallu, and she looks like us, only older, and a girl," Bu said.

Syre smiled and nodded as she took the object from Po.

"Thanks for your help," Po said.

Kasside, Syre, and Maron made their way back to their vehicle, walking through the quiet street under dim streetlights.

"Syre, can I take a look at the prism they gave you?" Maron inquired.

Syre handed Maron the object. Maron examined it closely, spinning it in his fingers as the light passed through.

"Do you mind if I hold on to this for a while? It's an old alchemy relic," he said.

"I can't think of anyone better to hold on to it than you," Syre smiled.

They drove for miles with only the sound of tires on the road and the occasional _whoosh_ from a passing car. Kasside was fast asleep with his head pressed against the window, and Syre became entranced by the world passing around her. The buildings were short and spread out, and the roads were wide and inviting.

Maron turned and parked the car next to a wide concrete barrier and a tall barbed wire fence that seemed to stretch on for miles. "Wake up," Maron told Kasside.

Kasside opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, "Are we here?" he asked in a grainy voice.

"We're in Decasus. We need to go around this fence to get inside," Maron said.

"Why is this place blocked off?" Syre asked.

"As Kasside said, this area housed a lot of alchemists during the war," Maron explained. "If you're afraid of radiation, I can assure you it is a harmless amount. CROSS thinks this place is uninhabitable, most likely because they think they will turn into Alchens if they come near here."

"How do we get inside?" Kasside asked.

"We'll have to leave the car here. This time, bring your weapons with you, just in case," Maron said.

"That's promising," Syre said.

Maron followed the fence to an empty field of dirt and dead grass, feeling the concrete as he moved along with Kasside and Syre trailing behind. "It's right here."

"What is? How can you even see anything out here?" Syre asked.

"This is where I broke the fence, ten years ago. They seemed to have fixed the concrete, but it feels weaker here. Kasside, use the Mercyblade and strike the wall," Maron commanded.

"All right, here it goes," Kasside said. He took a running start and struck the wall as a small burst of light was released upon contact. The concrete crumbled, creating a hole barely big enough to fit an arm through.

"Syre, look through the hole. Do you think you can warp beyond the fence and see if it's still damaged?" Maron asked.

"Yeah, no problem," she responded, putting her eye close to the hole.

"Can you do so and take one of us with you?" Maron asked.

Syre turned to Maron with a troubled look, "I told you, I can't do that."

"I know you think you can't, but have you ever tried?" Maron asked.

"I have and it won't work," Syre said, shaking her head. "I'm not sure what would come out on the other side even if it did work."

"You're afraid," Maron said.

"Of course I am," she replied.

"As Alchens, our powers grow. You cannot be afraid of yourself and what you are capable of," Maron said. "Here, try with me." He extended his hand to Syre.

"Maron, she doesn't want to," Kasside argued.

"No, it's fine," Syre said.

Syre grabbed Maron's hand and inhaled deeply. She exhaled, mentally preparing herself for the task. She clenched her eyes and tightened her grip as she and Maron began blinking in and out of sight.

She stopped and released Maron's hand, "I can't."

"It's all right, you tried," Maron said. "Kasside, break down the rest. It shouldn't take much more."

Kasside lunged and struck the wall once more as several large cracks raced down to the ground. Maron removed a sheet of paper and directed it in between the cracks. The paper slowly removed the broken rocks away from the wall, leaving a small opening. Syre warped to the opposite side of the fence.

"It's still broken," she said, curling the broken fence back as Maron and Kasside climbed through.

They walked a short distance until reaching an area filled with houses that had large front lawns. Most of the houses were damaged on the outside with bits of trash and rubble lying around them and in the streets. The ground was broken and uneven, as if a train had run through the heart of the town. A park was barely visible in the starlit distance.

"What are we looking for?" Syre asked.

"One of these houses may contain answers to what is happening to me," Maron said.

They walked for several minutes, each house they passed more devastated than the last.

"These houses all kind of look the same," Kasside said, turning in circles.

"In here," Maron said, heading up the driveway of a nearby home.

The words _ALCHEMISTS_ and _REPENT_ were written sloppily in big red letters on what was left of the side of the house. They entered the house with relative ease, as the front door was held by a single hinge. Burnt books and dried blood covered the floor, and a dreadful stench of rotting flesh was almost enough to create its own fog. Broken glass shimmered on the ground near each window as the moon peered inside.

"Anyone have a flashlight?" Kasside asked as glass crunched under his shoes.

"I have a small one on my keychain," Syre replied.

"That'll do, I guess," Kasside said.

Syre turned on the light and pointed it around, finding Maron crouched near a bookcase on the far end of the room. "It smells like rotten eggs in here," Syre whispered, covering her nose with her sleeve.

"It doesn't look like all that much is left," Kasside said.

"There must be something left behind," Maron said. "Look for books or notes."

They took their steps carefully around the knocked over shelves and glass, searching through each room with what little light they had. They entered the kitchen, which was in surprisingly good shape compared to the damage around the other parts of the house.

"Syre, bring the light," Maron called out.

Syre and Kasside approached Maron, who was standing just beyond the kitchen at a staircase that led down to a wall. The wall had a white circle painted on it with different lines and symbols filling the inside. Stains of red splatter covered most of the wall, yet did not cross any of the white paint. They walked down the steps and to the circle.

"A protection circle?" Kasside questioned.

"Does this go somewhere?" Syre asked, pushing on the wall with her hand.

"Stand back," Maron said.

Maron placed his hand in the center of the painted circle. He pressed down with a flat palm as the circle lit up with yellow light. A break formed in the center of the wall, stemming from his hand up to the ceiling and down to the floor. Maron took his hand away from the wall as the two sides retreated slowly apart from each other.

"You really need to teach me alchemy," Syre said.

As they entered, several lights turned on from above and illuminated the room. The room was circular and had several desks along the outer lining. Bloodstained papers were scattered randomly throughout the room and some pinned to the walls. Alchemy circles were painted in multiple spots around the room. A large and complex design covered most of the floor, and in the center rested a pile of dust. Maron walked over to the pile and knelt down, finding a translucent prism almost identical to the one the twins had given them, but with a blue symbol on the base.

Maron picked up the prism and put it in his coat pocket, "We need to collect the notes and supplies and move on." He stood up and walked to one of the desks lining the room. A burnt photograph lay on the desk in front of him. He picked it up and stared silently for a few moments.

Suddenly, a loud thumping noise came from the upstairs. They each stopped and listened carefully, aiming their gaze at the staircase.

"Stay here, I'll take a look," Kasside said quietly, creeping back up the creaking steps.

"Kasside, hold on," Maron said.

Maron grabbed various small bottles and stones from the desk and hastily shoved them into his coat pockets, along with several notebook pages from the floor. The burnt photograph fell from his pocket and gently landed in front of Syre. She quickly picked it up, folded it, and put it in her pocket as she chased Maron up the stairs.

Back inside the kitchen, Kasside was backing slowly away from a womanly figure with her hands holding the sides of her head. Her hair was long and she had wrinkled skin, however she appeared to have a fairly young body. Her eyes shined brightly with white light that illuminated Kasside's face. A quiet ringing noise entered their ears as the woman walked awkwardly and silently toward him with unknown intentions.

"Don't look it in the eyes!" Maron shouted. He tore a page from his book and threw it toward the woman. It flew with great speed and clung tightly over her face as the room became dark.

Syre reached for her weapon and swung it toward her, causing the lace to wrap around her neck. Syre tugged on the lace in an attempt to get the woman away until Kasside struck the woman with a quick wink of light from the Mercyblade. The woman soared across the room and bounced off the wall, landing on the tile floor.

"Use the blade and kill it before it gets up," Maron commanded.

"Hold on a second—who is that?" Kasside asked.

"Kill it, Kasside," Maron commanded once more.

"What do you mean 'it'?" Kasside asked.

Maron groaned as he clenched his fist tightly, causing the paper to crush the skull of the woman and leave her in a spilling pool of dark blood. "The next time I tell you to do something, just trust me and do it," Maron said.

"Why did you kill her? She might have needed help," Syre said while pointing her flashlight at the woman's stiff body.

"Believe me, they are less than human. They're dangerous," Maron replied. "I don't know what they are. I didn't even remember they existed until right now. They were here the last time I was here. That's part of the reason I left."

"How are they dangerous?" Syre asked.

"They do something to your mind, making you lose sanity, control—making you like them," Maron said. "Kasside, you're lucky to be alive."

"It's one thing after the next. Let's just get the hell out of here already," Kasside said.

Outside, more bodies with glowing eyes roamed the streets, silently inching forward in different directions and all with their hands clasped over their ears. The way back was clear of any danger, and finding the break in the fence they had made proved easy.

As they approached the car, Maron noticed the hood was slightly raised. He got inside and attempted to turn the key in the ignition. He popped the hood as Syre and Kasside stared in confusion.

"The battery is gone," Maron said.

"What do you mean?" Kasside asked.

"Stolen. Check the trunk," Maron said.

Syre opened up the trunk as they looked around at their belongings.

"The gas cans are gone as well," Maron said.

"They were nice enough to leave my clothes," Kasside commented. "Wait, what's wrong with my clothes?" he asked as he sifted through his bag.

"Who would even be out here at this time?" Syre questioned.

"This won't do," Maron said. "We need to find shelter until I can get the car running, again. Maron began heading back to the break in the wall to the quarantined area.

"Those people in there are dangerous. You said so yourself," Syre argued.

"We'll be fine, as long as we can find a place that locks from the inside," Maron assured her.

They made their way back inside once more, taking their belongings with them and running as quietly as possible in any direction other than toward the mindless beings that roamed the streets. They entered a large park with scattered playground equipment and headed for a nearby two-story building.

Maron pulled the door handle and it came open with no resistance, "In here," he said as he held the door for Kasside and Syre.

"This is the biggest library I've ever seen," Syre said, shining her flashlight around the bookcases and tables that filled the room.

"This door is broken. Our best bet is the second floor," Maron said.

They quickly found the staircase leading to the next floor and opened one of two doors at the top. The room had children's toys and art supplies on the floor. Cheap cutouts of the alphabet lined the entire room and repeated once the letters had all been used.

Maron shut the door behind them and used a latch to lock it, "We'll sleep here. Maybe we'll find something we can use once the sun is up."

"That won't be long," Kasside said as he fashioned a sleeping area for himself.

After Syre and Kasside fell asleep, Maron quietly exited the room and walked down the stairs. He carefully stepped around the items on the floor, navigating by moonlight that came in through the windows. Insects chirped and hummed outside, and a light breeze shook the front doors every few seconds.

Maron approached the many bookshelves on the far end of the room, skimming his fingertips over the spines of the books as he walked. He stopped after stepping on the back of a book. He knelt down and picked the book up, holding it to the light as he read the title; _Beginner's Guide to Alchemy_ it was called. He opened the book to the first page. The word _REPENT_ was sloppily written in big red letters over the name of the author. Flipping through the rest of the book, he noticed many of the pages were torn out, and most remaining pages had traces of burn marks around the edges.

Maron closed the book and walked toward the front door. He pushed the door open and exited the building, heading for the nearby playground. Two swings continuously rocked past each other in the wind as the rusted chains that secured them creaked and grated. Maron sat down on the first swing and looked up to the sky. He stared for several moments as he let himself sway with the swing. Countless stars created constellations as more and more began to appear each second.

Suddenly, Maron heard a thumping noise behind him. He quickly stood up and turned around. He cautiously walked forward as the sound continued. White light appeared to be coming from a pit in the ground a few yards ahead. Maron approached the hole and looked inside. Three men with bright white eyes and with their hands on their heads were stumbling around inside the pit, knocking each other over into the mud below them. Maron sighed as he looked back at the book he found in the library, and then tossed it into the pit.

The next morning, the sun shined brightly into the many windows along the walls of the room, and not one cloud was present to obstruct it. Kasside brought himself upright and yawned, stretching as his back and arms cracked. Syre was sitting at a low table meant for children, eating from a plastic bowl with a plastic spoon. Maron was sitting cross-legged on a countertop, reading his book comfortably in silence.

"Where'd you get the food from?" Kasside slurred.

"Nenemé supplied us with a bag of food, but we need to make it last at least a few days. They must not have seen the bag underneath the seat," Maron answered. "There's also a vending machine in the hall, but you eat at your own risk."

"Yeah, good thing we made all that money at the café, or else how would I pay for the abandoned vending machine?" Kasside scoffed.

He entered the hall and spotted the large machine. It had food of all kinds stacked behind twisting metal rods. The glass that covered the machine was cracked in a few spots. Kasside struck the machine a few times with his bare fists in an attempt to break the glass. He stopped when he heard a door closing, coming from the first floor below him. He cautiously investigated the noise, walking down the stairs and glancing around the library.

Kasside walked back upstairs and into the room, "Did you leave at all last night or this morning?"

"I went to look around the library. Nothing of use besides a few decent books and computer parts," Maron replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering if we were spotted ... I swear I heard the door close when I was out there just now, and I know of your late exploration habits," he said.

"That door does not stay shut, so it's most likely the wind. If we have to stay another night, I'll make sure to bar the door," Maron said.

"How do we make sure we don't have to stay another night?" Syre asked as she finished her meal.

"I think I saw a gas station nearby," Kasside said. "We might be able to replace the gas that was stolen, and maybe pick up some more food while we're at it," he suggested.

"Also, there may be cars around here with working batteries. I am doubtful, however, since this area has been closed off for many years," Maron said.

After finishing breakfast, the three went out toward the gas station located down the street. The station seemed to be leaning to one side and the pumps were damaged and corroded. They approached the pumps as Maron spotted a familiar red gas can.

"This can is much cleaner than everything else here, and still reeks of gasoline," he said. "This is definitely one of ours, only it's empty." Maron shook the gas can upside-down and several drops hit the ground.

"So, whoever stole our gas is in here with us," Syre said.

"Hey, check this out," Kasside said, calling Syre and Maron to the side of the building.

A small parking lot was attached to the building, and several rusted cars sat parked between faded white lines. They quickly began to open up the hood of each car.

"All of the batteries are missing," Maron said. "We need to find whoever is doing this."

"From the looks of it, this place has been cleaned out, too," Kasside said, pressing his face against the glass window of the building with his hands shading his eyes.

"We won't find what we're looking for here," Maron said. He began walking back toward the library with the empty gas can in his hand.

They re-entered the library and climbed the stairs, back to their temporary quarters.

Maron frantically analyzed the room for several moments after entering, "They took our food. Check for what else is missing."

Kasside returned to the hallway in a hurry, "Man, they cleared out the vending machine," he sulked.

"I placed everything I took from the house last night in a bag, and that is missing as well," Maron said. "We should have been more careful. It's a good thing you guys held on to your weapons."

"What do we do now?" Syre asked.

"We need to give then something they want to get them to come back," Maron answered.

"They probably won't come back while we're here, and we don't have anything worth taking anymore," Kasside said.

"I have an idea," Maron said.

A few hours later, the three stepped outside of the library and ventured to a nearby apartment building. Maron immediately accessed the bathroom of the first apartment they found, carrying the empty gas can.

"I hope this works," Syre said.

"Have you guys found a black pen yet?" Maron asked.

"I did you one better," Kasside said, holding up a black can of spray paint.

After a few short minutes, they exited the building and made their way back to the library, keeping an eye out for the bright-eyed creatures they had seen before. Maron was carrying the gas can while Kasside carried a black box. They entered through the main doors and set the items down on the clerk counter.

"All right, let's try this," Kasside sighed.

Maron tossed down two papers from his book to the floor and they rose into the shape of human bodies.

Kasside and the paper bodies exited in silence as he left once more through the main doors, walking around the side of the building and across the street. He spotted two boys and a girl hiding in nearby bushes. The first boy had black, brown, and blond hair, in equal sections falling down toward his face. He had blue eyes and dark skin, and a single silver tooth on the top row of his teeth. The second boy had shaggy red hair with a single golden streak. He had a round face and wore circular reading glasses. The girl of the group had hazel eyes and dark hair, and a spot of green on the left side of her head. Her eye makeup went over her top eyelids and down her face toward her ears. All three looked to be in their teens or younger, and their clothes were tattered and stained with dirt.

The strangers entered the library as Kasside disappeared behind the building. They approached the desk, spotting the gas can and the small black box as soon as they walked in. The boy with glasses began reaching for the handle of the box that resembled a car battery. As he reached out, the box flattened completely on the desk, leaving only a pile of black pieces of paper. He took a closer look with a bemused expression. A green light suddenly appeared in a circle under him and trapped him in place.

"Not quite what you were expecting?" Maron said, walking out from behind a bookcase while holding his hand toward the boy.

The boy with the silver tooth clicked his tongue as a ball of fire formed and shot outward toward Maron. The black pages from the counter quickly leapt out and met the fire coming toward him, burning instantly and stopping the fire in its tracks. Maron panted heavily as a blue mark crawled up the side of his neck.

"We saw you leave, and there is no entrance from the back," the boy said. "How'd you get in here?"

"You're seeing things," Kasside smirked, standing on the opposite side of the group as the front doors closed behind him.

Startled, the boy once again clicked his tongue and spewed flames from his mouth as Kasside ducked his face behind the Mercyblade.

"I'll call for help," the female said, rushing by Kasside through the exit.

Syre was standing on the other side of the doors in her path, "Not gonna happen."

The girl threw a quick jab at Syre, but Syre disappeared and warped behind her, grabbing her shirt and pulling her back inside.

The boy with glasses struggled to escape from the alchemy circle as Maron focused on keeping him trapped. Meanwhile, the silver-toothed boy once again clicked his tongue as he belched a blazing inferno at Kasside. Kasside remained motionless as the flames consumed his body, disappearing into the fire.

"How many times are you going to fall for this?" Kasside asked from the side as he struck the boy in his cheek with the Mercyblade.

The force blasted him across the room until he crashed into a bookcase, which knocked over several more bookcases.

Syre struggled to warp around the room as her female opponent relentlessly threw blow after blow with impressive technique and speed. Syre threw Severance at the girl and it wrapped around her arm. The girl grabbed hold of the lace and ran up and across a wall to the ceiling. She then jumped down and pulled Syre to the ground.

"Not gonna happen" the girl mocked.

At the same time, the fire-breathing boy rose to his feet and saw Kasside walking toward him. He clicked his tongue as Kasside stepped back in anticipation, but nothing came out. A worried look came over the boy. He immediately dashed across the room to the front counter and swiped the gas canister Maron had brought back with them. The boy guzzled down a large amount of the contents and set the can back down. As he prepared to produce fire once more, his eyes bulged and he fell to his knees, spewing an immense amount of vomit onto the floor. The fighting ceased as everyone turned to the boy gagging.

"Raxa?" the girl with the excessive eye makeup said toward the boy.

" _Sick!_ " Kasside said. "What is with people puking on my jacket?" he moaned.

"That wasn't gas," Raxa cried, wiping his chin with his forearm. "What the hell was in there?"

"Toilet water, and a few decades old from the looks of it," Kasside said, wiping his sleeve.

The green light underneath the round-faced boy faded as Maron fell to the ground, unable to sustain further energy.

"I'm getting the guys," the boy said as he exited as quickly as he could.

"Yallu, help me," Raxa pled to the girl.

"Yallu?" Syre said with a furrowed brow.

The girl ran to aid her fallen friend as he continued to spit up the foul and contaminated water.

"Yallu, we know your brothers, Po and Bu," Syre said as she approached.

"How do you know my brothers?" Yallu asked.

"We saw them living on the street close to the academy. They gave us a prism thing that they said belonged to your dad. They wanted you to know they are okay," Syre said.

"We were helping them as they were being robbed ... Not dissimilar from what you did to us," Maron said, stumbling over to the front desk for support.

"I'm just glad they're still alive," Yallu said. "I'm sorry we stole from you, but we do what we need to do to survive out here. My brothers were here with me a few months ago, but they left."

The boy with glasses came back in through the front doors, followed by a small group of kids and young adults, ranging in age.

"There they are," the boy said, pointing toward Maron, Kasside, and Syre.

"No, hold on," Yallu said, lifting Raxa to his feet and putting his arm over her shoulders. "They just want the stuff we stole. These people helped my brothers in Halnec. Please, no more fighting."

"They attacked you guys! Look at Raxa!" one person in the group shouted.

"No, we attacked them," Yallu argued. "Tell them, Shik."

The boy remained quiet as he stared angrily at Maron.

"They're already turning us against each other! Just kill them and get it over with!" a short boy yelled out as he sprinted toward Kasside.

Kasside backed up and put out his hands, unwilling to fight. The boy lunged and grabbed hold of the Mercyblade as he and Kasside fell to the ground. He landed on top of Kasside and lay limp as drops of dark red dripped on Kasside's clothes. Kasside looked at the boy's wide eyes—soulless and unmoving. The boy gurgled and spit up blood that gushed like a geyser directly on Kasside's face. Kasside turned his head and saw the blade had ejected from its holster and penetrated the boy's chest. Kasside rolled over slowly, pulling the blade out with care as he put the boy on his back.

### Chapter VII: An Acquired Taste

The floor—stained. The tension—tangible. A cold body cursed the room and created a sense of reality and denial at the same time. Not one person dared to say a word, for breaking the silence meant continuing on with life. Outside, a single bird flew overhead, safe in the skies from all but its own kind.

Kasside turned toward a bevy of angry faces and backed away, pressing his back against a wooden bookshelf. Dozens of books were scattered across the room, and the pool of blood slowly soaked through the forgotten literature.

"It was an accident, I swear," Kasside said, removing the blade from his arm and dropping it to the floor.

Tears swelled up in the eyes of the witnesses. Many of them dropped to their knees while others filled themselves with a vengeful rage.

"One of us means one of you," a taller (and presumably older) boy said as he briskly approached Kasside.

Yallu stepped in front of the boy and pushed him away, "No one else dies today, Adderson," she said in a somber tone.

Adderson looked with fury at Kasside, but eventually stepped back with his group, "You can have your things back, but you get the hell out and never come back here. If any of us see you back here again, we will kill you without question," he said. "Bring Ollie back to camp. We'll do the cremation tonight," Adderson commanded his fellow group members as he left the library.

"I'll show you guys to the camp," Yallu said.

They walked along the road outside, following the group back to their camp.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for him to get hurt," Kasside said quietly to Yallu.

"I know," Yallu said, hanging her head. "Ollie was hot-headed, to say the least. This isn't the first time he's jumped the gun, but it hurts to see the idiot gone."

"Who's the kid with the glasses?" Kasside asked after a few moments of silence.

"Shik. He can see in the dark. He's the reason we found you guys when you first came. Not much of a fighter, but good for avoiding Moonstruck," she said with a shrug.

"Moonstruck?" Syre asked.

"They are these nasty creatures with glowing eyes that mess you up when you get too close, turning you in to one of them. We're pretty sure they are CROSS experiments or something. It would make sense for those bastards to dump them here," Yallu answered.

As she spoke, a few Moonstruck were visible in the distance, one of which wore a CROSS uniform.

"We encountered one, down the road in the opposite direction. There seem to be quite a few roaming the streets," Maron said.

"I hope you killed the fucker. Their numbers are expanding, and they will eventually run us out of here if we don't find a good way to keep away from them. Some of them are old friends that I lost, but it isn't really them anymore," Yallu said.

"That's terrible. Why do you guys stay here with those things around?" Syre asked.

"They are easier to deal with than CROSS. Trust me, I've lost way more friends to those arrogant pricks than to these mindless freaks," Yallu said. "This is the only place we can be free, where no one will bother us."

"And your brothers?" Maron asked.

Yallu smiled and looked up at the sky, digging her hands into the pockets of her torn shorts, "They are way smarter and more powerful than I could ever hope to be. They can make a difference in the world where I would only get in the way. I think they did more for me than I ever did for them," she said.

The group approached a large grass field behind a chain-linked fence. Beyond the fence was a building that stretched out for a few blocks. A murder of crows pranced about the field, quietly stalking the bugs that lived inside. Just beyond the field, there was a cemented area with chalked lines and several bungalows off to the side. A young girl opened the gate from the inside, allowing them to enter.

"A school? That's pretty smart," Syre said as they passed through the gate.

"How do we know this isn't a set up?" Maron asked, scanning his surroundings diligently.

"Adderson treats us like freakin' family, and he wouldn't risk losing another. Besides, he's a giant teddy bear when it comes down to it. He puts up a mean front because he likes to play the leader, but he's all bark," Yallu said.

Making their way across the field, Yallu pointed over to a sizeable bin that was resting against the wall of the building, "That's where your stuff is."

Kasside and Maron removed the lid to the bin and took inventory of the items. They counted three canisters of gasoline, a car battery, and a bag filled with assorted food. Maron removed one of the gas canisters and examined it.

"This is half empty," he said, shaking the can.

"Yeah, Raxa drank it. He's kind of our personal lighter, to keep the fires going. Some of the food is gone, too," Yallu said. "I'm sorry, but we don't have enough to replace what you lost."

Maron handed the gas canister over to Yallu, "Here, for the cremation."

"What do you need the battery for?" Syre asked.

"Adderson can redirect electricity. Not enough to make a huge difference, but he can power a television and disc player long enough to watch a few crappy movies," Yallu explained.

"You wouldn't happen to have a working phone, would you?" Maron asked.

"We've tried that," Yallu answered. "Even if the phone turns on, you can't make any calls."

"It's all right, I just wanted to check on someone," Maron said.

Adderson approached them with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his face, "Got everything you need, right?"

"Actually, no," Maron replied. "There was another bag, filled with papers and vials."

Adderson shook his head, "I never saw it."

"It is much more important than any of these things," Maron relayed.

"Everything we took was in this bin," Yallu responded.

"Your father's prism was in that bag," Maron told her.

"I said we don't have it," Adderson growled.

Maron scanned the school, watching as young kids played in the grass and chased the birds away. "Give us two hours," he said.

"Two hours to find our weaknesses so you can come back and steal everything we have?" Adderson asked. "Forget it."

"Two hours to see if my bag is truly gone. Your people stole from us, not the other way around," he replied. "If you wanted us to keep out, you should have put up a sign."

Adderson looked at Yallu and sighed, "Fine, but Yallu stays with you the entire time."

Yallu began to walk toward the main buildings of the school as Maron, Kasside, and Syre followed. They passed under a red archway with a louvered roof that created a horizontal pattern of shadows and sunlight. They came to a cemented area where a group of kids were playing with rocks and sticks.

"Where are you taking us?" Maron asked.

"We're going to talk to Raxa. If he doesn't know where the bag is, I don't know who will," Yallu replied.

"The guy who tried to set me on fire?" Kasside asked.

"That's the one," Yallu smirked.

"So, how long have you known him?" Syre asked.

"Raxa? About five years. He already lived here by the time I showed up," she answered.

"What made you come here?" Kasside asked.

"I grew up on the west end of the island, in a camp for the poor. Needless to say, life was hell, and I couldn't wait to get out," she said. "My parents were killed by those assholes at CROSS right after my brothers were born, and my grandparents watched over us after that. Unfortunately, they got sick a few years later, and CROSS decided they were a waste of space."

"They killed them?" Kasside asked.

"I don't know what they do with the people they take," she replied. "A family friend of ours helped us escape before they could take us, and we came here. Adderson and Raxa found us getting cornered by a Moonstruck on the first night we were here."

Some yards ahead, Raxa was standing in the middle of a group of children. The children were raising their hands and jumping excitedly around him.

"All right, one more and then we're done," Raxa said.

He selected three children as the rest of the group took a few steps away. The children crumpled a piece of paper in their hands each and simultaneously threw them up into the air. Raxa clicked his tongue and produced a large fireball that reduced the papers to ash before they touched the ground. The group of children cheered and clapped as tiny pieces of the blackened papers scattered into the air.

Raxa approached Yallu as the group of children dispersed, "Are they ready for me?" he asked.

"Not yet, I think Adderson wants to announce what happened first," she replied.

"What were you doing?" Syre asked.

"The kids draw something that makes them angry, and then we burn it away. It's really just something to keep their minds off our situation, but I don't like to waste too much gas."

"You're lucky they decided to let us keep one of the gas cans," Yallu said.

"Thank you, uh ... I don't know your names," Raxa said.

"My name is Kasside, and this is Maron and Syre," he said.

"You guys saw Po and Bu, right? Was there a girl named Gallana with them?" Raxa asked.

"Yeah, the little sick girl," Kasside said.

"Damn, she's sick? Well, at least she's still alive," Raxa sighed. "Her brother was a friend ... She didn't take it well when he died."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Syre said.

"Don't be. She blames Adderson for the judgment call, but her brother knew how dangerous the Moonstruck were," he responded.

"So, what are you guys doing over here? Adderson hasn't kicked you out yet?"

"One of their bags is missing," Yallu said. "Any idea on where it might be?"

"No clue. You might want to ask Shik," he replied.

"We don't have time for this," Maron interjected.

"Then you're out of luck, buddy," Yallu shrugged. "Do you want your stuff or not?"

Maron sighed and began to walk back the way they came.

"Hey, where are you going?" Yallu asked.

"I'm leaving. My bag is obviously not here," he responded.

"All we have to do is find Shik," she said. "Why don't you and the warper go one way, and me and the cute one will go the other?"

Kasside looked around with raised eyebrows, and then pointed to himself for confirmation.

"Excuse me?" Syre said.

"Or we could not do that, that's fine," she shrugged.

Maron hastily marched back under the archway as Kasside, Syre, and Yallu followed. Adderson was still standing near the bin against the wall of the building.

"Did you find it?" he asked.

"No, we didn't," Maron said as he opened the bin. He removed the bag of food from the bin and shoved it against Adderson's chest, "Your kids need this more than we do."

Kasside and Syre grabbed the rest of their belongings and the three began to head for the gates.

"Hey, wait up," Yallu hollered from behind as she ran toward them. "I want to go with you guys, if that's cool," she said.

"Why? You don't even know where we are going," Kasside said.

"It doesn't matter. If my brothers were brave enough to leave, I can be, too. Besides, I want to help find that bag so I can get my dad's prism back. I'm not very sentimental, but I know it's important to my brothers," she said.

"Won't your friends be mad?" Syre asked.

"Thanks to your donations, they won't need me back here for a while," she said. "So, what do you say? I'm not asking for you to look out for me. I'll find my own way back, and I can handle myself in a fight."

Maron looked to Syre and Kasside, then turned and continued walking toward the exit.

"Let's go," Kasside smiled.

They exited the school and made their way back toward the car with Maron leading the pack down the center of the street. Yallu walked between Kasside and Syre, giggling and laughing loudly as her and Kasside conversed with mirth. Syre looked on with covetous eyes as the two grew familiar.

"I have no idea, now that you mention it. That's a really good question," Kasside said to Yallu. "Maron, how many times can I use the Mercyblade before I have to replace the alchemy stone?"

"Once the rock is smaller than the nail on your pinky, I will replace it," Maron said with his head down in his book.

Yallu looked up and slowed her steps upon seeing a body in the street, "Shik!"

She raced over to the boy and knelt down beside him. His face was bruised and his knees were scraped with gravel.

"I'm all right," Shik groaned as he sat up. "I tried to keep it away from him."

"What happened?" Yallu asked.

Shik pointed down the street toward a hooded figure carrying a bag. The unknown assailant was dressed in a long trench coat with an unsecured belt. The coat was lined with multiple straps and shining buckles. The figure turned its head toward them, revealing a white CROSS mask with black trim and light-blue panels over the eyes.

"Again?" Kasside asked.

As they ran forward, the hooded thief reached inside the bag and removed a small vial. The thief proceeded to toss the vial into the air and fire at it with a handgun, causing the contents to catch fire and rain down on the street.

"Don't get too close," Maron warned.

They raced around the growing flames as the unknown assailant turned entered an alleyway. Maron released a page from his book that chased the thief into the alley. They hurried around the corner, stopping abruptly after realizing that the alley was filled with Moonstruck. Maron breathed heavily, trembling from exhaustion and frustration.

"Was that a CROSS soldier?" Yallu asked.

"Ever heard of Aero?" Kasside asked.

"That was Aero? Dude's my hero," Yallu said.

"Don't tell Leo that," Kasside mumbled.

"I was able to attach a paper to his back before he escaped. Assuming he hasn't noticed, I should be able to call it back to me in pieces," Maron said.

Finally reaching the exit, they each climbed through the wall and approached the car. Maron set the battery in place and they put what was left of their belongings into the trunk space.

"Kasside, I need you to drive," Maron said. "I'm going to sit in the backseat while I rest and concentrate on finding the bag. Have one of the girls sit up front with you."

"I'll sit up front," Syre said quickly.

"You sure you want me driving? It's been a long time, and I wasn't that great back then," Kasside said.

"I have complete trust in you," Maron mumbled. "Let's get moving."

They piled into the car and strapped their safety belts, quietly waiting for someone to take action.

"So, where do we go?" Kasside asked.

A small spec of torn paper floated gently toward the car and stuck to Maron's side window.

"That way," Maron replied.

Kasside drove along the road for miles with Maron's precise instructions, following each shred of off-white paper that made its way to Maron's hand. The road had become barren and flat, as if they had been transported to the middle of a desert. In the distance, light from the descending sun gleamed off tall buildings that stuck out over the horizon.

"The pieces are accumulating quickly, which means we are getting closer, but I fear he may be purposely leading us somewhere," Maron said. "I find it hard to believe that Aero can be so easily tracked."

"What does Aero want with your bag?" Yallu asked.

"I'll be sure to ask him the next time we see him," Maron retorted. Maron looked down at his hand, "Kasside, the paper has stopped. Pull over."

Kasside pulled the car over and parked in a mostly empty area surrounded by dirt and sand. The surrounding buildings had become short and scarce, making the outer city buildings look more massive and much closer than normal.

"I don't see anything," Yallu said as they stepped out of the vehicle.

Maron silently sauntered toward a seemingly uninhabited area while looking only at the pages of his book. Kasside, Syre, and Yallu followed him as they surveyed the land, blocking their faces from the dying efforts of the setting sun.

They slid down a small mound, cautiously avoiding rocks and sharp plants in their path. A structure came into view in the distance.

"Is that a tent?" Syre asked.

"Yeah, and CROSS trucks from the looks of it," Kasside said, pointing out several lined trucks to the side of the overhanging canopy.

"There are people tied up over there!" Yallu exclaimed, sprinting toward the tent.

"Yallu, hold on," Maron said.

They advanced toward a line of chairs with an unconscious Alchen tied to each one. A uniformed CROSS soldier sat in another nearby chair, slumped over with his weapon held across his chest.

Syre approached the guard and waved her hand in front of him, "I think he's asleep," she whispered.

"Or otherwise unconscious," Maron said.

"Hey, I know this kid," Kasside said as he examined the restrained Alchen in the first chair. "It's Thomas Frainer, the adrenaline guy from the academy. And I thought he'd be one of the tougher ones to catch."

"Bemma!" Yallu called out, shaking the girl in the farthest chair over as the girl's body flailed like a ragdoll.

"We shouldn't be here," Syre said.

"This is what I was telling you," Yallu said. "They are taking these kids and turning them into those things!"

"You need to be quiet, and we need to leave, now," Maron said quietly.

"I won't leave them here," Yallu protested.

"Is that what I sound like?" Kasside asked.

A split second later, a far off popping noise echoed throughout the area, followed by an even louder and sudden clanking noise. Kasside looked down at the Mercyblade on his arm and saw a blinking red light, and attached to the light was a rather long and voluminous bullet.

" _Get down!_ " Kasside yelled as more shots were fired in their direction.

They each found cover, keeping their heads down as the shots continued to speed past them.

"Any ideas, Maron?" Kasside asked from behind one of the parked trucks.

"Yes. Don't die," Maron replied, unflustered.

After several more shots, the firing ceased. They each peeked out to make sure no one had been injured. Yallu was on the ground near the prisoners, hopelessly attempting to undo the straps that bound their feet to the chairs. Kasside vigilantly analyzed the vicinity and spotted a CROSS soldier, slowly sliding down a nearby dune and leaving a trail of blood behind him. Another truck came into view and parked a few yards from the ones concealing their locations. Heavy boots marched out of the truck and toward the scene.

"Advi Teian, this is Modder Palenanda of Capture Team Beta responding to the possible Aero sighting and liberation attempt at Station 8. Do you read?" a soldier said into a small device on her shoulder.

Kasside's heart began to race. He clenched his teeth and gripped the bottom of the truck tightly. The shadows of the soldiers were cast underneath the truck as they drew near.

"Entry, go check that body," the woman commanded.

A soldier hurried over to the body on the dune, "It's Teian, ma'am. He's dead."

"Get the prisoners on the truck," she said.

The woman stood just a few feet from Kasside. She had vibrant red hair that stuck out behind her mask. She turned around and stopped as she spotted Kasside and Maron. She quickly pointed her weapon at Kasside, "On the ground!" she ordered.

Kasside slowly lifted his hands into the air. Another popping noise was heard and they quickly turned their attention to the soldier out by the dune. The soldier put his hand to his neck and collapsed to the ground. Taking advantage of the distraction, Kasside rushed the woman with his arm facing outward as the woman began to fire. The Mercyblade diverted the shots and sent them back in her direction, one of the bullets striking her arm in the process. She dropped her weapon as Kasside approached and struck her in the chest, causing a flash of light and sending both of them soaring in opposite directions.

Kasside landed near Maron and skid on the ground. Maron helped Kasside to his feet. "Where's Syre?" Kasside asked.

"She's helping Yallu," Maron said. A sheet of paper hovered near Maron's face, shielding him from incoming projectiles.

"We need to get out of here," Kasside said.

"I believe I mentioned that," Maron replied.

Aero stepped into view from the top of the dune and threw a sniper rifle down to the sand. Two soldiers ran up the dune toward the masked vigilante. The first soldier was quickly outfought and grabbed from behind as Aero used his body as a shield, grabbing the soldier's hand and forcing him to fire at his own comrade before firing upon himself. Having defeated the soldiers, Aero briskly walked toward Kasside and Maron.

"Modder Palenanda confirming Aero sighting at Station 8. We are under fire. Requesting Presider—" the female soldier said as she lifted her head from the ground, but was interrupted as Aero fired a shot through the panel over her left eye.

Murmuring could be heard on the female's radio. Aero proceeded to rip the radio from her armor and throw to the side. Yallu and Syre had successfully removed the restraints on two of the prisoners under the canopy and were working on the rest.

A sliver of sun provided a radiant harlequin sky, rich in pinks and blues that swirled together behind transparent clouds. Aero approached Kasside and stood before him. Kasside raised his fists in preparation as Maron stepped to his side with his book in hand. Up close, Aero was noticeably taller than either Kasside or Maron.

"Give us the bag you stole," Kasside barked.

They turned their heads as yet another truck approached and unloaded a group of soldiers near Yallu and Syre.

"Hey, get out of there," Kasside yelled toward the girls.

The prisoners remained unconscious as Syre pried Yallu away from them. The guards aimed their weapons at Syre and Yallu and ordered them to the ground. Syre warped from the scene and over to Maron and Kasside.

"Are you okay?" Kasside asked.

"I'm fine, but we need to get Yallu out of there," Syre said.

Yallu fought the guards and narrowly dodged their attempts to capture her. As Kasside stepped forward to help, he was pushed back by Aero. Aero ran full speed to Yallu's aid, holding off the soldiers as she ran back to join the group.

"I can't tell whose side he's on," Syre said as they watched.

"Common enemy," Maron said. "Don't forget, he stole from us and we can't let him get away, regardless of what he does."

"Maybe we should cut our losses," Yallu said.

Motorcycle engines were heard approaching the scene as Kasside, Syre, and Yallu looked to Maron for a decision.

Maron clutched his book and took several deep breaths, "We don't leave without the bag."

The two motorcycles approached on the far side of the battle and parked near the struggling soldiers. The riders were wearing dark armor and masks with green glowing eyes. One of the riders (much slimmer than the other) removed his mask as they approached Aero. He had spiked hair that was blond on top and black on the sides. Aero turned from the fray and attempted to escape, but stopped and stood still in a running position, frozen.

The remaining soldiers were ordered to take the Alchen prisoners away. They secured the Alchens in the back of the armored truck and quickly drove off. Aero fell to the ground and struggled to get back up, as if resisting a great invisible weight.

"That doesn't look good," Kasside said as they hid behind the parked trucks once again.

"The infamous and elusive Aero, huh?" the husky soldier snickered as he approached Aero with his hand held out. "I'm not so sure you're the same guy."

"Impyo is gonna be real happy we finally caught you," the slim soldier said.

"Sengar should have come with us and he could have got some credit," laughed the other.

"That magnet freak gets enough credit with Cataview," his partner replied.

Maron opened his book and briskly walked out of cover, straight toward Aero and the soldiers.

"Maron, what are you doing?" Kasside whispered.

Kasside, Syre, and Yallu exited their hiding spots and cautiously followed Maron. A page from Maron's book flew out and took the shape of a wolf. It immediately rushed toward the bulky soldier and tackled him to the ground. Aero got up from the ground and sprinted over the nearby slope, away from the soldiers. The slim soldier attempted to chase Aero, but was met by Kasside standing in his path.

"Bad choice, kid," the soldier said as he removed a large blade from a sheath.

Kasside's body stiffened as his limbs quivered. His arms fell to his sides, mirroring the stance of the soldier.

"I got this one, Thern. Take care of the others," the soldier said to his partner.

The large masked soldier threw the paper wolf off his chest as it flattened to the ground, "Not a problem," he replied. "A dangerous criminal just got away thanks to you idiots."

"Yes, that was the intended outcome," Maron said as another page came out of his book and made a beeline for Thern.

Thern put out his hand and the paper forcibly dropped to the ground. Maron, Yallu, and Syre each fell to their knees and struggled to keep their torsos up with their shaking arms. Syre flickered wildly as she unsuccessfully attempted to warp away.

"That weight pulling you down is intensified gravity—something you'd understand if you had stayed in school," Thern explained as he calmly approached. "Harrin has your friend over there paralyzed, and he might just chop him in half. I don't know what you kids were trying to do, but you aren't going anywhere after what you just did."

"We could die under this amount of pressure," Maron said.

"Look at you! You did learn something in school," Thern caustically replied.

"So, you can paralyze people?" Kasside asked as his eyes began to water.

"As long as I keep eye contact," Harrin said with a confident grin.

"Weird, I don't think you're doing it right," Kasside said, relaxing his body and stretching his arms over his head.

" _What?_ " Harrin said, finding that he could no longer move his own body.

Kasside walked toward Thern, who was concentrating on keeping the others pinned to the ground.

"Thern, watch it!" Harrin shouted as he used great effort to slowly reach for the holster on his hip and remove his gun. Harrin lifted the gun slowly and pointed it at the back of Kasside's head as Kasside walked between them.

" _Whoa, whoa, whoa!_ " Thern said as he shielded his face with his free hand. "What are you doing?"

"The kid, he's coming at you," Harrin replied.

"He's over there, you moron. You're pointing your gun at my face!" Thern replied.

Harrin looked back and saw Kasside race behind the parked trucks. As he moved to chase him down, a loud shot was heard and Thern fell to the floor. Maron, Yallu, and Syre were freed and quickly ran to the cover of the trucks with Kasside.

"Aero is still here! Get Veret down here, now!" Thern said, cradling his wounded leg.

Kasside, Syre, Maron, and Yallu ran back toward their parked vehicle and quickly climbed inside. Maron took the wheel as they peeled away from the scene and back on to the road, taking random turns to throw off potential followers.

### Chapter VIII: Price of Admission

The hearts—racing. The adrenaline—coursing. The tires spat out rocks and gravel as they accelerated through unknown territory. Miles and miles away, flashing buildings were boasting their presence, looking over a troubled city from a comfortable and untouchable distance among the clouds.

"I've got to hand it to you Maron, this thing is awesome," Kasside said, lifting up the Mercyblade.

"Everyone all right?" Syre asked.

"We didn't get the bag," Maron said.

"Yeah, but none of us were caught, or killed, or even shot," Yallu said, inspecting her body.

"We didn't get the bag," Maron repeated.

"All we have to do is find that Aero guy again and we'll get it back," Syre said.

"Our only chance of catching him was five minutes ago, and I am running out of time, if you haven't noticed," Maron said.

The flat and empty scenery quickly changed after driving a few more miles. Several CROSS trucks zoomed by them as they began to pass by tightly packed buildings and cleanly paved intersections. Pedestrian traffic became heavier and the streets were well lit by the combination of store signs and street lamps.

"Where are we going?" Yallu asked.

"We need to find a place to stay for the night. We go back to the Decasus first thing in the morning to drop you off, and then we go back to Nenemé's house," Maron answered.

" _What?_ " Yallu and Kasside cried out.

"Wait, you're kidding me, right?" Yallu asked. "They are taking Alchens— _people we know_ —to be experimented on, and you're gonna let that happen?"

"So, we go to the outer districts, find where they are being kept, and then what?" Maron asked. "We walk in and request politely for them to release their test subjects?"

They each stayed quiet for a few moments as they thought to themselves.

"I agree with Maron, it's too risky to face CROSS by ourselves," Syre said. "I think that's pretty clear from what we just went through."

"Says the girl that warps to safety while everyone else is fighting," Yallu muttered.

"Oh, please. What's your alchenergy again? Flirting and complaining?" Syre retorted.

"I can balance, like balancing my foot in your mouth," Yallu countered.

"That'd be incredible, since you already have your head up your ass," Syre growled.

The car came to a slow roll and eventually stopped as Maron slowly pulled into a nearby parking lot between two buildings.

"All right, 'dad,' we get it," Yallu sighed.

"I didn't stop the car. Something's wrong," Maron said.

The vehicle began to emit thick white smoke from the hood as they each stepped out and walked to the hood. Maron opened the hood of the car as the smoke escaped and brought uncomfortable warmth to their faces. They began to cough and shield their noses and mouths as they backed away from the smoke.

"That smells like burnt ass," Yallu said.

"There must be a leak somewhere, or maybe an issue with the head gasket," Maron said.

"Is there any chance of getting it to a shop or something?" Kasside asked.

"No. Even if we could find one, they are most likely all closed by now," Maron replied.

"What about Nenemé? She could bring us the parts we need to fix it ourselves, right?" Kasside suggested.

"Can't you use your paper message thing to get her down here?" Syre asked.

"Not likely. Performing that now would take more alchenergy than I have," Maron said.

"So, what do we do?" Yallu asked, sitting on the trunk of the car.

"Well, Nenemé has a phone. We just need to find a place that will let us use one," Maron said.

They approached the entrance to the nearest building in the parking lot. The door was painted red on the otherwise black building, and there were no visible windows. Laughter and clanking glasses were heard as they opened the door and walked inside. The lighting was dim and there were multiple tables spread throughout, and groups of at least three people sat at each one. There was a long wooden counter and shelves stocked with tall bottles of alcohol on the left side of the room. A bald man behind the counter watched as they walked by the drinking patrons, who glared and became quiet.

Maron approached the bar and set his book down on top, "Excuse me, sir, would you happen to have a phone we could use for a quick call? Our car seems to have broken down."

The bald man leaned toward Maron, "Look, nothin' personal, but I can't be havin' you guys in here," he said.

"I understand we are underage, but we do not require alcohol. Just a phone call," Maron explained.

"It ain't your age, kid. A lot of my customers ain't exactly comfortable with Alchens, and if I were you, I'd leave before they get riled up," he suggested.

"I understand that, but we've done nothing wrong. We just need to use a phone," Maron persisted.

"I know, I know. Like I said, it's nothin' personal, Alchens are just bad for business," the man said with a shrug. "Listen, I know a guy that'd let you use his phone and even let you stay at his place pretty cheap, if you wanted."

"How do we find him?" Maron asked.

"His name's Deggert Onimo. His place is a few blocks from here," the man said. "Follow Main Street here 'til you reach the cinema, then make a left. It's the brown house on the right side of the street. If you pass under the Crossline, you went too far. Just tell him Haywert sent you."

"Thank you," Maron said. He picked up his book from the counter and quickly exited the building.

"What's the Crossline?" Syre asked as they returned to the car.

"The Crossline is what CROSS uses to get places super quickly. The road goes through most of the island. Did you grow up under a rock or something? Everyone knows that," Yallu said.

"So, like a freeway?" Syre said.

"A freeway?" Yallu asked with her eyebrows raised.

"In the States, freeways are pretty common. People use them to avoid traffic and drive quickly. Imagine the Crossline, but anyone is allowed to use it," Kasside explained.

"Everyone knows that," Syre mocked and stuck out her tongue.

"That sounds stupidly dangerous," Yallu said, shaking her head.

"Not more dangerous than living in a government quarantined area with crazy killer people," Syre argued.

"Sorry, not all of us grew up riding rainbows and eating chocolate mousse," Yallu responded.

"Hey, Syre and I are both from California, and it's not much better than here, all right?" Kasside said. "And Syre, Yallu doesn't have anywhere else to go, so cut her some slack."

Reaching the end of a block, they were faced by a massive structure with an angled marquee and a glass booth underneath.

"That's the cinema, in case you didn't know what it was," Syre said.

"I know what it is, and it's called a 'movie theater,' " Yallu replied.

"I wonder if I could plug my ears with paper," Maron said under his breath.

"Help us both out and just cover their mouths," Kasside whispered.

Crowds stood outside, and each person stopped to stare at them as they walked by. They kept their heads down and continued on their way in search of the brown house. A short way down the street, an elevated road crossed above and between the buildings.

"I think I see the Crossline up ahead," Kasside said.

Just before the Crossline was the aforementioned brown house. It had a wooden porch that led to a door with a light bulb hanging above it.

"We need to be really careful out here," Maron said. "We are highly recognizable as Alchens in an area without many around. CROSS could get here in moments if someone called them."

"There's not much we can do about our hair or eye colors, unless we all wear sunglasses and hats, or shave our heads, and then we'll probably stick out even more," Syre said.

"I may have a solution," Maron said.

"Of course you do," Kasside replied.

Kasside knocked on the door an evenly spaced three times and waited patiently for a response.

"What kind of name is 'Deggert'?" Yallu asked as she stomped her foot impatiently.

"Because 'Yallu' is so much better," Syre mumbled.

Yallu rolled her eyes and scoffed as Kasside and Maron sighed.

"We don't know this man, so be very polite and we might have a place to sleep tonight," Maron instructed quietly.

The door handle began to move and the locks started to come undone. The door opened slightly as a white-haired old man with circular glasses peeked out.

"Good evening," Maron said. "Sorry to bother you, but we were instructed to come here by a man named Haywert. He said you might be willing to provide us with shelter for tonight, which we can pay you for with what we have."

The man stared blankly at Maron, and then he slowly scanned the rest of the group with his cloudy gray eyes.

"Are you Deggert Onimo?" Maron asked slowly.

The man gestured to Maron to come closer with his wrinkled hand. Maron leaned toward him carefully with his upper body. The man quickly grabbed Maron's head and pointed it to the floor, inspecting his hair from left to right and adjusting his glasses to see clearly. He released Maron's head and opened the door wide to lead them inside. Maron turned around and looked to Kasside with a raised eyebrow. Kasside shrugged and scratched the back of his neck.

They entered the home and followed the man as he inched through the foyer to a wooden desk. The room had a low ceiling and was mostly empty. A few cardboard boxes were stacked up against the walls. The man turned to Maron and lifted up his hands, showing two fingers in one hand and making a circle with the other.

"Twenty?" Syre asked.

"Twenty dollars. That's how much he wants for us to stay," Maron said.

The man gently nodded and held out his hand. Kasside and Syre began digging through their pockets.

"I've got it," Kasside said as he handed the man a bill.

The man took the bill and crumpled it into a ball, storing it in his shirt pocket. He waved at them to follow him as he entered a hallway with multiple doors, resembling a motel. The man stopped halfway down the hall and pointed to one of the doors. Maron opened the door and revealed a small room with one bed and a single wooden nightstand.

"I apologize, but do you have anything a bit larger?" Maron asked.

The man walked into the room and opened another door. The door led to an adjoining room that was identical to the other.

"Maron and I will take one room. Syre, you and Yallu—" Kasside said. "On second thought ..."

"Syre and Kasside, you take this room. Yallu can have the first room," Maron said.

"Where are you gonna sleep?" Yallu asked.

"Don't worry, I will be just fine," Maron answered.

The man turned around and exited the room, continuing down the hallway.

"Excuse me, Mr. Onimo?" Maron said. "Would you happen to have a phone I could use? I need to make a quick call to someone," Maron said.

Deggert nodded and smiled, waving his hand as he walked. Maron followed as they made their way into another room. The room was decorated with several posters pinned to the walls, and three piles of comic books were stacked on the floor. A young boy with brown hair and dark brown eyes sat on the bed in the room, reading a comic book with the pages almost touching his face. Deggert pointed to a corded telephone on a nightstand to the side of the bed.

"Oh, I apologize, I didn't realize this room was occupied," Maron said.

The boy looked up from his book with a befuddled look, "Grandpa, you can't just let random people in here. Seriously, knock first," the boy scolded.

"Do you live here?" Maron asked.

"Yeah, no shit I live here. Who are you?" the boy asked.

"Maron Verize. Your grandfather has graciously allowed me and my friends to stay in the extra rooms down the hall. I just need to use the phone for a quick phone call," Maron explained.

The boy sighed, "Have you paid him yet?"

"Yes, we gave him the twenty dollars," Maron said.

"Grandpa, I told you—charge fifty per room, otherwise we don't make anything," the boy said.

"I'm sorry, we don't have that much to give you," Maron said with a slight bow.

"Wait, is part of your hair white?" the boy asked as he hopped off the bed.

"Yes. I am an Alchen, so I have discoloration in my hair," Maron answered.

"Grandpa, is this the guy?" the boy asked.

Deggert closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow," Maron said.

"Nothing, you just look like someone my grandpa used to know, but he would be way old by now, or dead. My name is Zan," he said.

"Pleasure to meet you, Zan," Maron said.

"You can use the phone now," Zan said, lifting the comic book back over his face.

Yallu, Syre, and Kasside made themselves comfortable in the rooms, placing their belongings along the walls and removing their shoes.

"So, does Maron, like, not sleep or eat?" Yallu asked.

"I've got to admit, I've been wondering the same thing," Syre said.

"Maron ... Maron is kind of in a weird place right now," Kasside responded.

"Yeah, we're all in a 'weird place' right now," Yallu said.

"He's running out of time. That's all I can really tell you," Kasside said.

Maron entered the room and removed his book from his coat pocket, opening it up and holding it below his chest, "Nenemé will be here tomorrow morning. She's bringing supplies, food, and hopefully enough parts to fix the car. She also wanted me to tell you that we are incompetent morons and we would never survive without her."

"Awesome," Kasside sighed in relief.

"I don't know who that is, but you had me at 'food,' " Yallu said.

"Make sure to get some rest tonight. We'll talk about where we are going to go in the morning, civilly," Maron said.

Maron turned to leave the room. As he opened the door, Deggert was passing by. Deggert stopped and gazed at Maron's book. He slowly lifted his head and narrowed his eyes as he looked closely at Maron.

"Goodnight, Mr. Onimo," Maron said with a slight bow.

Inside the adjoined room, Kasside prepared a sleeping area on the floor to the side of the bed.

Syre removed a clip from her hair and placed it on the nightstand, "You don't have to sleep on the floor, you know. There's plenty of room for both of us."

"It's not a big deal. I slept in a shack, remember?" Kasside smiled. "Also, I kick in my sleep."

"Don't be stupid, you'll freeze down there. Besides, you probably kick like a girl," Syre said, sticking out her tongue. She moved over, patting the bed with her hand.

Kasside got on the bed and stiffly lay near the edge, away from Syre.

"So, remind me, what happened to you after you were caught by CROSS?" she asked.

"I had never been documented, so there was a big fuss with my parents. Luckily, they knew a judge, one of my dad's old friends, and he was able to send me here. I can't imagine where I'd be or what they would have done if not for that," Kasside explained.

"Wow. You guys all have such dramatic lives ... I was just a gymnast," Syre said with a shrug.

"Sorry to break it to you, but you're not 'just a gymnast' anymore," Kasside said.

Syre moved close to Kasside and put her arm over him. They remained silent as Kasside stared at the ceiling, motionless. The room was quiet with the exception of Yallu rummaging through her belongings and humming tunes in the adjacent room.

"Are you all right?" Syre asked.

"Yeah, I'm all right. I'm just worried," Kasside said.

"About Tethia?" Syre asked.

Kasside nodded.

Early the next morning, Maron paced the hallway of Deggert Onimo's home while reading his book. Zan and Deggert entered the hallway together and approached him.

"My grandpa wants to talk to you," Zan said.

Zan led Maron into a kitchen with a round table and four chairs placed around it. They each took a seat as Maron placed his book on the table with his hands clasped over it.

"How can I help you?" Maron asked.

"Where'd you get that book?" Zan asked.

"It belonged to my parents. A birthright, I suppose," Maron said. "Why do you ask?"

"My grandpa knew a man—a terrible man—who used to carry a book that looked just like that with him. He also had black and white hair and light eyes, just like you," Zan said as Deggert stared silently at Maron.

"What is it you're suggesting?" Maron asked.

"Just that it's a pretty big coincidence. My grandpa wants to know the names of your dad and grandpa," Zan told him.

"My father was Keijin Verize. Unfortunately, I don't know my grandfather's name. I don't remember either of them well and possess no documentation of my family," Maron answered.

Zan looked back at Deggert. Deggert looked down and shook his head.

"Sorry for all the questions, it's just, my grandpa can't talk anymore, and it's because of him," Zan said, hanging his head.

"I assure you, I have no connection to any such man. Do you know his name?" Maron asked.

Zan shook his head, "My grandpa won't say," he said.

Deggert got up from the table and slowly walked out of the kitchen. Zan stood up and exited the room shortly after, passing Syre as he left.

"Who's the kid?" Syre asked Maron as she took a seat.

"Zan, Deggert's grandson," Maron said, picking up his book.

"Oh. Well, it's good that they have each other here," Syre said.

"Where are Yallu and Kasside?" Maron asked.

"Where do you think? Fast asleep," Syre laughed. "That boy sleeps like a rock, and he wasn't joking about being a sleep-kicker."

"So, you shared the bed?" Maron said, lifting his eyes from the pages.

Syre turned beet red and looked to the floor, "Well, I didn't mean ... we didn't ... It was cold."

"Relax, I'm only joking. I am capable of joking," Maron smirked.

Several wall-shaking pounds on the door interrupted the conversation. Syre and Maron stood up and cautiously moved toward the noise. Deggert shuffled slowly into the room and toward the door.

"It's all right, Mr. Onimo, it's just a friend," Maron said, opening the door wide.

Nenemé was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, smiling brightly, "I thought I smelled trouble." She entered the kitchen with Syre and Maron, carrying a bag over her shoulder. "So, where are Kass and Zalloo?"

"It's 'Yallu,' and they are both asleep," Maron responded.

"Asleep? Well, wake their asses up," Nenemé said playfully.

"I'll get them," Syre said.

Syre left the kitchen and walked into the hallway, opening the door that led to Yallu's room. She scanned the room and saw no one inside. She quietly entered the adjoined room. The room was dimly lit by obstructed morning sunlight.

"Kasside?" she whispered. She moved toward the bed and tugged on the blankets, " _Yallu?_ "

Yallu sat up and rubbed her eyes, squinting at Syre and yawning. She looked over next to her at a blanketed body with brown and blue hair. Yallu shrieked, falling out of the bed and onto the floor and taking the blankets with her.

"I just came in here to wake him up, and I couldn't! Then I accidentally fell asleep, I swear," Yallu said.

"Guess you aren't as balanced as you thought," Syre calmly retorted.

Kasside lifted his head slowly with a puzzled stare.

"Nenemé's here," Syre said and promptly exited the room.

A few minutes later, Yallu and Kasside entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Kass. And you must be Yahoo," Nenemé said as she put her hand out to greet her.

"It's 'Yallu.' You're Nenemé?" Yallu said, shaking Nenemé's hand.

"The one and only," Nenemé winked.

"Assuming I can fix our car with the parts Nenemé brought, we will be on the road before dark," Maron said.

"Hey, wait a second, I just got here," Nenemé said. "You guys should really slow down after everything you've been through. C'mon, let's do something fun. It'll be my treat."

"Only on the condition that we don't go anywhere until I complete my solution to our hair and eye color issue," Maron said.

A few hours went by as Maron worked furiously behind the closed door of the rented room. Kasside, Syre, Nenemé, and Yallu waited patiently in the kitchen.

"So, Yazoo, where did you say you're from again?" Nenemé asked.

" 'Yallu,' " she corrected, "and I live in Decasus."

"And what is your alchenergy again?" Nenemé questioned.

"I can maintain balance in practically any position by readjusting my body with alchenergy. Also, my reflexes are abnormally quick," Yallu said proudly.

"That's debatable," Syre mumbled.

"Look, if you're mad about earlier, I get it, but nothing happened," Yallu said.

Nenemé looked over to Kasside with one eyebrow raised.

"Don't ask," Kasside said.

The door from the room opened up and Maron made his way over to the kitchen.

"Thank goodness," Kasside sighed.

"All right, everyone besides Nenemé needs to give me a piece of their hair, and not from the colored portion," Maron said. "The hair dye I have made will copy the color of any strand, for a few hours at least."

"How do you know how to make hair dye? It's been illegal for years," Yallu said.

"I've been using dye for months. My own hair began to turn completely white not long ago," Maron said, collecting the strands from each person. He dropped each strand in individual plastic containers of clear liquid on the kitchen table. Within seconds, the containers turned color as the strands of hair were lost inside.

"Cool. So, how do we fix our eyes? Contacts?" Kasside asked.

"Eye drops. You and Syre both will take the drops and it will find the closest shade of brown to your eye color," Maron replied, removing a small eyedropper bottle from his coat pocket.

"Why don't you or Yallu have to take them?" Kasside asked.

"My eyes are blue, Yallu's eyes are hazel. There's no need," Maron said.

"Oh, come on, your eyes are almost white," Kasside argued.

"Kasside, just do it," Maron commanded.

Kasside sighed and grabbed the bottle. He tilted his head back and carefully squeezed the liquid into his right eye.

"It might sting a bit," Maron told him.

"Yeah, thanks," Kasside said, holding his eye closed. He slowly opened his eye as they all gathered around and stared in awe as the golden color was slowly overtaken by brown, sprouting outward from his pupil.

"Now we can go," Maron said.

After carefully applying the rest of the dye, the group left the house and began walking down the sidewalk.

"Where's the car?" Nenemé asked.

"It's in a parking lot a few blocks away, assuming it hasn't been towed," Maron said.

"We can go check up on the car if you're worried," Nenemé responded. "Is there anything to do out that way?"

"There's a movie theater," Yallu shrugged.

"A movie! I haven't seen a movie in ages," Nenemé said.

Pedestrians didn't pay any mind as they passed by, hurrying along the sidewalks and laughing cheerfully as they spoke of their untroubled lives. An Alchen couple crossed to the other side of the street as they came near, avoiding eye contact.

"This feels weird," Kasside said as he watched the Alchens cover their heads with hoods.

"At least we know the dye works," Syre responded.

A familiar marquee with several small groups of loiterers underneath it came into view.

"I don't know 'bout you guys, but I'm getting myself a big-ass tub of popcorn," Nenemé said.

The two doors automatically slid open in front of them, welcoming them inside to a carpeted area that smelled overwhelmingly like butter and chocolate. A rush of cool air circulated throughout the room and brought chills to the exposed skin of each person it touched.

"It's freezing in here," Yallu said as she cradled her torso and clattered her teeth.

"Weird, I'm not cold. Probably because my clothes actually cover my skin," Syre shrugged.

"Very funny, smartass," Yallu replied with a mirthless laugh. "I left my jacket in the car."

"I really need to use the restroom," Kasside said.

"Man, you guys are a mess," Nenemé said, shaking her head. "Kasside, the bathrooms are on the left. Syre, don't be snide. Maron, is there any way to get Walloo's jacket out of the car while I wait in line?"

"The car isn't far from here, and I would like to make sure it's still where we left it," Maron responded.

"Just give me the damn keys, I'll go get it myself," Yallu said, holding out her hand to Maron.

Maron handed Yallu the key to the car and she snatched it from his hand. She turned and quickly left through the automatic doors.

Kasside hurried to the bathrooms, following the repeating patterns on the floor that led to a door with a blue triangle on it. As he put his hand out to push the door, he was grabbed and roughly pulled to the side by a man with shaggy hair.

"Whoa, you don't want to go in there, man," the stranger said.

"Why not?" Kasside asked.

"Dude, that's an Alchen bathroom," the man replied. He pointed up to a sign posted on the wall that read _Alchens Only_.

"Oh ... Yeah, of course," Kasside said, clearing his throat.

"I saw you headed in there and thought I'd save you from the embarrassment. Trust me, brother, you don't want to get any of those nasty-ass Alchen juices on you," the man laughed.

"Wouldn't want that to happen," Kasside said, trying to conjure a smile.

"It's a shame that they let them in here, man. If it were up to me, I'd lock them all up somewhere and let them all kill each other, then let the last man standing be a janitor or something," the man said. "What I would give to live in the outer districts instead of this infested trash heap."

"Hey, you're preaching to the choir. You'll excuse me—I still need to use the restroom. Thanks again," Kasside replied.

The stranger nodded, "No problem, man."

Kasside returned from the restroom in a huff and approached Syre and Nenemé near the entrance, "Have you ever heard the phrase 'nasty-ass Alchen juices'?" he asked in a vexed tone.

Syre and Nenemé were staring outside, moving their heads to see around the crowds of people pooling through the doors.

"Where are Maron and Yallu?" Kasside asked.

"Maron just went to go check on her," Syre answered.

"She probably got lost or something. Let's go find them real quick and we can still make it to the start of the movie," Kasside said.

Kasside, Syre, and Nenemé hastily made their way toward the bar parking lot. As they approached, a hand reached out from an alley between two buildings and grabbed Kasside's collar. He was yanked backward as another hand covered his mouth.

"Stay quiet," Maron said, coming out from behind Kasside in the alley.

"I really wish people would stop doing that," Kasside said, rubbing his neck.

"What's happening?" Nenemé whispered.

"Yallu has been captured," Maron answered. "CROSS found our car somehow. I got here just in time to see her turn to run, but she bumped into an agent. Unfortunately, instead of falling, she rebalanced herself and caused the green in her hair to come through during her use of alchenergy. It seems my dye isn't as foolproof as I thought."

"What? We need to help her," Kasside said as he walked back toward the sidewalk.

He was pulled back once more by Maron, "Impossible. There are too many of them and we cannot expect to get lucky again."

"Watch it, they are coming back this way," Syre whispered.

A group of men walked toward them, dragging Yallu along beside them. Three of the men were in armor and the other two wore black suits. Kasside, Syre, Maron, and Nenemé quickly hid among the garbage and bins in the alleyway. The men passed by as Yallu growled and shouted at the soldiers to release her. A few pedestrians could be heard cheering the soldiers on as they arrested the troublesome Alchen fiend.

"We should never have let her go to the car alone," Kasside said quietly.

"Keep quiet," Maron warned.

A pair of feet came to an abrupt stop just outside the alleyway. They each held their breath, striving to momentarily evolve beyond the need for air as the only audible noise became Yallu's distant yelps. The feet slowly pushed forward in their direction, taking a few steps and stopping once again. A light breeze carried a crumpled and stained napkin into the alleyway and dropped it inches away from Kasside's semi-exposed shoe. Kasside gradually turned his head from behind his cover and looked up at a man with a long coat and piercing green eyes staring back at him.

"Hello again," the man said.

### Chapter IX: Keeping Friends Close

The garbage—putrid. The flies—buzzing. A flesh wall with long arms and heavy feet barricaded the only observable exit to the alleyway. Ants and roaches climbed on top of each other in a never-ending race for discarded and rotting scraps of food.

"Presider Impyo," Maron said to the man, bowing slightly.

"I much prefer 'Veret,' " he replied. Veret's arms still had straps wrapped around that hung down almost to his wrists. His hair, which had previously been neatly slicked back, now stuck out toward the ends. "I'm not here to detain you," he said calmly.

"Then what do you want from us?" Kasside asked.

"I have approximately three minute to relay this information to you, and then you will be attacked by a team of soldiers," Veret said.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Nenemé asked.

"I'd keep the questions to a minimum, even the rhetorical ones," Veret warned.

"Either tell us what you want or let us go," Syre demanded.

"I assure you, I am not holding you here," he said. "On the contrary, I would like you to go somewhere for me. It seems my initial accusation was valid ... if I'm not mistaken, you have been in contact with a certain wanted terrorist."

They remained silent, looking away and contemplating an exit strategy.

"It is of no interest to me whether you work for him, against him, or you are independent of an opinion and have simply had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Veret said. "However, I assure you, I am no fool, and I can tell coincidence from pattern. I need Aero, alive. I have Miss Ekkeitahan in custody, alive, for the time being. One simple trade and I will no longer pursue you."

"If we refuse?" Kasside asked.

"You refuse, and you will be the most wanted Alchens on the island within hours," he threatened. "You will be captured, you will be interrogated for information, and you will most likely never again see the light of day. By all means, take your time to decide."

"What makes you think we can catch Aero if you can't?" Syre asked.

"The fact that you've met Aero twice that I know of and are still alive," Veret answered.

"How long do we have?" Kasside asked.

"Your friend will be in a holding cell for the next five days here in Takhera Valley. I have authority and control of what happens to her throughout that timeframe. After that, she will be transferred and dealt with. I suggest you meet that deadline," Veret replied.

"Five days? You've been after this guy for _how_ long?" Kasside spewed.

"Where do we bring him once we catch him?" Maron asked, ignoring Kasside.

"If you catch Aero, I will come to you," Veret said.

He reached into the inside pocket of his coat and retrieved a small device. He threw the device to Maron. Maron caught it and examined it away from his face.

"Once you have Aero, press the button on the side and enter the numbers 7843. It will send me, and only me, a signal with your location. I will take Aero back to CROSS Headquarters, release your friend, and you will never see me again as long as you stay out of sight," Veret explained.

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Nenemé asked.

"You don't, but your options are limited," Veret responded.

"How do we find Aero?" Syre asked.

"My dear, if I had that answer, the favor would not be necessary," Veret said. "I will tell you that Aero was last spotted near the border to Rillock Heights." He peered over his shoulder as the sound of uniform footsteps approached. "I'm afraid we're out of chatting time."

Kasside and Syre readied their weapons in preparation.

"Take care of these pests. They're with the girl," Veret said from the sidewalk as he walked away.

Three soldiers with light colored armor entered the alley and drew their guns. "Down on the ground!" one of the soldiers ordered.

Nenemé steadily put her hands in her waistband behind her back.

"I said down, now!" the soldier shouted.

"Wait! You have the wrong people. Do any of us look like Alchens to you?" Nenemé asked.

The soldiers turned to each other as one grabbed the radio on his shoulder. Nenemé quickly removed two handguns from her beltline and fired three times in the blink of an eye. The soldiers' limp bodies slumped to the ground and toppled over one another.

"So, run?" Kasside asked.

"Run," Nenemé answered.

Kasside sighed, "Great."

They began sprinting down the street, back toward the home of Deggert Onimo.

"Did you really have to kill those men?" Syre asked.

"Hon, they would have made a whole big mess of us back there if not for Maron's dyes. Trust me," Nenemé answered.

"Speaking of the dyes—Maron, your hair is turning white," Kasside said.

"Worry about that later. We need to get out of here, immediately," Maron said.

"What else is new?" Kasside said.

As they ran with the house in sight, sirens were heard in the distance.

Nenemé frantically got into her car and started the engine, "You guys go inside and grab your stuff and I'll wait here. Hurry up."

Kasside and Syre knocked on the front door as hard as they could.

"Man, CROSS doesn't waste any time, do they?" Kasside asked, out of breath.

"The closer we get to the outer districts, the closer we are to their reinforcements. It may be wise to do as Veret told us, assuming he will keep his word," Maron said.

"You mean the guy that just tried to have us killed?" Kasside asked.

"He did warn us first," Maron shrugged.

"And if he doesn't keep his word?" Syre asked.

"Then we are dead either way," Maron said.

Deggert opened the door and stared at them with worried and confused eyes.

"Mr. Onimo, I sincerely apologize, but we must gather our belongings and leave before CROSS arrives and arrests you for our wrong doings," Maron said.

Deggert looked up toward the Crossline as a few trucks zoomed by with blazing sirens. He nodded slightly and moved aside for them to pass. They ran to their rented space and picked up their belongings, slinging what they could over their shoulders and carrying the rest.

"Is that everything?" Syre asked as she scanned the room.

"It is now. Let's get the hell out of here," Kasside said.

They walked briskly down the hallway and into the front room as they approached the exit. Deggert was standing near the door, holding it open for them as they left the residence. Deggert grabbed Maron's arm before he could exit and pulled him aside. He pointed to his own mouth, and then put his hands over his own ears as if being deafened by a loud noise. Maron nodded and exited behind Kasside and Syre, clenching his book tightly.

Nenemé sat in the car and waved at them to hurry. They each climbed in the car as the trucks came driving in their direction from just a few hundred yards away.

"Nenemé, put all of the windows down," Maron said.

"And why on earth would I do that?" Nenemé asked.

"Just do it and get us away from here. Everyone, cover your ears," Maron commanded.

Nenemé put the windows down and pulled away from the curb, getting away from the gaining trucks. They covered their ears as Nenemé directed the car with her knees. Deggert walked out of his house near the street in the rear view. He leaned forward and opened his mouth wide toward the road as transparent ripples shot out. There was a sharp, high-pitched tone followed by a rumbling in the ground. The windows of nearby apartments and houses cracked and shattered. The road broke apart, creating jagged and uneven pieces of asphalt in front of the trucks. The trucks swerved and slammed on the brakes as the tires screeched, bringing them to a stop.

Nenemé turned down several side streets, keeping the car at a consistent speed. "What the crap?" she asked.

"It appears Deggert Onimo is an Alchen," Maron said.

"And he risks his butt to save us? Why would he do that?" Syre asked.

"And why live right next to the Crossline?" Kasside asked.

"I'll let you know once I've figured it out," Maron said.

"Seriously, we can't even watch a damn movie without CROSS showing up," Kasside sighed.

"Guys, I need to know where we're goin'," Nenemé said.

Syre and Kasside looked at Maron from the backseat.

"We go after Aero. Veret said he was last spotted near the outer districts," Maron said. "Nenemé, do you still have any contacts out there?"

"Just one," Nenemé sighed.

They drove for over an hour, entering the Rillock Heights District and coming that much closer to the intimidatingly large buildings that blocked the view of the overcast sky. Kasside had his head pressed against the glass of the window, fast asleep.

"I cannot believe he can sleep right now," Syre said quietly.

"Oh, hon, I've seen this boy sleep for days at a time. Don't worry about being quiet, it'd take a lot more than your sweet voice to wake this one," Nenemé laughed.

"Nenemé, where are you taking us?" Maron asked.

"I told you, it's an old friend's house in the city, but I haven't talked to him in a long time," she said.

"How do you know him?" Syre asked.

"He's ... my ex-boyfriend, from high school," Nenemé said and cleared her throat.

"How do you know he still lives out here?" Syre asked.

"Yes, how indeed?" Maron inquired.

"I _don't_ know, but he's our best chance at warm food and a warm bed tonight, so hush up," Nenemé replied.

Nenemé pulled the car over in a residential area. Each house on the street was larger and more exquisite than the one before it. The majority of the houses were pearly white, and the lawns had intricate and shapely designs made from bushes and plants that were healthy and green.

"This is it, on the right," Nenemé said.

"How is it that you went to the same high school as someone from Rillock?" Maron asked.

"I never said we went to the same high school, we just dated while we were in high school," Nenemé answered. "He was a friend of a friend. We were just from different worlds, and I couldn't be around his other friends or his family. He's never had a problem with Alchens, though."

"I'm sure," Maron said.

"Let's just make sure we have the right place," Syre said.

"Wake up, Kass," Nenemé said. She used her controls to roll his window down, causing his head to bump on the car door.

They got out of the vehicle and approached the three-story home. The walk from the sidewalk to the house seemed to stretch on for miles, leading to a wide garage and a small walkway of stones that led to two doors with glass panels in the center of each one.

"All right, kiddies, let me do the talking," Nenemé said, ringing the doorbell twice.

A few seconds later, a silhouette approached through the stained glass and began to unlock the doors. The doors opened wide and a tall man in a suit stood in the foyer. He had combed, light-brown hair that was parted to the side. His eyes were a mix of blue and green and his face was clean-shaven.

"Nenemé?" he said.

"Hey Greg, been a while," Nenemé smiled. "May we come in?"

"Of course," Greg replied.

They entered the luxurious home and followed Greg to an exceptionally prodigious living room. The room was fitted with chairs, couches, a glass table, a fireplace, and a flat projection screen. The floor was shimmering brightly enough to see distorted reflections, and the walls were lined with paintings and photographs in silver and gold frames.

"Greg, this is Maron, Kasside, and Syre," Nenemé said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Can I get you guys something to drink?" Greg asked.

They each shook their heads as their eyes wandered to the walls and the high ceiling.

"You guys don't have to stand there. Take a seat, get comfortable," Greg said.

"I'm sorry we had to barge in on you like this, but we need a favor," Nenemé told him.

"It's no trouble at all, but you were lucky to catch me here. I'm actually on lunch and I have to go back in a few minutes." Greg looked down at a golden watch around his wrist.

"Go back where?" Nenemé asked.

"I work at Cataview now. I'm a Vice President of the DUSP locations," Greg announced.

"Congratulations," Nenemé smiled.

"I interned there during college and landed a job as soon as I graduated. I bought my parents a house in the States and I bought this house from them. I did a lot of renovations," Greg said.

"I can see that," Nenemé laughed.

Maron loudly cleared his throat and glared at Nenemé and Greg.

"Right. So, what's the favor?" Greg asked.

"Feel free to say no, but we need a place to stay for a few days," Nenemé said. "It's a long story, but my friends here are Alchens, and they are in a bit of trouble with CROSS. We just need to stay in this area until we capture a fugitive, and then we'll be outta your hair."

"Capture a fugitive?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, someone named Aero," she responded.

"I've heard of him," he said.

"So, what do you say?" Nenemé asked.

"My house is your house, stay as long as you'd like. Anyone who is out to catch a fugitive is all right by me," Greg smiled. "You always did have a soft spot for Alchens, Nemy."

" 'Nemy,' " Maron scoffed under his breath.

Nenemé nudged Maron with her elbow, "Thank you so much, Greg. You're a life saver."

Greg looked down at his watch and got up from his chair, heading for the front doors. "You guys make yourselves at home. There are three extra bedrooms upstairs, so you guys can figure out where you're going to sleep. And Nenemé, it's really good to see you again," he said and closed the doors behind him.

"I don't trust him," Maron said.

"Come on, he's not that bad," Kasside said.

"Besides, have you seen this house?" Syre laughed.

"It'll be fine, love. We'll stay for a few days and then we'll find another place to go," Nenemé said.

"This guy is bound to have pizza in his fridge, right? I haven't had pizza in forever," Kasside said.

"I hope so, I'm starving," Syre said as she and Kasside raced to the kitchen.

"Want anything?" Nenemé asked Maron.

"No thank you, 'Nemy,' I'm fine," Maron replied.

"Guys, there's pizza and ice cream," Kasside said from the kitchen.

Nenemé kissed Maron's forehead and left to join Syre and Kasside in the kitchen.

Kasside, Syre, and Nenemé prepared their meal as Maron entered the kitchen. There was a clear view of the backyard, which had a large swimming pool that ran horizontally across with white chairs and several tables spread around. The kitchen connected to a second living room with a massive television mounted to the wall and a sophisticated speaker system underneath it.

"Look at that TV. I haven't watched TV in years," Syre said. "You see a remote anywhere?"

"Nope. Check between the couch cushions," Kasside replied.

"TV, on," Nenemé said from the kitchen.

The television screen turned bright with white light and made a two-toned jingle.

"Fancy. I don't even own a working pen," Kasside commented.

"Just wave your hand daintily at it to change the channel," Nenemé winked.

Syre flipped through the channels, passing through cartoons and sitcoms until finally reaching a news station. "Hey, this is in the States," she said.

The news anchor was a blonde woman wearing a bright red jacket, and her teeth were pearly white and showed no matter which syllable she was speaking. "And today, we remember the war that devastated our country and killed so many," the woman reported. "We celebrate their lives and honor them always as heroes, and we thank them for their sacrifice so that we may once again be prosperous as a country. We now go live to New York."

"Glad to see things are still better in the States than this shithole," Kasside said.

"Things could be worse," Syre shrugged.

"We're running from a psychopathic presider who is running after a psychopathic vigilante who also might be running after us and we are all probably wanted for murder unless we can capture the psychopathic vigilante and hand him over to the psychopathic presider," Kasside said in one continuous stream of breath.

"Yeah, but the pizza is almost done," Nenemé winked. "Silver linings, Kass."

"Nenemé, who is watching the café?" Syre asked.

"I didn't even think about that," Kasside said.

"To be honest, things had been rough after CROSS was there," she replied. "I plan on going back, but I have Asha watching the café and the house for the time being. She's a good friend of mine."

"Well, her cooking can't be as good as yours," Syre laughed.

After anxiously waiting for their dinner, Kasside removed the pizza from the oven. They proceeded to serve themselves, eating in blissful silence for several minutes. The people on the television continued to blabber indistinctly in the background.

"This might be the best thing I've ever eaten," Kasside said with a mouth full of food. "You sure you don't want any, Maron?"

"Positive," Maron said with his face down in the pages of his book.

"Hey Nenemé, can we see the upstairs?" Syre asked.

"Of course, sweetie," Nenemé responded. "We will be staying up there, after all."

They made their way up a spiral staircase to the second floor, which was almost as luxurious as the first. The walls had simplistic paintings on them, framed in silver and gold. Weights and other exercise equipment had been neatly arranged in a corner of the area, and at the other end was a marble countertop with a stocked shelving unit of liquor behind it. Against the far wall was a black grand piano that shined as if it had been freshly polished.

"Is there anything this guy doesn't have?" Kasside asked.

"Yeah, me," Nenemé said with her hands on her hips.

There was a short hallway that led to three doors, and on the opposite end of the room there was yet another hall leading to one more door. Nenemé opened the door to the three rooms,

"There's junk in these rooms, but they do have beds. You won't have to worry about gettin' kicked tonight, Syre," Nenemé winked.

Syre quickly shot a glance at Maron and scrunched her face. Maron turned his back and paced the room while reading his book.

A few hours passed by as the group got comfortable in their new living situation. Nenemé made herself a drink behind the bar while Maron sat on the piano bench and read his book. Syre sat on one of the bar stools, swiveling side to side on the seat. Kasside walked down the second hallway to the fourth door and attempted to twist the knob,

"Hey Nenemé, this door is locked. What's in here?"

"It's probably just a closet or something," Nenemé shrugged.

Suddenly, they heard the sounds of the front doors being unlocked and opened. Footsteps climbed the stairs as they waited in anticipation.

"I see you guys found the rooms," Greg said as he emerged from the final turn of the staircase.

"Yep, we're all set," Nenemé responded.

"Good," he said. "Do you guys want to see something cool?"

They crowded around as Greg unlocked the door and opened it wide, revealing a staircase.

They walked up the stairs to the third story and into a room with wooden floors. The room was wide and had glass cases lining the walls. Each case contained a different item, and the stands that the cases rested on were branded with the word _Cataview_.

"These are just a few things I've picked up in my years at Cataview," Greg said. "This one is my favorite."

Greg approached one of the cases and opened the lid. He removed two straps, each with a small block of metal attached to the center. He secured the straps over his hands so that the metal blocks were in his palms, and then he placed his hands about 12 inches from each other with the blocks facing inward. Slowly, particles from the blocks began to break away and swirl around between his hands, suspended in the air. The particles formed a metal mass, and pedals began to sprout from a metal stem.

A silver rose floated between his hands, rotating counterclockwise like a ballerina in a music box. He lifted his hands as Nenemé, Syre, and Kasside stared in awe at the small flower. He then swiftly pulled his hands apart, and the particles quickly retreated back to the straps, reforming the blocks.

"That's amazing," Syre said.

"Isn't it? These are the kinds of things I would have loved as a kid," Greg said.

"You wouldn't happen to know the use of the magnetic chairs your company has in production, would you?" Maron asked from across the room.

Greg furrowed his brow, "I'm not sure. It doesn't sound familiar, but that's not really my department."

"Where do you sleep?" Kasside asked.

"My room is up here, through that door over there," he replied. "You know, you can sleep in my room if you want to, Nemy."

"That won't be necessary. She's staying in my room," Maron quickly stated.

"I see," he said. "Well, have a good night, guys. Feel free to use the pool if you want to." Greg walked up the stairs to the third floor, "I have an extra pair of trunks from a few years ago that might fit you, Maron."

### Chapter X: Nation of Segregation

The sun—beaming. The mood—relaxed. Two days went by as the group struggled to create a suitable strategy for their task at hand. Kasside and Syre sat out by the poolside, lounging in reclining chairs and taking advantage of the borrowed resources. Nenemé and Maron sat in the kitchen, looking out toward the pool.

"So, what are we going to do about Aero?" Nenemé asked.

"I'll think of something. There has to be a way to track him, otherwise Veret entrusting us with this task was a waste of his time and ours. I just hope my bag is still in his possession when we find him," Maron replied. "My worry at the moment is that Veret recognized us, even with the dyes. We may have to come up with better disguises if we are going to be venturing into enemy territory, so to speak."

Maron paused for a few moments and closed his book in his hand. He pushed open the sliding glass door and stepped out to where Kasside and Syre were relaxing, "Syre, get up," he commanded.

"You mean, 'Syre, _please_ get up'?" she said.

"Syre, please get up," Maron said.

"What's up?" Syre asked as she stood up, shading her face from the sun.

"We are running out of time, and you possess an essential skill for our survival," Maron replied. "It's time you learn."

"Not this again. Maron, I've told you before, it's not possible," she argued.

"What about paper? Can you warp with paper?" Maron asked.

He ripped two pages from his book and tossed them into the air. The pages began to expand and reshape, taking the form of bodies.

"These fine gentlemen are going to grab you. When they do, I want you to warp away," Maron said.

"Fine," Syre agreed.

"Maron, I get it, you aren't used to getting stumped on a plan and you need something to accomplish, but pushing her past her limits isn't the answer," Kasside said.

"It's all right, Kasside," Syre said.

The paper bodies took hold of one of her arms each. Syre immediately warped to the opposite end of the pool, taking them with her.

"Good. Now, we are going to try it again, but this time with Kasside," Maron said.

Syre sighed and warped back to Maron. The paper men released her and Kasside stepped forward. Kasside lightly grabbed Syre's arm. She closed her eyes and tightened her muscles, and light began to flicker from her body as she became transparent for milliseconds at a time.

"I can't," Syre said, out of breath.

"Nenemé?" Maron called out.

Nenemé came out of the kitchen and to the pool. She approached Syre and handed her a white headband.

"Put it on over your eyes," Maron said.

"It's clean," Nenemé assured her.

Syre blindfolded herself with the headband as instructed.

"Good. Now, we're going to do this again with the paper," Maron said.

Syre felt a paper hand grab her arm and hold on tightly. She tightened her muscles and attempted to warp. "I can't."

"Why are you so afraid?" Maron asked.

"I don't know, I just can't," she said.

"It's only paper, Syre," Maron replied.

Syre clenched her eyes and began to grind her teeth as her body trembled. Her hair began to pulse with a glow of pink light and her body continued to flash rapidly.

" _I said I can't!_ "

At that moment, there was a single bright flash and Syre disappeared, reappearing over the pool and splashing into the water. As she came up to the surface, she looked over and saw Kasside in the water next to her with a piece of paper wrapped around his hand.

"You're an Alchen—your power is limitless," Maron said, taking a swift exit and heading back inside.

Kasside smiled at Syre as he playfully splashed water into her face.

After a few minutes, Syre dried off and went back inside the house. She found Maron sitting in the living room with a piece of chalk, drawing on a glass table.

"Can I join you?" she asked.

Maron nodded as she sat down on the couch across from him.

"I apologize, Syre," he said.

"For what?" she asked.

"Kasside was right. I am sorry I pushed you, but I am not accustomed to failure," he replied.

"No, you haven't failed. If anything, I was the failure," she said. "You were right, and I'm really grateful that you pushed me. I feel like I can do anything now. You really believed that I could do it."

Maron put the chalk down as he finished his drawing.

"I don't know if you should be drawing on Greg's table," Syre said.

"He said to make ourselves at home," Maron responded.

"What is that?" she asked.

"An infusion circle. It allows me to create more alchemy stones and infused chalk for later use," he answered. "Put out your hand."

Syre put her hand over the circle as Maron removed a stone from his pocket.

"Where do you keep finding those black rocks?" she asked.

"These stones are made with a concoction of different metals and materials, and another circle is needed for that," Maron said. "This process is not an easy one." Maron placed the stone in the center of the circle, "Do you want to try infusion?"

"What do I do?" she asked.

"Relax and let your alchenergy connect. It should be natural, not forced," he said. "Just as the feeling of warping is now second nature to you, so should the feeling of connection be."

"Do I connect to the stone or the circle?" she asked.

"Both," he said. "You, the circle, and the stone share a single energy. You are the source that lends its power to the circle so that it may trade it to the stone. Treat them with respect, as if they were living objects, and they will respond to you."

Syre closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She held her hand steadily over the stone as the circle began to glow with white light. The stone then began to light up from the inside, producing a red-violet glow. The chalk circle lifted up from the table, spec by spec, and suddenly disappeared into the air. Syre opened her eyes and saw the glowing stone on the table,

"I did it?"

"Yes, you did. You're a quick learner when you're willing to try," Maron said as he inspected the stone. He handed Syre the stone and smiled lightly, "Now I have to teach you diffusion."

The next day, Kasside, Syre, and Nenemé sat in the living room, watching shows and taste-testing everything they could find in the pantry and the refrigerator.

"Where's Maron?" Syre asked.

"He's outside, still moping about not having a plan," Nenemé answered. "I tried to get him to come inside, but he's as stubborn as ever. He'll never accomplish anything out there."

"I'm going to ask him if he wants to join us," Syre said.

"Good luck," Kasside responded.

Syre made her way outside and walked over to the stoop where Maron was reading his book. The air was cold and white specs were slowly falling from the sky and blanketing the ground.

"It's actually snowing," Syre said as she sat next to Maron. "To think we were in the water yesterday."

"The weather is extremely temperamental compared to the years before the war," Maron replied.

Syre stared up at the sky as it cast its snowy spell. A single bird flew overhead and perched itself on a house across the street. The bird was black and had an iridescent coat that shimmered blue and green in the light. Its eyes were completely red, and its tail was large and spread like a deck of cards.

"Look at that bird over there. It's beautiful," Syre said.

"It's a great-tailed grackle, commonly called 'the devil bird'. They are some of the only non-human animals that naturally produce alchenergy, which I suppose would technically make them Alchens as well," Maron said. "I'm surprised to see one out here right now, and by itself, nonetheless."

"I vaguely remember learning about those. Come to think of it, I've seen a few of them since we left the academy," Syre said.

Maron's head shot up quickly and his eyes widened. He began wildly searching through the pages of his book and scanning each page with his finger. He stopped and took an alchemy stone out from his coat pocket.

"Maron, are you all right?" she asked.

He stood up, "Syre, I need you to do something for me."

A few minutes later, Maron came inside the house and sat down on the couch near Nenemé and Kasside.

"This Aero guy is all over the news," Nenemé said. "People are claiming to see him all over the place. He has tons of supporters."

"Did Syre finally convince you to come inside, Maron?" Kasside asked.

"Yes, she did," Maron replied.

"Where is she?" Nenemé asked.

"She's running an errand for me," he said.

"Running an errand in this district by herself?" Kasside asked. "Are you insane?"

"Calm yourself, Kasside. Her eyes and hair have been re-dyed and she's wearing a hood. No one will spot her in the snow," Maron assured him.

"Why didn't you tell us first? I could have gone with her," Kasside said.

"No, you would only attract attention that way," he replied. "Trust me, Kasside, I'll explain everything when the time comes."

"How will we know if somethin' happened to her?" Nenemé asked.

"We'll know if she doesn't come back, and she will come back," Maron said.

Approximately one hour later, the doors opened up. Kasside and Nenemé stood up from their seats and turned to look.

"It's crazy out there. Did you guys go out in the snow at all?" Greg said as he entered the house, brushing snow from his shoulders and removing his hood.

Kasside and Nenemé sighed and sat back down. Maron remained on the couch reading his book.

" 'Hello Greg, nice to see you,' " Greg said.

"Sorry, we're waiting for Syre to get back," Nenemé replied.

"Get back from where?" he asked.

"Maron sent her out on an 'errand' over an hour ago," Kasside explained.

"So, you actually found him?" Greg asked, turning to Maron.

"And what do you know about 'him,' Gregory?" Maron asked.

"Nothing, but you sent the warper girl out on her own in the snow, so I figure you have some sort of lead on the guy," Greg shrugged.

Maron stretched out his shoulders and tilted his neck side to side, "It's possible. We won't know until Syre returns."

"You found Aero? Why wouldn't you tell us that?" Kasside asked.

"Because, I didn't want to create false hope," Maron said. "It's a low chance, if anything at all. If I'm right, we will leave first thing tomorrow morning."

A few moments later, the doors opened with Syre standing behind them, shivering in the cold with a red nose and snow coating her clothing. Kasside, Maron, Nenemé, and Greg crowded the doorway, waiting for her to speak.

"I found him."

Syre walked into the kitchen and removed her coat. Kasside followed behind her and pulled her aside,

"Are you crazy? Do you want to end up like Yallu, or worse?"

"Maron asked me to do a favor and I did it," she shrugged.

"Well, do me a favor and let me know before you guys have another crazy idea. I can't believe he let you do that." Kasside shook his head in his hand.

"Is it so hard to believe that he trusted me to do something?" she asked.

"That's not what I meant ... it's just that Yallu—"

"I'm not Yallu, Kasside," she responded. "I'm sorry she got caught, but it was her own fault. I'm not as naïve as I look."

Kasside slowly nodded and exited the kitchen with his hands in his pockets.

The next morning, they packed their belongings and filled the trunk of Nenemé's car in preparation of their departure.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Maron asked.

"We're ready. Kasside is sleeping in the car already," Syre said.

"Hey, wait up," Greg said as he came to the porch.

"Yes, Gregory?" Maron asked.

"Let me come with you guys," he said. "I know you think I'm just some rich corporate snob, but I can help you. This guy has been terrorizing my home, and I'll do whatever you say if it helps stop him. Ask Nenemé, I can handle myself in tough situations."

"The last person who told us that got hauled away in a truck," Maron warned. "You can sit in the back of the car with Syre and Kasside. I won't be responsible for anything that happens to you."

"I understand," Greg smiled.

They made their way down the slippery roads, passing by building after gargantuan building and pedestrian families that walked cheerfully down the sidewalks, unfazed by the weather.

"Make a right up here," Syre instructed.

"So, explain the plan to me again," Nenemé said.

"We find where Aero is hiding, wait for him to leave if he's there, wait for him to return if he's not, and then we capture him and call Veret," Maron explained.

"I'm not getting the part where we let him leave and hope he comes back, love," Nenemé said.

"If Aero still has my bag, it probably won't be left unguarded for long," Maron said. "When we are sure Aero is gone, we wait for him to return and take him down."

"You really think that'll work? CROSS has been chasing this guy for a long time," Greg said. "What makes you think he'll fall for it?"

"We're not CROSS," Maron answered.

They drove for a few more miles as Syre directed every turn. Nenemé pulled the car inside a lot connected to a grassed park.

"You're sure, Syre?" Maron asked.

"I'm sure," she answered.

A group of kids were laughing and playing nearby, throwing snow at each other and slipping as they ran away. Syre began walking through the park with the others following close behind. As they reached the edge of the grass, they were met by a chain-linked fence. Warning signs regarding wildlife and injuries from hazardous heights were posted along the fence. Just beyond, there were train tracks next to a steep hill.

Kasside equipped his blade and swiftly cut the fence in a downward motion. The each climbed through the fence and made their way over the wooden train tracks that were resting underneath the light blanket of snow.

"A train in a park?" Kasside asked.

"It's for tours," Greg replied. "Most people aren't brave enough to cut the fence open, so it's pretty safe."

Just beyond the tracks, there was a small trail surrounded by brown and orange rocks of all sizes that continued up the hill. Syre led them up the trail and around the rocks and plants.

"I have, like, ten rocks in my shoe already. Where is this place?" Kasside asked.

"Just up ahead," Syre answered.

They came upon a flat surface after a few brief minutes of climbing. The dirt was wet and stuck to the bottoms of their shoes as they walked. Trees covered the area and prevented most of the snowfall from reaching the ground. Birds and small animals scurried across the treetops and away from the human visitors. Through the trees, a small cabin could be seen.

"This is as far as I went. I didn't want to get caught," Syre said.

"That was wise, although I don't see any traps or security measures set up so far. Stay alert until we're sure Aero isn't here," Maron said.

They quietly made their way around the side of the cabin. A collection of tall rocks hid them from view.

"Why wouldn't Aero have any security?" Greg asked.

"If you came up here and saw a cabin, you'd think nothing of it. If you came up here and saw bear traps and armed guards, however, you might be tempted to tell someone," Maron said.

"Good point," Nenemé said.

"In any case, there doesn't appear to be anyone home. Syre, can you warp inside and unlock the door for us? Only after making sure that the cabin is empty, of course," Maron said.

"I'll go with her," Kasside said.

"I'll go, too," Greg said.

"No, just Kasside and Syre," Maron quickly replied. "Syre only just learned to warp with multiple people, so we can't strain her by bringing too many along at once."

Syre and Kasside crept alongside the cabin and moved cautiously toward the back entrance. Kasside peered through a dusty, fingerprint-stained window and scanned the inside for signs of life.

"Looks clear. You sure Aero lives here? It's kind of dull," he commented.

"I'm positive," Syre replied.

They locked hands and were gone in a flash, reappearing on the other side of the window inside the cabin.

Kasside stumbled, trying to catch his balance, "I think I'm gonna throw up."

"You get used to it," Syre smiled.

They combed each room carefully and as quietly as the squeaking wooden floors would allow. The cabin appeared uninhabited and had no appliances installed. The air was thick and smelled of rotting animal carcasses. Several insects buzzed around the rooms, searching for an exit.

"All clear," Kasside said.

Syre unlatched the lock on the back door and opened it carefully. She waved the rest of the group over as they stayed crouched and moved toward her. They each entered through the door as Nenemé took watch by the front windows.

"We might not have a lot of time, so search for anything that stands out or points to Aero being here," Maron said.

Each person searched a room, finding nothing but discarded clothing and piles of trash.

"I think we've got the wrong place," Greg said.

"No. This is it," Maron replied.

Maron removed a dark rock from his coat pocket. He held it near the floor and took slow steps around the cabin. The rock began to glow from the inside, turning the rock completely red. Maron stopped and placed the rock on the wooden floorboards. A few feet away, a orange light sprouted out of the ground and revealed a symbol.

"What is that?" Greg asked.

"An assimilation circle," Maron answered. "They are generally used to hide something that is otherwise easily detectable. The fact that I was able to find it tells me the alchemist was either an amateur, or in a hurry."

A long line of orange light was connected to the circle along the floor. Maron stepped carefully around it and followed it for a few feet to the center of the room. A portion of the wood looked uneven and discolored. Maron placed his hand down to the floor with a flat palm, and a red circle appeared around his hand on the wooden boards. The circle quickly changed from red to yellow as Maron removed his hand.

"Another protection circle?" Kasside asked.

"Yes, to a hatch of some kind," Maron answered.

"You can open it, right?" Syre asked.

"Possibly, but it will take me a while to figure out exactly how," Maron responded. "Protection circles are specially designed to respond to a certain alchenergy. They are like locks and the alchemist is the passcode. I highly doubt this circle will respond to my alchenergy like the last."

"You might want to figure it out now, because someone's headed this way," Nenemé warned.

"Hide," Maron commanded.

Syre warped away as the rest found separate hiding places around the cabin. Kasside hid behind an opened door and stayed as still as he could. The front door handle began to turn as someone unlocked it from the outside. A familiar hooded figure slowly entered the cabin as Kasside watched through the space between his door and the wall. Heavy footsteps came toward him and stopped just outside the room. The figure knelt down to the floor next to the protection circle. Kasside tilted his head as far as he could but only managed to see part of a white CROSS mask. The hatch was pulled open from the floor and more heavy footsteps were heard going down a staircase.

Kasside spotted Maron's eyes peeking out of a closet across from him. After catching Kasside's attention, Maron began silently mouthing words, making an effort to move his mouth slowly. Kasside shook his head in confusion.

"Where's Greg?" Maron whispered.

Kasside tilted his head in the other direction, but he could not see him. Kasside shrugged as Maron took a deep breath and sighed.

The footsteps began coming back up the stairs and they became silent once more. The figure reemerged from the hatch and walked back toward the front door. Aero began to turn the knob, but was suddenly tackled to the ground.

"I got him!" Greg shouted as he struggled to pin Aero down.

Aero kicked Greg away and quickly recovered from the attack. Aero grabbed Greg's arm and twisted it behind his back, tripping him with a sweeping kick and sending him to the ground. Maron emerged from his hiding place and walked briskly toward the brawl, carrying a Numb Bug device. Aero turned and looked at Maron, then took a few steps back and looked toward the front door.

"You hesitated," Maron said, pressing a button on the device and dropping to his knees.

Aero's body began shaking, fighting the paralysis. After a few seconds, Aero finally gave in and dropped as well.

"Kasside?" Maron called out.

Kasside and Nenemé came out of hiding and ran toward Maron's voice. Kasside pulled his arm back as the stone in the Mercyblade began to glow. He struck Aero's mask, cracking the mask and sending Aero flying into the wall. The window was smashed into pieces as Aero crashed down to the floor. Kasside was sent backward across the room, out of range of the Numb Bug.

"The hatch, Kasside," Maron said.

Kasside got up and ran over to the hatch. He attempted to pry the wood back, pounding his fists in frustration as the alchemy circle began to glow red in protest of his attempt,

"It's locked." He stood up when the hatch suddenly began to open.

"How are you so bad at this?" Syre said as she emerged from the hatch, sticking out her tongue.

Kasside smiled and sighed in relief.

"Kasside," Maron called out once more.

"It's all right, it's just Syre. She opened the hatch," Kasside told him.

"No, Kasside, I think it's your sister," Maron said.

Kasside furrowed his brow and walked back toward the rest of the group, "What about my sister?"

On the floor, a girl with fair skin and shoulder length black hair in a hooded trench coat was lying unconscious. A cracked CROSS mask was on the ground next to her. Maron knelt over her body and stared intently at Kasside.

Kasside's eyes widened and a befuddled look fell upon him, "Rho?"

### Chapter XI: Misguiding Mirrors

The bodies—still. The eyes—locked. Not a single bird flew overhead or dared to leave its nest into the cold, unpredictable world. Kasside gazed in silence at the unconscious woman on the floor in front of him. Maron and Greg struggled to get to their feet after the Numb Bug had been deactivated.

"Aero's your sister?" Greg asked.

"I didn't know," Kasside said lowly.

"Why would she do this, Kasside?" Nenemé asked.

"I don't know," he answered.

Maron picked up the cracked mask from the floor and inspected it closely.

"Hey wait," Greg said, "did you take that Numb Bug from my house?"

"I borrowed it. I figured you wouldn't have lent it to me." Maron threw the device to Greg.

"You're damn right I wouldn't have," he said, inspecting the little black box.

Syre knelt down to check on the woman. Just as she did, the woman's skin began to change pigment and her body began to reshape itself.

"Guys?" Syre said, stepping away.

The woman's hair changed to yellow and red and she began to groan softly.

"Tethia?" Nenemé said.

"It is Tethia," Kasside said in astonishment.

"I have never been more confused in my entire life," Greg said. "Is that another sister of yours?"

"She's his girlfriend," Maron plainly replied.

"Kind of," Syre added.

"Right, of course," Greg said, placing his hand on his head and walking out of the room.

"Tie her up," Maron ordered.

"What? Why? It's Tethia, Maron," Kasside argued.

"Kasside, she stole my bag. Tie her up," he repeated.

They removed Tethia's coat and placed her in a rickety chair. Nenemé tied her to the chair with discarded and broken wires found in the cabin.

"I still don't agree with this. What are you planning to do with her?" Kasside asked.

"Syre, was my bag down in that hatch?" Maron asked.

Syre nodded her head.

"Then we are going to get some answers," he responded.

Kasside and Nenemé paced the room while Syre and Maron waited quietly on the kitchen countertop for Tethia to regain consciousness. Greg sat on the floor and nursed his arm that had been twisted during the fight. After a few minutes of anticipation, they each crowded around as Tethia lifted her head and groaned, finally opening her fire-colored eyes to find herself bound to a chair.

She looked down at her body, then up at the five pairs of eyes staring back at her, "Kasside?"

"What are you doing with my bag, Tethia?" Maron asked.

"You ... this is your fault!" Tethia growled at Maron.

"What are you doing with my bag?" Maron asked again.

"Where is Rho? How do you know my sister?" Kasside questioned.

Tethia took a few deep breaths and looked down at the scuffed floor, "How did you find me?"

"We followed a bird," Maron said. "A great-tailed grackle, to be exact. I'm upset that I did not see it earlier, but once I had figured it out, it made sense."

Kasside, Nenemé, and Greg turned to Maron.

"The great-tailed grackle leaves a small trail of alchenergy wherever it goes, and CROSS understands not to waste their time following these false alarms. More importantly, perhaps, is that they do not often travel alone," Maron explained. "Once I figured out how we were being followed, it was easy enough for Syre to use a revelation stone to find the trail, and then use the trail as a cover for her own alchenergy, back to your hideout."

"You had a paranoid hunch, so you followed a bird?" Greg scoffed.

"Not a bird—a shape shifter," Maron replied.

"Tethia can only shift into people," Kasside said.

"Is that so?" Maron asked, looking at Tethia.

Tethia looked away as her eyes began to water.

"If that's true, why not just do it now? Turn into a bird and fly away, if you can," Kasside said.

"She can't, not while constricted," Maron interrupted. "While it is a useful gift, her clothes do not follow her when she transforms, which may be uncomfortable without an extra pair of clothes wherever she ends up, to put it lightly."

"Don't listen to a word he says!" Tethia roared.

"Tethia, just tell me what's going on," Kasside pled.

"He's been using you this entire time, and I've been trying to save you," she cried out.

"Tethia, how do you know Rho?" Kasside asked.

"It's ... complicated," she responded.

"We've got time," he said.

Tethia sighed and readjusted herself in the chair, looking outside through the broken window to the trees where the birds were resting comfortably.

"When I was younger, my dad and I were on the run from some people that he owed money to. He could change his skin tone, hair color, and eye color, but they recognized him anyway. We were on a train when they found him ... I was hiding, disguised as one of the passengers. I got off the train and I was lost," Tethia said.

"What does this have to do with Rho?" Kasside asked.

"I'm getting to that. I found a babysitting job and the parents gave me a room. Their youngest was an Alchen and the kid ended up killing his older brother right in front of me. I ran for my life, trying to find someone for help. That's when I saw this woman, this CROSS woman, and she followed me back to the house where the parents had gotten home, and been killed. Your sister took me in, even after she found out what I was. We were able to convince CROSS that I was older, and she even made fake documents for me so that I could join. She told me that I reminded her of you, Kasside. She loved and missed you so much."

"Loved?" Kasside asked after a few moments.

"We were in New York and our presider ordered us to kill a group of rogue Alchens, but your sister refused. When the presider pointed his gun at the Alchens, Rho pointed her gun at him," Tethia said as tears streamed down her face. "The rest of our group turned on Rho and pointed their guns at her. I shot and killed the presider. By the time we were able to find cover while the Alchens fought off the rest of our group, she had already been hit multiple times. She told me where to find you, Kasside. She asked me to watch over you and protect you, so I left and enrolled at West Halnec to find you. I'm so sorry," she wept.

Kasside covered his mouth with his hand and put his back against the wall, sliding down to sit. The room became quiet as they each hung their heads.

"How old are you?" Kasside asked quietly.

"What?" Tethia asked.

"How old are you, really?" he asked louder.

"Twenty-two," Tethia sighed.

"So, everything was a lie then?" Kasside asked.

"No, not everything," Tethia answered. "Kasside, I promise you, I really loved you. I still do," Tethia said.

"Don't lie to me," Kasside growled.

"I'm not, I swear," Tethia cried.

"Then why didn't you come with us?" Kasside asked.

" _Because of him!_ " she said, looking at Maron.

Maron came down from the countertop and closed his book in his hands.

"Kasside, listen to me, Maron is not who you think he is. He has been lying to you from the start," Tethia said.

"An interesting accusation, coming from someone in your position," Maron remarked.

"He's been stringing you along for years. He never tells you the extent of what he knows. He's only trying to save himself and has never cared about anyone else," she told him.

"You're lying. Maron has saved us all on multiple occasions," Nenemé intervened.

"You've been lying for just as long, Nenemé," Tethia responded.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Syre said.

"Don't think you aren't part of his plan," Tethia said to Syre.

"That's enough, Tethia," Maron said.

"I bet he also told you he didn't know what the Moonstruck were," Tethia said.

"Moonstruck?" Greg said with a raised eyebrow.

Kasside and Syre sharply turned to Maron.

"I said it's enough," Maron scolded.

"Kasside, I only want to save you," Tethia said. "Maron threatened me ... he said that if I told you the truth that he would make sure I never saw you again."

"The truth about what, Tethia? Save me from what?" Kasside asked.

A piece of off-white paper flew up and wrapped itself over Tethia's mouth. Maron stood perfectly straight in front of her with his book opened in one hand. Tethia struggled to mumble discernible language through the sheet.

"No,"—Kasside pushed Maron's shoulder—"let her talk."

"I will not stand idly by while she fills your heads with nonsense," Maron stated. "We have too much to risk and too little time to be dealing with such a delirious and untrustworthy source. Everything I have told you, and everything I haven't told you, has kept us alive for as long as we've known each other. Do not be swayed by a familiar face and voice."

"I don't mean to be a drag, but you'd better turn Aero in," Greg suggested.

"Her name's Tethia, and we're not doing anything until we figure this out," Kasside said.

"Who cares? She's a criminal and a murderer," Greg argued.

"No, Kass is right. We know Tethia and we should think about this before gettin' CROSS involved," Nenemé said.

Over the next few minutes, they whispered among themselves while Greg paced around the porch outside. Tethia stayed motionless in the chair with her head aimed at the floorboards. Her mask was on the floor and shined with reflected light that penetrated through the trees and in through the window.

"Wait, if she could change into a bird, how did you know she wouldn't just do that and run away?" Syre asked.

"The windows had all been closed shut. I guessed that she would have transformed before leaving the cabin or before returning so as not to be seen, meaning she would need a way to exit without using the door, and I saw no chimney," Maron explained.

"So, what do we do? If we don't call Veret, we may never see Yallu again, and if we do call Veret, we may never see Tethia again," Kasside said.

"We should speak to Presider Impyo," Maron suggested.

"I don't think he's interested in speaking with us," Kasside said.

"It won't be voluntary," Maron said. "Syre, can you warp Tethia into the hatch without removing her from the chair?"

Syre stared at Tethia for a few seconds, and then at the opened hatch door, "I think so."

"We'll meet you down there," he said.

Down in the hatch, there was a small unmade bed and a few cases of food and water, along with Maron's stolen bag. File folders were stacked on a small desk with excess paper leaking out of them. Syre warped inside the hatch with a flash of light, holding on to Tethia's shoulder as the two appeared in the center of the room. The rest of the group came down the steps and crowded around Tethia.

Over the next few minutes, Maron devised his plan as they perfected their strategy.

Kasside removed the small device Veret had given him in order to find their location, "What if he brings a team? What if this doesn't work?" he asked hesitantly.

"He will be alone. Whatever it is he wants with Aero, he obviously doesn't want the rest of CROSS to know about it," Maron said.

"Here goes nothing," Kasside said. He pressed a button on the side of the device and entered the numbers 7843 on the keypad as instructed.

"Be ready," Maron said.

Approximately one hour later, Nenemé and Maron were standing just outside the wooded area of the flat hilltop beyond the cabin. A lengthy figure with light hair and an open coat climbed the trail toward them. He reached the top, making a beeline toward Maron without blinking his hateful green eyes. His face looked rough and was no longer clean-shaven, and his hair was unkempt and sprawled out like wild flames on the back of his head.

"Where is he?" Veret asked.

"Tied to a tree a few yards away. Where is Yallu?" Maron asked.

"Safe. I will have her let go once I have Aero," Veret said.

Maron and Nenemé turned back toward the cabin and led Veret through the trees. Up ahead, there was a hooded figure wearing a cracked mask, bound to the trunk of a tree with rope.

"How did you find him?" Veret inquired.

"We were hiding out in this cabin when he found us," Nenemé answered. "He put up a good fight, but there were too many of us."

"Where are your other group members?" he asked.

"They're inside, recovering from the fight," Maron said.

Veret's heart began to race and his breathing became heavy as he approached. He slowly stretched out his sweating hand to grab the mask from the vigilante's face, inching closer with his fingers as if about to touch a delicate explosive. His hand finally reached the mask gripped down tightly. Veret pulled the mask up in one swift motion, revealing a female face. Veret examined the face with a surprised expression, staring at two violet colored eyes.

"Got him," Syre said as the rope fell from around her, unfolding into flat sheets of paper. She latched on to Veret's arm with her hand and warped away in an instant.

"Let's go," Maron said to Nenemé as they hurried back inside the cabin.

Nenemé and Maron rushed down into the hatch, where Kasside and Veret were standing a few feet from each other, watching each other with an unbreakable stare. Tethia's eyes darted between Kasside and Veret as she began mumbling against the paper over her mouth.

"Kasside, are you all right?" Maron asked.

"Yeah, I've got him, but I don't know how long I'll be able to hold him like this. He's fighting me," Kasside answered.

"Can you give him somethin' else? An illusion that'll knock him out?" Nenemé asked.

"Not him," Kasside said. "Besides, I don't want to use too much alchenergy. Won't CROSS come looking for him?"

"Unlikely. He was smart enough to leave his trackers at home," Maron said.

"You're making a huge mistake," Veret said as he fought to move his mouth.

"We'll see," Maron said. Maron placed Veret in a chair and used salvaged wires and cords to restrain him. "Someone should take watch outside and let us know if someone is coming," he suggested.

"I'll go. I don't know who the hell this guy is and I don't care to find out," Greg said, walking back up the stairs.

"You've doomed yourselves and your friend, I hope you realize," Veret said calmly.

"I can only realize what I can see, and what I see is that you are desperate. So desperate, in fact, that you blackmailed a group of kids into doing your job," Maron said.

"I was offering you peace. Aero is a nuisance and must be stopped," Veret responded.

"Except you asked us to bring her alive, and here she is. Presider Impyo, meet Aero," Maron said, gesturing to Tethia.

Tethia stared at Veret angrily from her chair on the other end of the room.

Veret examined her with a look of disbelief and concern, "It can't be her."

"I assure you, it is. However, before we decide whether or not to hand her over to you, you are going to answer our questions," Maron said.

"Why should I answer you?" Veret asked.

"Because, you're sick, and we might be able to help you get better," Maron said. Maron grabbed one of the belts tied around Veret's arm and removed it, throwing it to the ground. He proceeded to do the same thing to his other arm, tossing the belt aside and watching as Veret's breathing became heavy. "How long can you last like this, Presider? A few hours? A few minutes?" Maron asked.

"Maron, what are you doing?" Nenemé asked.

"Veret is an Alchen," Maron said. "I noticed that he cut his own hand before using his blade, and his victims died almost immediately. His hand also has multiple scars. This means either he is immune to the poison, or he produces it. These belts allow a restricted amount of blood to pass to and from his hands, where I assume the poison originates, or else he would have already died. It would appear he is only somewhat immune to his own poison. Feel free to correct me, Presider."

Veret's skin tone started to become yellow and his eyes turned bloodshot. He began to salivate and his body twitched as he struggled.

Maron grabbed one of the belts from the floor and replaced it over Veret's left arm, "Why do you really want to capture Aero?" he asked.

"A man hired me to capture Aero and get the prisms in return for the Arcrone. You might want to talk to her about that, if she is who you say she is," Veret told them, gesturing with his head toward Tethia.

"The Arcrone?" Syre asked.

Maron removed the page from Tethia's mouth and pulled two prisms out of his coat pocket, displaying them in his palm, "Where are you keeping the rest?"

"He's lying, I don't have any prisms," Tethia said.

"Someone has prisms and no one is leaving until I know where they are," Maron demanded.

"Put my other strap back on and I'll tell you," Veret said, his voice slightly shaking.

Maron obliged and replaced the other belt over Veret's arm.

Veret took a deep breath and sighed in relief as his color returned to normal, "I only know of one, and it is going to be auctioned off tomorrow," he said. "The daft imbeciles that run this island have no idea of their value, and it will probably be bought by some prewar collector before you can get your filthy hands on it. I was planning on tracking the buyer from there, but it looks like I'll have to find other means."

"Where's the auction?" Syre asked.

"A judge named Harold Chams is hosting the party and auction tomorrow evening at his house in Platinum Shores, where hatred for Alchens is so great that even I am not allowed within ten yards of the house," Veret told them. "You will not be welcomed warmly, and you will not receive mercy like I have shown you."

" 'Mercy.' " Nenemé scoffed.

"What the hell is the Arcrone?" Syre asked.

"The Arcrone is an alchemy stone, said to be formed from collecting various prisms," Maron responded. "It is said to be able to give or take away alchenergy, indefinitely."

"Is that what CROSS is doing to all those captured Alchens—taking away their alchenergy?" Syre questioned.

"CROSS has very limited information. Even if they could make the Arcrone, they wouldn't use it on Alchens," Veret replied.

"Why not?" Nenemé asked.

"Because, without us, CROSS is unnecessary," Maron answered.

At that moment, Greg came down the stairs of the hatch. "A CROSS soldier is here," he said calmly.

"What? How is that possible?" Nenemé asked.

"What did you do?" Maron asked Veret.

"I've been tied to a chair for twenty minutes," Veret replied. "Like you said, I don't have any trackers."

They readied their stances as a pair of armored legs came down the stairs and into the hatch. The masked soldier got to the bottom of the stairs with his weapon in hand and looked around the room. Kasside began running at the soldier and Nenemé aimed her guns.

" _Wait!_ " the soldier cried out, dropping his weapon and lifting his hands.

Kasside stopped moving and struck a look of confusion.

The soldier removed his mask and took a deep breath, putting his hand over his face as he wiped away the sweat, "Can't breathe in those things."

"Leo! Long time no see," Nenemé said.

"Leo? What are you doing here?" Kasside asked.

"I overheard a call about some Alchens up here. I figured it was you guys from the description and got here as fast as I could," Leo answered. He took a look around the room with a puzzled stare, "Why is Tethia tied up?"

"Tethia is Aero," Maron answered.

" _What?_ " Leo spouted.

"It's true," Syre said.

Leo began to laugh, "All this time I thought Aero was out to kill me," he said. "Also, aren't you a presider?" he asked Veret.

"Don't worry, Entry, I am not going to tattle on you, as long as you keep your mouth shut, too," Veret replied.

Tethia kept her head down as Veret calmly sat in his chair. Maron looked up the staircase to make sure no one else was coming down.

"You guys should get out before more soldiers show up," Leo said.

"If Veret didn't call them, how did they find us?" Nenemé asked.

"I called them," Greg announced.

"Why would you do that?" Syre asked.

"Are you really asking me that? You are criminals, all of you. And now I've captured Aero, a group of rogue Alchen murderers, and saved a presider," Greg said.

"Greg, why?" Nenemé asked.

"Because, you and your demonic friends deserve to rot in a cell for the rest of your lives. You were a crazy bitch back then and you're a crazy bitch now," he said. "When will you learn that Alchens are diseased rats that are destroying our world?"

Maron walked over to Greg in a relaxed manner.

"Too late, paper boy. I gave your names to CROSS and there's no way out," Greg boasted with his arms crossed.

Maron cocked his arm backward, and then pushed his fist forward with all his might, making direct contact with Greg's cheek and sending him falling limp to the ground, unconscious.

"Never speak ill of Nenemé."

Footsteps were heard entering the cabin, and commands were being shouted to search the area.

"Hey, morons, close the hatch," Tethia said.

"There's no time," Maron said. "Syre?"

"Let's try it. What other choice do I have?" she said, shaking her head.

"In here," a voice called out from the top of the stairs.

"Hurry guys, get out," Leo whispered.

"Yes, you'd best get going," Veret warned.

"Everyone grab on to me," Syre said.

Maron grabbed his bag and they each held on to Syre as she concentrated on warping outside. The pink in her hair lit up as blue light took over their bodies. Tethia rocked in her chair as hard as she could, tipping herself over and touching her head on Kasside's arm as they vanished.

They reappeared outside near the trail on the edge of the hillside. Kasside turned around and saw Tethia beginning to tip over in her chair toward the hill. The chair fell, causing it to break apart as the pieces and her body began to roll harshly down the rocky hillside. Kasside hastily jumped on the hill and began to slide down toward her, barely keeping his balance as he reached out. Near the bottom of the hill, he finally latched on to Tethia's shirt, but her clothes fell into his hands as she vanished. A bird emerged from the neck hole of the shirt, flying away into the sky.

Kasside hit the bottom of the hill and landed near the train tracks, still clutching the shirt in his hands. A loud whistle came from the side, coming closer at a high speed as a train became visible out of the tunnel entrance. Syre warped down to Kasside and grabbed his arm, warping away mere moments before the train passed by. The train claimed the rest of Tethia's clothes and tore them apart in the tracks as Syre and Kasside reappeared on the hilltop. Kasside brushed the dirt covering his clothing and skin. He stared blankly at the torn shirt in his hand.

"You kids okay?" Nenemé asked.

"It was close, but we made it," Syre smiled.

"Kass?" Nenemé asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Kasside said.

"If everyone is alive, we need to get back to the car before CROSS and Veret catch up to us. They might be sending reinforcements," Maron said.

"I can get us there," Syre said.

They each put a single hand on Syre and disappeared in a blink of light, reappearing in the parking lot next to Nenemé's car. They quickly loaded into the car and ducked their heads down as Nenemé pulled away from the park.

"Good thing it snowed, or else this park would have been filled," Nenemé said.

"At this point, it hardly matters. If Greg was telling the truth, CROSS has our names and descriptions," Maron said.

"Sorry for that. He didn't used to be such an ass, I swear," Nenemé said.

"It's all right, but we're running out of places to stay," Maron said.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about the Arcrone or the prisms?" Syre asked.

"To be honest, we didn't know if we could trust you," Maron replied. "I am confident now that you are trustworthy, and I have been confident for a while. In hindsight, we should have told you sooner."

"For the record, I wanted to tell you a lot sooner, but I don't really understand it myself," Kasside said.

"I apologize if it upsets you, but we could use your help securing the prisms," Maron said.

"Of course I'll help, just don't keep things from me anymore," Syre responded.

"We need a way to get into that judge's auction," Nenemé said.

"Not only that, but we need to buy the prism, steal it, or convince the buyer that we need it more than they do," Maron said.

"Harry Chams," Kasside mumbled.

"What?" Syre asked.

"That's the name of the judge. He's the same judge that sent me to the academy instead of handing me over to CROSS. He and my dad were college buddies," Kasside said.

"That's good, right?" Nenemé asked.

"Maybe. If I could just talk to him for a minute, maybe he'll remember me or my dad and help us out," Kasside replied.

"You heard Veret, they don't let any Alchens in at those places," Nenemé said.

"Then we're not going as Alchens," Maron said.

### Chapter XII: Sessions

The snow—melting. The cold—fading. The scent of ocean water wafted into the car as the tall buildings from the city began to fade into the background. A cool breeze spun grains of sand in circles in the air, throwing them into the road as the grains crackled underneath the tires of the car.

"Someone wake Kass, he'll wanna see this," Nenemé said from the driver's seat.

Syre tugged at Kasside's arm lightly while his head rested upon her shoulder.

Kasside lifted his head slowly, adjusting his vision to the new light, "How long was I out?"

"A few hours," Syre replied.

"Why do I taste salt?" Kasside said, licking his lips.

"Look outside, hon," Nenemé said.

Kasside put his window down and looked outside. A cool blast of air pushed his head back as the smell of salt water overtook his nostrils. A long stretch of golden sand lay a few hundred feet away from them, and just beyond that, glistening waves were gently caressing the sand as they moved back and forth from the endless bounty of foamy blue water.

"Whoa. Can we stop and get out?" Kasside asked like a well-behaved child.

"Besides being wanted fugitives, I can't think of a good reason for why we can't," Nenemé said. "Maron?"

Maron nodded slightly without looking away from his book.

Nenemé made a turn into a parking lot that let out directly to the sand. Just behind them, short, steep mountains blocked the views and sounds of city life and provided an aesthetically pleasing and diverse landscape. They exited the car and made their way toward the water, stepping through the sand that collected in their shoes and sunk in with each step. The breeze became heavier as they resisted the cold by wrapping themselves in their coats.

The group remained quiet, staring deeply at the horizon that was composed of a plethora of colors thanks to the setting sun. Nenemé wrapped her arms around Maron and swayed side to side with her head on his shoulder. Syre clung to Kasside's arm for warmth, digging her face into his sleeve and clattering her teeth.

"It's beautiful," Nenemé said.

"Yeah, almost makes you forget about being criminals," Kasside replied.

"It's so calm and peaceful. I almost forgot what that was like," Syre said.

"Don't get too comfortable. CROSS regularly monitors the beaches, although we're most likely far enough away from the California coast that it would be unlikely for them to stop here," Maron said.

"So romantic," Nenemé mocked.

They slowly began making their way back to the car, stomping through the heavy sand as the sun set behind the mountains.

"So, what's the deal with those prisms?" Syre asked.

"The prisms appear in even ancient alchemic text, but more as a legend than a reality," Maron responded. "Not many people are aware of them, but they are mentioned several times in the notes I found. Unfortunately, I can't fully decipher the notes in their current condition."

"You don't think Veret was lying to you about the auction?" Nenemé asked.

"Perhaps, but it is the only lead we have," he said. "Even if Veret were to collect the prisms, I highly doubt he would be able to use the level of alchemy required to activate them. What worries me is the man that hired Veret, if he exists, is also searching for the prisms."

Syre and Nenemé climbed inside the car while Maron and Kasside stood on the passenger side.

"Maron, I need to know that you aren't lying to me. What did Tethia mean about saving me and you knowing about the Moonstruck?" Kasside asked.

"If I have ever lied to you, Kasside, it was purely through omission. There is information in this world that serves us better when it is unknown," he replied. "Certain truths create paranoia, and paranoia leads to mistakes. You must trust my judgment with absolute certainty, as you have done for years."

"Yeah, I trust you," Kasside said.

"And Kasside, I'm sorry about Rhoya," Maron solemnly said.

"So am I," Kasside replied.

Maron and Kasside joined Syre and Nenemé in the car.

"So, where do we go, loves?" Nenemé asked.

"Good question. You wouldn't happen to have dated a hotel owner?" Kasside asked.

"Don't make me come back there, little boy," Nenemé replied.

"What if we just stay here?" Syre asked.

"In the car?" Nenemé asked.

"Well, yeah. At least we're at the beach," Syre replied. "I haven't been to the beach in years ... I'm open to ideas."

"What about CROSS monitoring the beaches?" Kasside asked.

"No, it's actually a good idea," Maron said. "If CROSS knew about Nenemé's car, we would have been caught already, and Presider Impyo wouldn't expect us to stay in an open area that is regularly monitored. Tomorrow we'll head out to the city and see if we can find out where the judge's house is located, and perhaps pickup something to wear."

As time went on, other cars could be seen parking some yards away, starting campfires and laughing loudly as they celebrated. Kasside, Nenemé, Maron, and Syre sat on the sand, laughing while eating from their supply of food.

"So, I have a question," Syre said. "What were Kasside and Maron like as kids?"

"These two morons? They were little troublemakers," Nenemé replied.

"I believe Kasside, but you're telling me Maron actually broke the rules?" Syre asked in sarcastic surprise.

"Broke them? He beat the hell outta the rules and sent them runnin' home," Nenemé laughed. "I'll never forget, the boys were at the house one night, and I had this ceramic white dog sitting in the living room. I left for two seconds—two seconds—and when I come back, the dog isn't the right color."

"Come on, not this story," Kasside pled.

"Shush," Syre told him.

"Anyways," Nenemé continued, "I touched the dog, and sure enough—paper. The whole thing, reconstructed with paper, like I wouldn't notice those crumpled edges. Not to mention they were both behaving extremely well for some reason."

Maron smiled slightly as the rest of the group burst into laughter.

"Do you remember when we made you think Maron cut off my finger?" Kasside asked.

"Boy, don't get me started. I nearly strangled you," Nenemé replied.

"Nenemé comes home, and there's Maron, holding a knife, and there's me, holding my hand and bleeding all over the floor," Kasside laughed.

"He used a damn illusion on me. I just about ran out of the house screaming," Nenemé chuckled.

"What about you, Syre? Were you always a goody two-shoes?" Kasside asked.

"Not always. You'd be surprised at the amount of people that don't notice random things in their carts at the grocery store when you can warp," Syre laughed.

The next morning, Kasside awoke to the subtle noise of pages being turned. He found himself sprawled out in the back seat of the car with Syre's blue jacket tossed over him. Maron was the only other person in the car, sitting in the front seat as he flipped through the pages of his book.

"Where are the girls?" Kasside slurred as he brought himself upright.

"In the water," Maron said.

"Then why are you still here?" Kasside joked.

"I don't want to get the pages wet," Maron answered.

"It's okay that you can't swim, I won't say anything," Kasside laughed, opening the car door and stepping out onto the paved lot.

Kasside made his way down the beach, spotting Syre and Nenemé knee-deep in the ocean water, laughing as they attempted to keep their balance. Syre was dressed in a pearly white two-piece bathing suit, and her wet hair was tossed over her shoulder. Her large, almond-shaped eyes gleamed with a vibrant shade of indigo and her teeth sparkled as she smiled. Kasside stopped as Nenemé and Syre approached him.

"Kasside? Are you okay?" Syre asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine ... it's just, where did ... Did you bring a bathing suit with you?" he asked.

"No, Nenemé had an old one in her car that she let me borrow. I'm surprised it fits me," Syre said.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I ain't that much bigger than you, girl," Nenemé said.

"Aren't you worried about CROSS seeing you out here?" Kasside asked.

"We saw 'em go by about thirty minutes ago. It takes them a few hours to make their rounds," Nenemé said. "Don't worry so much, Kass."

"Yeah, don't be a 'Maron.' Come on, get in the water with us," Syre laughed.

"No thanks. Besides, I didn't bring a bathing suit, and I don't think one of Nenemé's extra bikinis would look very flattering on me," Kasside said.

Syre and Nenemé looked up over Kasside's shoulder. Maron was standing on the edge of the sand, signaling them to come back to the car.

"Well, that was fun while it lasted," Syre said.

"You can keep that swimsuit, Syre. You'll get more use out of it than I would anyhow," Nenemé said.

Kasside, Nenemé, and Syre hastened back up the sand to the parking lot. Maron was leaning against the car with his book in his hand,

"We need to get moving. We're running out of time to find where the auction is being held, and we still need to devise a plan to get that prism."

"Alrighty, you heard him. Let's get movin', kids," Nenemé said. "And wipe your damn feet before you get in my car."

Tall buildings reappeared as they drove down the main roads into the city. The wind outside was forceful and whistled ghostly moans as it tossed leaves and bits of trash into the air.

"There's only enough dye left for one use each. We'll need to make it count," Maron said.

"Even if we knew where the auction was and even with the dye, how are we going to get in? They could recognize us," Syre said.

"We'll have to take more drastic measures to conceal our identities," Maron said.

"No, don't say it," Kasside said, shaking his head.

"We cut our hair," Maron said.

"Can't I just wear a hat?" Kasside asked in desperation.

"No. It's one of the only things we can do to hide our identities. Had it been a masquerade, I might have reconsidered," he answered.

Only a few minutes later, they were back to civilization, cramped between buildings that denied entry to the ocean breeze. The street was filled with small shops and boutiques as a sea of pedestrians crowded the area.

Nenemé pulled the car over to the curb and parked, "You guys might want to stay in the car. There's got to be something in one of these shops that'll make you guys fit in with the high rollers," she said. She exited the car and was immediately lost from view in the herd of shopping consumers.

"What if someone spots us in the car and calls CROSS?" Syre asked.

"If you haven't noticed, the people here are not very diligent. They are much less concerned with their surroundings as they are with their schedules," Maron explained.

"Let's hope," Kasside said.

The three Alchens waited in the car for what seemed like hours, watching the busy legs dodging each other endlessly about the sidewalks. Maron stayed quiet as he flipped through his book, while Kasside and Syre sat uncomfortably in the backseat, looking over their shoulders every few seconds.

"Should we go look for her?" Kasside asked.

"No. Nenemé is resourceful and has been to this district before. It would be unwise for us to leave the car and attract unnecessary attention," Maron countered.

At that moment, Nenemé emerged from the crowd, carrying three outfits in reflective plastic bags, one of which was bright red with golden buttons and white gloves. Nenemé put the bags in the trunk and entered the car through the driver's seat.

"Who's going as the bellhop?" Kasside snickered.

"It was the only thing I could find in Maron's size that I could afford," Nenemé said, making an apologetic face at Maron.

Maron glanced at Nenemé with dull eyes and sighed deeply.

"I only saw three outfits," Syre said.

"I figured I would wait in the car while you guys go inside, just in case we need to make a quick escape," Nenemé replied.

"We still don't know where we are going," Maron reminded her.

Nenemé dug into her pocket and retrieved a folded piece of white paper. She unraveled the paper and handed it to Maron.

"I found it nailed to a telephone pole on my way back. Address, time, phone number, and menu items—all there," she said proudly.

"Awesome," Syre said.

"There's an invite-only after-party, so make sure you guys get whatever you need to get done before the auction is over," Nenemé warned.

As they drove toward the house where the auction was to be held, the cars in the area became sophisticated and sleek, shining with brilliant colors and making Nenemé's car look plain and outdated. The attire of the pedestrians matched the sophistication of the cars, each person looking more lavish than the last. Nenemé pulled the car over as they drove by a large metal structure of silver rings crossing through each other. It was surrounded by a circular fountain in the center of a large grassed area in a park. A group of people surrounded the object with cameras strapped around their necks. The grass was roped off with warning signs regarding trespassing, making sure no one set foot on the healthy and well-maintained plants that graced the area.

"There are some public bathrooms up here. It's the best I can do without you guys gettin' caught," Nenemé said.

"Okay then, let's get changed," Kasside said.

They climbed out of the car and quickly made their way into the rectangular restroom building with the clothes Nenemé had purchased. Once inside, Nenemé closed the door and locked the latch behind them.

The inside of the restroom was reminiscent of an upscale hotel room, scented with vanilla and well ventilated. The near wall was lined with mirrors, and underneath the mirrors were sparkling white sinks with automatic activation. On the opposite end, there was a row of individual circular showers and a shower curtain attached to each one.

"Do all women's restrooms look like this?" Kasside asked.

"Definitely not," Syre responded.

On the far wall, there were a number of light-blue stalls. Nenemé looked underneath each one to make sure they were alone. Three chairs sat inside an indented section of the wall, away from the stalls. Faint instrumental music played in the background through small speakers that were mounted in the corners of the room.

She removed a pair of scissors from a travel bag and held them up, "Let's get started."

Nenemé had them each take a seat in one of the chairs as she went first behind Syre to begin the necessary transformations. She slowly began to cut Syre's hair as Maron and Kasside waited nervously beside her, watching the strands of pink and brown fall to the ground through their peripheral vision.

When Nenemé was finished, Syre stood up and went straight to the showers.

"You barely took anything off," Kasside said.

"She's a girl, I'll style it. As for you two, not so easy," Nenemé replied.

After a few brief minutes of listening to the sinister sounds of scissors snipping behind Kasside's neck, accompanied by the repeating instrumental music from the mounted speakers, Nenemé stepped away.

"All done," she said happily.

"Let me see." Kasside said. He walked over to the line of mirrors. His hair no longer reached his eyes, and was swept from left to right, the strands falling over one another in a messy manner. "It's so short," Kasside whined, pulling one of the strands down toward his eyebrows.

"Don't be such a baby, it's just hair. It's nothing compared to what I'm about to do to Maron," Nenemé grinned.

Maron sighed and closed his eyes as Nenemé removed the tie in his hair.

"I've waited a long time to do this," Nenemé said, laughing maniacally.

"I'm going to take a shower so I don't have to watch what happens next," Kasside said.

After his shower, Kasside used one of the stalls to get his outfit in order. He had dark gray pants that shined well in the light and had a long crease down the middle, accompanied by a silver vest and a black dress shirt. The last piece was a dark blue tie.

"Hey, can someone help me with this? I've never actually—" Kasside said as he exited the stall.

Standing in front of him, Syre was dressed in a black dress and high heels. Her hair was pinned down on one side with a single braid in the front, and the other side of her hair was thrown over her shoulder. A necklace hung down just below her collarbones, shining with the same color and intensity as her eyes.

"Need some help?" she asked, reaching for his tie.

"Yeah, thanks," Kasside said, clearing his throat.

Syre began fixing Kasside's tie as he pulled his neck back. Nenemé was singing cheerfully in the shower behind them.

"You look nice," Kasside said.

"So do you," Syre replied, finishing the tie, "but I already miss that eye color of yours."

A stall door opened behind them, and a tall figure in a red outfit and white gloves stepped out from behind the door. Kasside and Syre turned toward the stall and dropped their jaws. Maron had almost unrecognizably shorter hair that barely reached the tip of his nose.

"No way," Kasside said.

"Let's just get this over with," Maron sighed.

After carefully applying the last of the dye, they exited the bathroom and quickly left the park. Back on the road, they scanned the addresses of each house carefully as the numbers climbed upward. Two tall, rectangular buildings sent a blinding glare down to their eyes from hundreds of feet in the sky.

"What are those buildings for?" Syre asked.

"The shorter one is Cataview, and the taller one is CROSS Headquarters, DUSP. It's actually a beautiful building ... I just hope you never have to see the inside," Nenemé replied.

"That's probably where they're keeping Yallu," Kasside said.

Nenemé pulled the car over as they watched groups of well-dressed couples and families walk toward a house in the center of a cul-de-sac. The house was unsurprisingly glamorous, boasting a large balcony on the second story that looked out over plants shaped like humans in various poses.

"I'll stay here. My car would stand out like a rusty thumb over there," Nenemé said.

"All right, let's get moving. Weapons stay in the car, and we do this as planned," Maron said in an authoritative tone. "We get in, we find the prism before it goes up for sale, Syre warps out with it, and we leave before anyone is any the wiser."

"Hold on, come here," Nenemé said, applying more makeup to the blue markings on Maron's neck.

They exited the car and walked toward the massive estate, blending with the other guests, who were smiling and laughing in colorful ensembles and glimmering jewelry. Syre reached into her handbag and pulled out a small case. She opened it up and removed a pair of black rimmed reading glasses. Kasside and Maron stared at her in confusion as she adjusted the glasses on her face.

"What? They're just reading glasses," Syre said.

"Focus, both of you. Stay calm, be courteous, and don't stick out," Maron whispered.

A man of great stature in a white suit stood at the front door, greeting guests as they entered the home. Kasside and Syre smiled brightly as they entered just behind a group of others. The man stopped Maron before he could enter, placing his hand on Maron's chest,

"What do you think you're doing?" the man asked.

"Excuse me?" Maron replied.

Kasside and Syre turned around and watched with wide eyes as the man confronted Maron.

"You're over an hour late already, buddy. I should tell Judge Chams about this and have your ass fired," the man whispered to Maron.

Maron peeked inside and saw men waiting on tables, wearing red outfits with eerily similar golden buttons attached. "Of course, sir, I am deeply sorry. I was in a car accident on the way over," he said, bowing his head slightly.

"Just get inside," the man said, shaking his head.

The three regrouped in a vacant corner of the first room. There were a number of circular tables with white cloths over them where guests were seated, drinking wine and champagne with steaming plates of food in front of them. There were more tables along a wall that had plate upon plate of an endless supply of food and treats. On the opposite end of the room, there was a small stage set up with microphones and a small podium. The room split off in two more directions; one was to the left and had decorative statues and art, and the other was hidden behind a velvet curtain just behind the podium. An open door nearby exposed a large kitchen, where many cooks and waiters busily rushed about.

"I suppose I have to act as a server, lest I get 'fired,' " Maron said.

"I'll try to get in that room behind the curtain," Syre said. "I imagine that's where they're keeping the auction stuff. If I find the prism, I'll come get you guys."

"Kasside, keep a watchful eye. If you see the judge, do not speak with him until we are with you. That is our last resort," Maron told him.

"Hey, kid, I need you to cover table seven, eight, and nine. Move it," a man shouted at Maron from the kitchen door.

"If anything goes wrong, go back to the car," Maron whispered and left toward the kitchen.

Kasside watched as Syre made her way to the curtain, excusing herself past the other guests. She turned her head in multiple directions, and then dove behind the curtain to the unknown room. Kasside paced around the tables of food that had been set out, sampling a piece from each one. He watched as Maron walked in and out of the kitchen, bringing drinks and special orders to the wealthy, alcohol-driven guests.

Several minutes later, a man walked on the stage and bent over to speak into the microphone mounted to the podium. He tapped the microphone a few times as feedback buzzed through the speakers,

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," the man said. "My name is Eser Tillen, head of the District Council. We hope you're all enjoying your meals and thank each and every one of you for being here today. We're going to start things off in just a few minutes here, so have your numbers ready. As you should know, eighty percent of your purchase money will be donated to charity and research facilities around the island, thanks to your gracious host, Judge Harold Chams." He pointed his arm outward toward a man by the edge of the stage.

The judge was bald and had a crooked nose. He had dark eyebrows and gray eyes, and he wore a khaki suit with a dark red tie. The crowd cheered and clapped as he smiled and lifted his drinking glass.

"This money will benefit hundreds, if not thousands, of people living on this island, our home. If you wish to donate to a specific charity on your own, please see me after the auction has concluded. I will be sitting at table fourteen. Thank you," Eser said before stepping off the stage.

Kasside watched as Eser began to walk toward the curtain where Syre had gone. He looked back toward the kitchen; Maron was holding a silver plate in one hand and nodding at him. Kasside raced over to Eser just before he reached the curtain and tugged on his arm, "Mr. Tillen?"

"Yes, what is it?" Eser responded.

"It's such an honor to meet you. My name is Rylerc, and my family and I are so grateful for everything you've done for the island," Kasside said.

"Very nice to make your acquaintance, Rylerc. Excuse me for a moment, I must prepare for the auction," he said, turning back toward the curtain.

"Wait, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you," Kasside said.

"You can ask me all the questions you'd like, as soon as the auction is over," he smiled. Eser took his leave behind the curtain, opening and shutting a door just beyond it.

"Shit," Kasside muttered under his breath.

Eser walked down a hallway and into a room filled with objects that were tagged with white papers with large black numbers written on them. Upon hearing something metal falling to the floor, Eser peered around a corner, spotting a girl in a black dress sitting on the floor next to a silver flask.

"Damn heels," she whispered to herself.

"Ma'am, can I help you?" Eser asked.

"Oh, sorry, I was just looking for the bathroom. Must've taken a wrong turn," Syre said, fixing her glasses.

"Not a problem, ma'am. I'll guide you to the bathroom," Eser smiled, lending out his hand.

"Thank you," Syre replied, grabbing his hand and pulling herself to her feet.

Kasside spotted Eser escorting Syre back through the curtain and into the front room. Eser pointed down the adjoined room and sent Syre on her way, quickly going back under the red curtain and disappearing from view. Syre walked back toward Kasside and shook her head while shrugging her shoulders.

Kasside walked over to Syre and pulled her aside, "You couldn't find anything?"

"There was a ton of stuff in there," Syre replied.

"Damn. They're going to start the auction any minute," Kasside said.

"Where's Maron?" Syre asked.

"Still waiting tables. I'm starting to think he enjoys it," Kasside said, looking toward the kitchen.

Eser returned from the back room and hopped back on the stage behind the podium, "All right, ladies and gentlemen, here we go with item number one."

"Stay here, and stall if you can," Kasside said to Syre as he briskly walked to the adjoined room.

"Where the hell are you going? How do I stall?" Syre whispered aggressively.

"The first item up is a twentieth century flask, used by Cepher Zsiel himself, recovered from the remains of his home. We'll start the bidding at ten thousand," Eser announced.

A few people sitting at the tables lifted small signs as Eser shouted out the new price each time.

"The second item is this collection of works, written just before the war by an unnamed source. It documents the use of alchemy and some of the first connections ever made between alchenergy and radiation. We'll start the bid at one thousand," Eser said.

Syre spotted an unoccupied table and a numbered sign on top. She hurried over to the table and grabbed the sign, lifting it up as Eser counted her bid.

Maron came out from the kitchen and approached Syre's table, "Where's Kasside?"

"He went through the other room. He told me to stay here and 'stall,' " Syre said as she continued to bid against the other guests.

"He must have gone to find the judge. I told him to wait for us," Maron said.

"Is that bad?" Syre asked.

"I'm not sure. I want you to stop bidding and wait until you see the prism," Maron commanded.

"Yes, sir," Syre sighed.

In the other room, Kasside frantically searched for Harold Chams. He made his way to the back of the room where he saw a wide doorway that led to the outside. Just beyond the doorway, Kasside spotted Harold speaking with a man and a woman against a railing. The railing looked over a backyard that was even more exquisite than the front.

Kasside maneuvered his way through the other guests and finally approached the judge, "Judge Harold Chams, I need to speak with you. It's urgent."

"Please, excuse me for a moment, would you?" the judge said to his guests as they walked inside the house. "What can I do for you, young man?"

"You may not remember me, but my name is Kasside Cissine. You knew my father, Ian Cissine, and you presided over my case that got me to the island," Kasside explained.

"Ah! Ian's boy?" he asked. "Yes, I remember you. That's quite the disguise you have on. What can I do for you, boy?"

"I'm looking for a small prism that I was told is being sold in your auction. This might not make sense to you, but it might save my friend's life," he told him. "Please, we need your help."

"Yes, of course, Kasside. It's a good thing you came to me. Follow me downstairs where I keep my ledger, and we'll figure this all out," Harold smiled.

"Thank you," Kasside sighed in relief.

The judge descended to the grass yard from the nearby stairs. They walked by a large, artificially lit pool that changed colors every few seconds. The judge led Kasside behind a row of tall bushes, where three men stood in their path. Two of the men were in black suits, and the man in the middle was tall with a long coat.

"Veret?" Kasside said.

"Your father was a good man, Kasside, but sending you to that academy was one of the worst decisions I've ever made, and I won't make another," Harold said.

"I thought you weren't invited?" Kasside snarled at Veret.

"I believed many things as a child, too," Veret said.

The two CROSS agents put handcuffs around Kasside's wrists.

"Make sure his friends don't leave, but don't make a scene in front of my guests," Harold told the agents. "There would be riots if anyone knew I had Alchens in my home."

"Don't leave?" Kasside laughed. "We have a warper. They'll be halfway home with that prism before your men have time to blink."

"This prism?" Veret asked, taking out a small object from his coat pocket.

"You've had it the whole time?" Kasside asked.

"No, I was telling the truth that time," Veret said. "Interestingly enough, it was quite simple to get Judge Chams to hand it over to me. All I had to do was mention your name, Kasside. Why do you think that is?"

Kasside turned around and glared at the judge, who stared at the ground near Kasside's feet.

"He's an illusionist, so make sure you blindfold him," Harold said as he turned around and left.

The men held Kasside down, bringing him to his knees and tying a black ribbon around his eyes.

" _Syre! Maron!_ " Kasside shouted as they placed a second ribbon in his mouth.

"Get inside and find his friends," Veret commanded.

Inside, Maron rushed toward Syre from the adjoined room and pulled her aside, "We need to get out of here."

"Why? What happened? Where's Kasside?" Syre asked.

"Syre, there's no time. Let's go," Maron urged.

"I haven't seen the prism yet," Syre argued.

A man in a black suit approached them as they argued, standing between them and the front door, "Excuse me, but I'm going to need you both to come with me, please."

"Syre, get us out," Maron commanded.

Syre grabbed Maron's arm and quickly warped them back to Nenemé's car.

As the flash of blue light appeared, Nenemé abruptly awoke from a nap. Syre and Maron entered the car and strapped their seatbelts.

"Let's go, quickly," Maron said.

"Where's Kass?" Nenemé questioned.

"And what about the prism?" Syre asked.

Maron looked down and sighed, "Veret—he has them both."

### Chapter XIII: Bird in the Hand: "Ian's Boy"

The sirens—blaring. The engine—huffing. A pitch-black box bounced up and down as if it were stuck on a trampoline. The taste of a saliva-coated cloth distracted from the feel of the cold metal floor.

The sirens and bouncing ceased simultaneously as the truck engine shut off. Kasside pushed off the truck floor with his elbow and lifted his torso, trying to shake the blinding cloth from around his eyes. The back doors opened and Kasside remained still, shifting his eyes to the changing light.

"I'm guessing you were hoping to hear someone else's voice," he heard Veret say.

Kasside mumbled and shifted his arms behind his back, trying to break free from the cuffs as Veret climbed in the back of the truck.

Veret grabbed Kasside by his collar and pulled him to his feet, "Your friend Yallu put up much more of a fight than you. Without your tricks and your friends, you aren't much of anything, are you? How very disappointing."

Kasside lunged forward headfirst into Veret, striking Veret's mouth with his forehead.

Veret tilted his head back and felt his mouth with his hand, "You're all the same—violent and unmannered. Luckily for you, there's no blood."

Kasside felt a forceful fist come down upon him, sending him crashing back down to the floor of the truck.

"Take him to IHC-80. Leave the blindfold on," Veret commanded.

Kasside felt two hands pick him up and drag him out of the truck and onto pavement. He attempted to keep his footing as the men led him into a building, his shoes clacking along the floor. Kasside heard the doors of a lift opening, and the men dragged him inside, still gripping his arms tightly. The doors shut and the elevator began moving upward as loud gears whirred. Each floor they passed by prompted a rhythmic _ding_ , with Kasside's heart rate increasing after each one. He felt a bead of sweat drop from the start of his hair down to his cheek as the noise seemed to become louder and louder, burrowing its way into his brain as he began to shudder each time.

Finally, the doors opened up, and the men pushed Kasside through as they entered a new hallway. Chilling groans and screams echoed through the hallway, causing Kasside's body to tighten as the hairs stood up on the back of his neck. At the end of the hallway, a heavy door was pushed open and Kasside was thrown inside.

He stayed on the floor, trying to calm his nerves by taking a few deep breaths. He flipped over on his stomach and pushed himself to his knees, slowly finding his balance until finally returning to his feet. He put his back against the wall and slowly maneuvered toward the next, searching for a door handle. The heavy door reopened and quickly shut again as Kasside put his back against the far wall to face his visitor.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you, unless you can turn into a bird like your murderous girlfriend," Kasside heard a distorted voice say.

A hand pulled the blindfold off Kasside's face, revealing a mostly empty room with metal walls painted white. Veret was standing before him, now wearing a black CROSS mask with green panels over the eyes.

"It figures that such a dull ability could be thwarted by something as simple as a mask," Veret remarked.

Directly behind Kasside, the wall was made of glass and looked out over the entire city from a bottomless height. There was a clear view of the ocean that seemed to be out of place, given its surroundings. There were two silver chairs in the room, one of which had been placed in the middle of the room and had armrests with black straps connected to them.

He grabbed Kasside and placed him in the chair, releasing his hands from the handcuffs only to restrain them once more in the locking straps.

"Now, doesn't this feel familiar?" Veret asked. He took a seat in the second chair, facing Kasside as Kasside glared a fiery golden gaze. "Be grateful your room has a view at all," Veret said. "So? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Kasside muttered muffled and indistinct words at Veret through the cloth tied over his mouth.

"Right, of course. How could I forget?" Veret said in a supercilious manner as he removed the gag from Kasside's mouth.

"Go fuck yourself," Kasside barked indignantly.

"No need to be rude, Kasside. I don't remember screaming profanity when I was your captive," Veret said.

"What do you want from me?" Kasside asked.

"Not you. I don't need you. I need the other one—the boy with the book," Veret told him.

"Then why don't you just kill me and get it over with?" Kasside asked.

"Because, you're going to bring him here. Don't worry, I'm still going to kill you," Veret said plainly.

Veret put his hands behind his head and unhooked the straps from his mask, slowly removing the mask from his face as he unveiled his venomous green eyes, "This room has been specially designed to prevent Alchens from using their alchenergy."

"Then why not take off the arm bands?" Kasside asked.

"Using, not producing," he said. "In the unlikely event that you are still able to use alchenergy, at the first sign of any trickery, I will have the two guards standing on the other side of that door come in here and scoop out your eyeballs."

"Noted," Kasside said.

"Tell me, how do I use the prisms?" Veret asked.

"Oh, man, you really caught the wrong guy," he answered.

"I don't think you fully grasp the severity of your situation," Veret said, striking Kasside's cheek with his fast moving fist.

A long string of blood was hanging from Kasside's mouth, stretching low until it broke from his lip and hit the floor.

"If you think you're special, you're wrong. There are so many things in this world that you don't understand," Veret said. "Yallu Ekkeitahan is on this same floor, Kasside, and I most definitely don't need her. With one call, I can end her life, and it will be on your hands."

"What, no trial?" Kasside asked as he spit the rest of the blood that filled his mouth to the floor.

"Trial? Not for your kind," Veret answered. Veret reached into a holster strapped to his belt and pulled out a small handgun, and then placed it firmly against Kasside's shoulder.

"Funny, I don't remember holding a gun to you when you were my captive," Kasside said.

"That's because you don't own one," he quickly replied. "I'm finished talking, Mr. Cisisne. I don't care about CROSS, this island, or anything else but the Arcrone. Tell me how to make it or I will kill all of your friends while you watch from this chair," he said.

Kasside looked down at the gun, then back to Veret, remaining silent as the gun pressed deeper into his skin.

"Have you seen this gun before? I'm guessing you have, seeing as you have experience with CROSS soldiers," Veret said. "Interesting piece. They call it the 'Hotshot.' An appropriate, if not juvenile nickname." Veret took the gun away from Kasside and examined it on each side, "The bullet stops inside you but continues to spin, and then it cauterizes your entry wound with the fire it produces. A painful experience, I'd imagine."

Veret quickly placed the gun back on Kasside's shoulder and pulled the trigger as a loud popping noise was heard. Kasside was thrown backward in his chair, falling to the floor as he writhed in pain. Smoke wisped from the gun in Veret's hand as he stood over Kasside's body. A buzzing sound was produced as a small, yet furious flame emerged from the bullet hole. Kasside screamed loudly as deep red blood flung from the hole in every direction until finally stopping as his flesh melted together.

"Then, the bullet falls apart inside and can only be removed by reopening the wound. I sometimes wonder what was going through the mind of the man that was tasked with creating such a weapon, don't you?" Veret knelt down beside Kasside.

Kasside groaned in agony as Veret unhooked him from the chair, moving the chair away while Kasside stayed motionless on his side.

"That's it? You're done, then?" Veret asked. Veret kicked Kasside with a punishing boot to his side, turning him on his back. He put his boot on Kasside's stomach and pressed down as Kasside groaned. "This is child's play compared to what I will do to you and your friends if you don't cooperate. I'm giving you a chance to survive."

"You gonna turn us into those Moonstruck things you created?" Kasside asked as he coughed up blood on his face and chin.

Veret tilted his head and furrowed his brow, "We didn't create the Moonstruck."

### Chapter XIII: Bird in the Hand: "Boy with the Book"

The wind—howling. The panic—spreading. A box-shaped truck zoomed by and out of the cul-de-sac as a high-pitched siren began to wail. Maron, Syre, and Nenemé sat in the car just around the corner from the house of the judge, watching helplessly as the truck escaped their view with their friend inside.

"What do you mean Veret has him? How did that happen?" Syre asked.

"I was only there long enough to see him blindfolded and gagged by Veret, with the judge standing close by," Maron explained.

"Should I follow the truck?" Nenemé asked.

"Yes, hurry up!" Syre shouted.

"Absolutely not," Maron contested. "We'll only get caught ourselves. The truck went toward CROSS Headquarters, and that's likely where they will hold him. We need to be smart if we are going to save him."

"Well, let's at least get the heck out of here," Nenemé said, starting the car and pulling away from the curb.

They drove back down the busy streets, which were still filled with just as many tireless pedestrians as before.

"You know, I'm starting to think Tethia was on to something when she said you don't care about anyone but yourself," Syre spouted.

"There was nothing you or I could have done. He got himself caught because he trusted the judge after I specifically warned him to wait for us so that we might avoid this exact situation," Maron said.

"Couldn't you have used your paper to grab him and pull him out of there or something?" Syre asked.

"Normally, yes," Maron said. "Unfortunately, my paper has stopped coming back as of a few hours ago, and I don't want to find out what happens when I run out," he said as he flipped through the remaining handful of pages in his book.

Nenemé spotted the metal sculpture in the park they had previously visited. She parked the car in the lot near the rectangular restrooms. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.

"Perhaps I should have, but there was no reason to create worry when we were so close to an answer," Maron replied.

"An answer for you. This is about saving _you_ , right?" Syre asked. "If it were Kasside, he would have done everything he could to save your ass, even if it meant his."

"Syre, there are things about Kasside that you don't understand, and I hope for all our sakes that you never have to learn," Maron replied. "You're right, Kasside would have risked everything to save me in the same circumstances, but had we both been caught, neither of us would be spared."

"What makes you think Veret will spare him?" Syre asked.

"Because, Veret knows I'll be coming after him, and I have something he needs," Maron said confidently.

They sat quietly in their seats as the shadows from the surrounding trees and buildings grew longer with the sun falling behind them.

"So, how do we get him back?" Nenemé asked, breaking the silence.

"We'll have to get inside the CROSS building. It's the only chance we have of getting him out safely," Maron said.

"We can't just waltz inside and get visitor passes," Syre said. "Besides, that building is humungous—they could be keeping him anywhere."

"Yes, that's true, but I don't see many other options, unless I make a trade with Veret ... the prisms for Kasside," Maron responded.

"Hell no," Nenemé said. "If you give that maniac the prisms, you'll never see Kasside or the prisms ever again. This will have all been for nothing."

"Then I suppose we will need those visitor passes after all," Maron concluded.

A strong breeze caused the car to rock from side to side. The glare from the skyscraping buildings began to die with the sunlight. The pedestrians and observers of the statue began to disperse in different directions as streetlights turned on in the area.

"Want me to drive right up to the front door, guns blazing?" Nenemé asked in a half-serious manner.

"No, we'll surely get caught before reaching him if we act rashly. We need to have a plan, and planning takes time," Maron said. "We should stay here for the night, or go back to the beach and come back tomorrow morning, as to not raise suspicion."

"As much as I'd love to go back to the beach, I think it's better to stay as close as we can to Kasside," Nenemé said.

"Agreed," Syre responded.

"All right, we'll sleep here tonight. Be ready, because you, too, will have to risk everything if we are to see Kasside again," Maron told Syre.

Only an hour later, Syre was fast asleep in the back seat, clinging to Kasside's jacket. Maron and Nenemé watched as couples walked through the park.

"You wanna have our wedding here?" Nenemé winked.

Maron smiled slightly, "Only if a presider is willing to be the officiant."

"And our daughter can be the flower girl," she grinned.

"Daughter?" Maron raised one eyebrow.

"What, you want a son?" Nenemé scoffed.

"Only if he looks exactly like me," Maron answered.

Nenemé pulled Maron close to her and kissed his lips.

Throughout the night, Syre and Nenemé struggled to stay warm in the unbearable cold, while Maron closed his eyes and concentrated his thoughts on forming a plan. The stars were dull and dim due to a mask of strong artificial lighting that mimicked daytime throughout the district. Many shops kept their doors open and their lights on through the dead of the night as a great number of cars still roamed about.

The next morning, Syre awoke to the warmth of the sun on her face from the backseat of the car, using Kasside's jacket in place of a blanket. She sat up and cleared her throat, bending her back with her shoulders and wiping her face with her hands. Nenemé sat in the driver's seat with her head resting against the door, mouth agate. Maron's eyes were closed, but his head was lifted and his back was straight. His book was open in his lap and his legs were crossed on the seat. Syre opened the car door and began to climb out of the car.

"Where are you going?" Maron asked with his eyes still closed.

"The bathroom," Syre responded. "I want to change out of these clothes and brush my teeth one last time before we get arrested."

"I have to pee," Nenemé announced, coming out of her slumber.

"Go together, and quickly. Your eyes and hair are no longer disguised, and we are not in a good area for Alchens, as you know," Maron remarked.

"No kidding," Syre scoffed.

Syre and Nenemé casually walked to the women's restroom.

Maron read his book quietly to himself for several minutes while he waited patiently for the girls to return. Suddenly, movement caught Maron's eye and he quickly looked up, spotting a tall man with a petrified look on his face running at full speed some yards away. As the man moved closer, his hands appeared to be bound by shackles.

Syre and Nenemé returned from the restroom and walked toward the car. They spotted the man and watched along with several groups of bystanders as he came closer.

"Is that Adderson?" Syre asked.

All of a sudden, a small group of CROSS soldiers came out from the same direction the man had come, giving chase as they shouted for him to stop and threatened him with their drawn weapons. The man ran through the park and toward the metal sculpture of intertwining rings. The sculpture creaked and tilted downward as the man ran by, and then promptly broke off the stand holding it down, falling on top of his legs and pinning him to the ground.

Two soldiers in dark armor walked briskly toward him. One of the men, who had long, greasy, unkempt hair and a beard to match, had his hand held out toward the sculpture as Adderson cried out in pain. The other man was slim and had hair that was blond on the top and black on the sides, styled in short spikes.

A crowd began to gather in the park as they watched the scene before them. Nenemé and Syre hastily climbed back into the car and shut the doors.

"That's Adderson!" Syre panicked.

"Yes, and the man with the spiked hair is Harrin," Maron added. "I don't recognize the other, but I assume he's Sengar. They spoke about him briefly during our last encounter."

"Sorry if this is some sort of reunion, but there's nothin' we can do for the poor guy," Nenemé said. "We need to haul-ass out of here, pronto."

"Wait," Syre said, "I can help him. What if I just warp over quickly and grab him?"

"Are you going to bring the statue in the car as well? He's going to be captured and brought to the CROSS building," Maron told her. "If we have time, we will release him when we go get Kasside and Yallu back," he assured her.

Harrin stepped over Adderson and removed a long blade from a holster attached to his hip. Adderson locked eyes with Maron and Syre, spotting them inside the car and reaching his hand toward them.

" _Help me, please!_ " Adderson shouted.

Harrin lifted the blade with both hands, and then swiftly brought it down into Adderson's back as a fountain of blood spurted out and coated the blade. The crowd of onlookers joyfully cheered and clapped as Harrin tactlessly yanked his weapon from Adderson's body. Adderson's eyes closed slowly as his body twitched and convulsed until he was still as stone.

Nenemé, Syre, and Maron watched in horror as a barbaric and murderous act upon a living and breathing human being was applauded in broad daylight. Syre clutched Kasside's jacket and quickly opened the car door, vomiting on the asphalt and panting with quick breaths as she clung to the door handle for balance. Nenemé held her hand over her mouth with downcast eyes, and Maron stared blankly at the blade in Harrin's hand.

Syre coughed and spit up the last of the vomit, wiping her mouth as she slowed her breathing.

"There are more Alchens over here!" a woman shouted as she pointed to Syre from the restrooms.

Harrin and the other CROSS soldiers looked toward the car and began to walk toward them. "Freeze! Don't move!" he commanded as he ran at the car with the blade still in hand.

"Syre, close your door," Maron said.

Nenemé backed the car out of the lot and roughly pressed down on the gas. The tires screeched and smoke followed their trail. She drove down the crowded streets as fast as she could, dodging cars and pedestrians as she swerved between lanes and through lights.

"Slow down, I think we lost them," Maron said as they turned a new corner.

"What the hell was that? You said they would arrest him, not murder him!" Syre said as tears filled her eyes.

"I apologize, Syre, I forgot mention my request that they not publicly execute Alchens at the CROSS meeting this morning," Maron contemptuously remarked.

"We just saw Adderson die, Maron. Kasside could be dead right now, and you're being a sarcastic asshole," she spewed.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think we have a tail," Nenemé announced.

A black truck drove a few cars behind them, mimicking each lane change and turn they made.

"They're gaining on us. What do you want me to do, love?" Nenemé asked.

"Go straight until we reach the ocean if you have to," Maron instructed. "We'll never outrun them in the streets, especially not so close to their headquarters."

"I'm not sure 'straight' is an option," Syre said, pointing to another black truck on the opposite side of the road as they reached a stoplight.

"Nenemé, turn right," Maron commanded.

Nenemé turned down a new street as the trucks followed closely. A third truck appeared as they drove through another intersection.

"Turn left," Maron said as Nenemé quickly cut across the lanes to oblige.

The car picked up speed as they drove down an empty street. Nenemé hit the brakes and pulled the wheel, causing the car to swerve and come to a stop at an impassible concrete wall that blocked their path. To the right, there was an entrance to a curved ramp with a sign next to it that read _CROSS PERSONNEL ONLY_.

"What now?" Syre asked as the trucks came back into view.

"Take the ramp," Maron said without hesitation.

"That's the Crossline," Nenemé said.

"I know what it is. Take the ramp," Maron repeated.

Nenemé turned the car up the ramp and they ascended above street level. The ground evened out as they came to a wide, smoothly paved road with a short dividing concrete wall in the center. A few seconds later, the trucks were fully visible in the rear view of the car, picking up speed as red and blue lights flashed on top of the vehicles.

"What's the plan, babe?" Nenemé asked in an uneasy voice.

"Drive faster," Maron responded in his usual austere attitude.

"Sound advice," Nenemé sighed.

The black trucks drove up on either side of Nenemé's sedan as a man on a loudspeaker commanded them to stop the car.

"Take the wheel," Nenemé told Maron.

Maron grabbed hold of the steering wheel with one hand and held his book with the other. Nenemé removed a handgun from under her seat and pointed it out of the window. She fired a few rounds at the windshield of a truck, causing the truck swerve away.

"You'd better run!" Nenemé cheered.

"Nenemé?" Syre called out.

Nenemé turned around as the second truck driver extended his arm out of his window, brandishing a firearm that was pointed directly at Syre. Syre ducked down, covered her head with her arms and screamed as the man fired several rounds that shattered the glass window. Syre lifted her head and saw a piece of paper levitating in front of her face. The paper had three bullets sticking halfway through, and Maron had his arm outward as the blue markings from his neck began to climb over his face.

Maron motioned to the left with his hand, sending the paper out of the windowless backdoor and around the front tire of the truck. The truck tire began to produce smoke as it slowed to a stop.

"I can't do that again. Nenemé, get us out of here," Maron said in a hoarse voice.

"Love to, but I'm not seeing any exits," Nenemé said.

Another truck approached with haste, bumping into the rear of their vehicle as it attempted to force them to a stop. A soldier in the passenger seat of the truck stuck his body out of the window, shooting his pistol at Nenemé's car and striking one of the back tires. The tire immediately went flat and began to shred into bits as the car began to skid along the ground, sending yellow sparks into the air like a lit firework.

"I can't turn," Nenemé said as they came to a curved section of the highway.

"Take off your seatbelts," Syre said.

"Take them 'off'?" Nenemé skeptically inquired.

"Yes, trust me," Syre said.

They each removed their safety belts as the car struck the guardrail, sending it careening over the edge of the Crossline and over a bed of sand below them. The ocean was in view in the distance as the car tumbled through the air. Time slowed its pace as their adrenaline levels rose, and they each became weightless as they were lifted from their seats inside the car.

Syre grabbed hold of Maron and Nenemé and warped outside to the sand as time resumed its normal course. They hit the ground and tumbled over several times with great momentum as the car did the same a few yards away. Metal parts and broken glass were thrown in each direction until the sedan firmly planted right-side up in the sand, dented on each side and missing essential segments. They each struggled to push themselves off the ground as sirens drew near.

"Syre, remember, you must be willing to do anything if you want to see Kasside again," Maron said as the blue markings rose to his eyes and his hair became increasingly white.

As the trucks approached, Nenemé, Syre, and Maron ran for cover behind what was left of their devastated vehicle.

"I've only got a few rounds left," Nenemé said.

"I won't be able to do much with the amount of paper I have. Syre, check the trunk of the car for Severance and the Mercyblade," Maron instructed.

Syre ran to the back of the car and opened the already-popped trunk. She retrieved the lace and quickly brought it back to Maron.

"Where's the Mercyblade?" Maron asked.

"It wasn't in there. Do you want to use this?" Syre asked, offering the lace to Maron.

"No, you use it. You'll need it," Maron said.

"Here they come," Nenemé warned.

The trucks stopped and soldiers marched out of each one.

"Don't forget, Harrin can paralyze you if you look him in the eyes, so avoid eye contact at all costs," Maron said.

The group of soldiers aimed their weapons at the disabled car and cautiously approached. Harrin walked slowly behind them and stretched his arms.

"Come out slowly with your hands up," a soldier ordered.

"Nenemé, lay down some cover fire," Maron said. "Syre, can you get me over to one of the trucks?"

"Why don't I just get us the hell out of here while I can?" Syre asked.

"And go where?" Maron asked. "This ends right now. They will follow us until either we, or they, are dead. Which one would you prefer?"

Syre nodded and grabbed Maron's arm, and they disappeared in a flash of blue light.

They reappeared behind one of the large black trucks as gunfire came from Nenemé's direction. Two soldiers fell to the ground and the rest began to fire back at Nenemé.

"You may want to find some cover," Maron suggested to Syre. He opened the door to the truck and climbed inside. He put the truck in gear and hit the gas as sand flung from the tires.

The truck raced directly toward the group of soldiers. Harrin turned around as the truck came straight for him, locking eyes with Maron. Maron's body froze, becoming paralyzed as the truck began to slightly swerve side to side. Syre quickly warped next to Harrin, throwing Severance around his leg and pulling as hard as she could, causing Harrin to lose his balance. Maron fell limply out of the truck and rolled on the sand. His book was thrown a few feet away from him and landed open. A page flew out and guarded his head as the intimidatingly large truck tire drove up and over it.

Maron's truck slammed into two of the soldiers and pinned them to the opposite side of their sedan. The remaining soldiers fell on the ground as they dodged the incoming vehicle. Syre warped over to Nenemé's side and grabbed hold of her, warping away again behind one of the two remaining parked trucks.

"Where's Maron?" Syre asked.

Syre and Nenemé carefully peeked around the side of the parked truck, watching as Maron brought himself to his knees. Harrin walked over to Maron and unsheathed his blade from the holster. The three remaining soldiers were back on their feet and stood with their guns pointed at Maron.

"I need to help him," Syre said.

Nenemé grabbed Syre's arm, "If you go now, you'll both be killed."

Maron gripped a small black stone in his right hand, reaching out toward his book with his left as he hung his head.

"Your buddy Aero isn't here to save you this time, kid," Harrin snickered.

Maron's fingers twitched as he attempted to summon the remaining pages from his book. Harrin lifted his blade up over his head and swung down with great speed over Maron's left shoulder. The sharp edge of the blade slid straight through Maron's arm. His arm detached from his torso and fell on the sand, still reaching for the book. Maron remained unmoved as Harrin inspected the arm.

"I was expecting at least some blood, and a lot more screaming," Harrin shrugged. He lifted Maron's chin with the tip of his blade.

Maron's eyes were cloudy and glazed over as the blue marking slowly claimed the rest of his face. Nenemé and Syre watched as Harrin hoisted the blade over his head once more.

Syre began to grind her teeth as the color from her hair and in her eyes began to pulsate with light, "Maron was right."

Maron watched as a blue light flashed directly behind Harrin just before he swung. Harrin's eyes widened and his mouth made a gurgling noise as blood spewed out. Syre was standing behind him, holding the dagger from the lace deep in the back of his neck. Syre removed the dagger from Harrin's neck and swiftly threw it toward the nearest soldier. The dagger detached and Syre warped behind her, causing the magnetic knife to rip through the soldier's stomach and come out through the other side. In a matter of seconds, she warped behind the other two soldiers as the dagger followed her and reattaching itself to the end of the lace each time. The soldiers fell in the sand, holding their stomachs and groaning in anguish as the blood pooled around them.

Maron pressed the alchemy stone into the sand and it melted, turning the sand into a reflective piece of glass that he picked up and shoved under Harrin's chin. Harrin fell to his knees, dropping his blade and pressing his hands around his throat as he struggled to breathe. Maron picked up Harrin's blade and kicked him on his back in the sand. He stepped over him and plunged the blade through his stomach.

Syre held her grip tightly around the dagger as she took short and powerful breaths, scanning the grisly scene around her. The ocean waves crashed quietly along the shoreline as the overbearing wind died down to a hushed breeze. Nenemé ran over to Maron's aid as he struggled to keep his balance.

Maron took a deep breath, "Thank you, Syre."

### Chapter XIV: Kicking and Screaming

The tide—rising. The sky—colorful. A book lay on the sand as the wind flipped the pages to the back cover. Steam sizzled from dented truck engine as blood dripped down from the raised hood. Maron's unhitched arm began to shine in the sand as the skin changed textures. The arm turned into a collection of blank sheets of paper and started to disintegrate before their eyes. In moments, the arm vanished into dust.

Nenemé helped Maron get to his feet as he limped over pick up his book. She led him to the nearest CROSS truck and he leaned against the side.

"How are you feeling, babe?" Nenemé asked.

"I've felt better, to be honest," Maron replied.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't quick enough," Syre said, her eyes filling with tears.

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine," Maron said. "You were right to suggest that we flee. In the end, you did what had to be done, and that's all that matters."

Nenemé inspected Maron's wound. It bore a striking similarity to the empty and seemingly vast hole in his torso.

"I'll be all right, I've got one more," Maron said, lifting his right arm.

"What do we do now?" Syre asked.

"We save Kasside as planned," Maron answered. "But first, we need to get off this beach before someone sees us. If you noticed, only one presider made it here, but there were two at the scene where Adderson was killed. The other may not be far behind."

"Our car is totaled and there's no repairing it this time," Nenemé noted. "I know this might sound crazy, but what if we got Tethia to help us? She seems to still care about Kasside quite a bit."

"Absolutely not," Maron said. "I know Tethia was a friend, but she's deranged and she would probably take advantage of my condition. Besides, I wouldn't know how to find her again." Maron counted the remaining pages of his book, "We should take one of the CROSS trucks, dressed as soldiers. That should get us through the front door at least."

"Are you serious? You have one arm!" Nenemé argued. "I know you can't see yourself, but you're definitely gonna raise some flags in a CROSS building."

"Then I'll go as your prisoner. It's the only option we have if we want to get Kasside out of there," Maron said.

"Kasside better be cleaning my floor for weeks after this," Nenemé said, shaking her head.

Syre approached a female soldier's body and slowly reached out to remove her mask. Her hand began to tremble as she knelt over the bloodied corpse, and tears started to stream down her face, dropping on the woman's armor and mixing with the blood.

"I got it, hon," Nenemé said as she stepped in and began to strip the armor from the soldier.

"I killed her, Nenemé," Syre sobbed. "This woman—I killed her for doing her job."

"Yes, you did, and she would have killed you, given the chance. That was her job," Nenemé responded.

"You don't know that. How can you possibly say that about someone you haven't even met?" Syre asked.

"Syre, she was with CROSS, and that makes her an enemy. Look what they did to Maron," she said. "The moment we start trying to pick apart the good from the bad is the moment we drop our guard."

"She could be a mother, a wife, a sister ... I took that away from her family," Syre cried. "What about Leo? Don't you ever wonder if you're about to kill him?"

"I don't—I can't. Not anymore," Nenemé replied.

Nenemé finished removing the armor from two soldiers, handing each piece over to Syre as they took several trips to wash each part in the ocean water. The radios in the trucks and on the bodies buzzed with static and muffled voices. Syre and Nenemé brought the armor to the back of the truck and began to get dressed.

"Sweetheart, everything is going to be just fine," Nenemé smiled.

"How can you be so optimistic all the time?" Syre asked, pulling a boot over her foot.

"In this world, someone has to be. That way, when we're all sittin' at the beach after all this is over, I can say 'I told you so,' " Nenemé responded.

Maron limped to the back of the truck. Syre and Nenemé were now fully dressed in CROSS armor.

"We've been here too long. Let's get moving before someone finds this mess," Maron said.

Nenemé and Syre connected the clasps of CROSS masks behind their heads, fitting them snugly over their faces.

"I'll drive," Nenemé said with a distorted voice.

Nenemé took the driver's seat and started the truck engine. Maron and Syre climbed in the back of the truck and sat on the cold metal benches that stuck out from the sidewall. Nenemé drove from the sand to a nearby paved road that ran parallel to the Crossline above them. Half a mile down the road, there was another ramp entrance that took them back to the top of the highway on the opposite side of the middle divider.

Syre fidgeted with her mask on the bench across from Maron as the blue lights lit the room, "How can they see with these things on?"

"They aren't paid to see things," Maron replied.

"Maron, do you think the prism things will fix your arm?" Syre asked.

"It doesn't matter, Syre. We aren't fighting to get the prisms anymore, we're fighting to get Kasside and Yallu back," Maron replied. "That's the only thing that matters at the moment. My life isn't worth the chaos this has brought us."

"Don't talk like that. We're going to save everyone, including you," Syre said.

Maron and Syre stayed quiet for several minutes, listening to the sound of the tires rolling and the truck engine revving, sliding along the benches with every slight turn.

"I've been meaning to ask you ... that note you gave me back at the academy, what is it for?" Syre asked.

"It's something I hope you won't have to use," Maron replied.

"Tethia said she wanted to save Kasside, you told me there's something about Kasside that I don't understand, Nenemé stays quiet whenever it's mentioned—what is it that you're still keeping from me?" Syre asked.

"Not from you, from Kasside. If he ever found out, I'm not sure he'd be the same person ever again," Maron said.

"You're afraid I'd tell him?" Syre asked.

"No, I'm afraid you would never see him the same," Maron said.

The truck slowed dramatically and came to a halt. The engine to the truck turned off and the driver's side door could be heard opening and closing. The back doors opened as Maron and Syre blocked the incoming sunlight with their hands.

"Outta the pool, kids," Nenemé said, holding the back doors open. "We're just around the corner from the CROSS building."

"Remember to keep your heads low, and as soon as we know where Kasside is, we get to him and warp out," Maron instructed. "Nenemé, once we're inside, you stay back and watch the entrance while Syre and I move forward. We shouldn't use the radios unless it's urgent, just in case someone else is listening."

"Gotcha," Nenemé winked.

"I'm ready," Syre said with a deep breath.

Maron and Syre exited the truck. Syre gripped Maron's arm behind his back as she pushed him along the sidewalk. Nenemé walked beside them with a rifle in hand, scanning their surroundings as they kept at a brisk pace. Pedestrians applauded and cheered as they walked by, throwing trash and plastic bottles at Maron as he walked with his head lowered and his hair over his face.

"So much for keeping our heads down," Syre remarked.

As they rounded the corner, two colossal buildings came into view. The first building was several stories taller than its neighbor. Black trucks lined the outside of the larger building, and soldiers could be seen walking in and out of the entrance. The front of the building had a wide entranceway, complete with a golden statue of an armored soldier holding his weapon in the air. The statue was in the center of a layered fountain that spewed water from the top layer down to the next until reaching the rectangular pool at the bottom.

"Is that the only way inside?" Syre asked.

"They have an underground garage, a side entrance, and a back entrance. I've seen 'em from the Cataview tower, but that was a number of years ago," Nenemé replied.

"Which one has the least foot traffic?" Maron asked.

"Back entrance, I guess," Nenemé said with a shrug.

"Back entrance it is," Syre said.

Nenemé, Syre, and Maron moved quickly to the side of the building, passing busybodies in suits and others in armor. An Alchen man was being dragged by his arms into the side entrance by two armored soldiers, screaming profanity as he kicked his legs wildly. Two soldiers stood like stone at the back entrance, looking outward at the street with rifles at their waists. Syre pushed Maron through automatic doors as Nenemé followed.

They entered a room with two more doors on either side of the far wall. A curly-haired blonde woman sat behind a desk in between the two doors, with an armored soldier standing at her right. Nenemé hesitantly walked toward the door on the right and reached out for the handle.

"Can I help you with something?" the woman asked.

"Um, yes," Syre answered in an irregularly deep voice.

"What do you need?" the woman asked in a bothered tone.

"We're transporting this Alchen to Presider Impyo, to be placed with the others," Nenemé quickly responded.

"That Alchen doesn't look well. Are you sure you don't need to go to medical?" the woman asked.

"He can regenerate limbs, he's just refraining from using his alchenergy so that we can't cuff him," Syre said.

"All right, I can radio Presider Impyo to get you clearance right away. What are your names?" the woman asked as she picked up a radiophone.

Syre and Nenemé shot a quick glance at each other as they cleared their throats. Nenemé gripped her weapon tightly as she slowly began to raise the barrel.

"Presider Impyo is on emergency-only calls," the soldier standing nearby said.

"Oh, that's right. Go ahead and take the prisoner to IHC-80, but be sure not to disturb Presider Impyo," the woman said as she put the radio down.

"Of course, and that would be on floor eighty?" Nenemé asked.

"Yes, that's correct," the woman confirmed.

"Of course it is," Syre sighed.

Nenemé once again reached for the door handle. She pressed down on the handle, but the door didn't budge.

"Try swiping your keycard," the soldier suggested.

"Right, well, it seems I've lost it. Probably during the fight with this one here," Nenemé replied while patting her sides.

At that moment, their radios began to buzz, "Attention, Presider Harrin Bata has been KIA. I repeat, Presider Harrin Bata has been KIA. Over."

"What's your person number, Modder?" the man asked Nenemé.

The radios began buzzing again with loud voices shouting codes and warnings regarding escaped criminals. Maron rolled his eyes as Syre and Nenemé stuttered in their attempt to invent a passable answer.

"Tell me your person number!" the soldier commanded, raising his weapon.

Nenemé grabbed the butt of the rifle and shoved it aggressively into the soldier's mask, causing the back of his head to rebound off the wall behind him. The soldier fell to the ground as Nenemé quickly pointed the weapon at the woman behind the desk.

"Get out, and don't say a word to anyone, or we will find you and kill you and everyone you love!" Nenemé threatened.

The frightened woman slowly got out of her seat with her hands in the air. She turned and ran for the back door as fast she could as her heels clacked against the floor.

"Sheesh, Nenemé," Syre said as the woman stumbled through the door and continued running.

"What? I wasn't serious," Nenemé said.

Nenemé knelt down over the guard and searched his pockets, retrieving a small white card with his picture and information. She swiped the card against a black box, and it produced a small green light as the door unlocked. Nenemé whipped the door open wide, revealing a stairwell.

She held the door there for Syre and Maron to pass through, "All right, loves, I'll watch the entrances as best I can. Go get our boy," she said and handed Syre the keycard. Nenemé grabbed Maron's face in her hands and kissed his lips.

"Be careful," Maron said.

Nenemé shut the door behind them as she took her leave.

"Eighty floors," Syre said. "You think we should try the elevator?"

"The only way I would make it up those stairs is if you warped me. So, yes, the elevator," Maron replied. "Let's go up to the second floor as to not be seen near the entrance."

Syre and Maron climbed the first flight of winding stairs and walked through the door to the second floor. The room was vast and the floors shined with their reflections. In the middle of the room, there were two silver elevators and a hallway on each side of the elevators. Next to the hallways, there were long staircases that stretched to the walls. The two sidewalls were made completely from thick glass and clearly showed the outside world.

"Why do they need more stairs?" Syre asked under her breath.

As Syre and Maron walked toward the elevator, the stairwell door opened on the opposite end of the room, and a man walked through. The man was tall and had a scar over the bridge of his nose, and eyes that were greener than emerald gemstones. He was wearing a long coat and a metal attachment over his right arm. They stopped in their tracks as they all locked eyes from across the room.

"Veret?" Syre said, taking a few steps back.

"It's not him," Maron said.

"What do you mean?" Syre asked.

"Look closely—he's not wearing straps over his arms, and he has the Mercyblade. It's Tethia," Maron responded.

The man took a deep breath and changed to a relaxed stance, "Can't get anything past you, can I?" he said in a deep voice.

"Don't let it trouble you, Tethia, better people than you have tried," Maron remarked.

"You look shitty," Tethia said. "You plan on fighting with one arm?"

"I'm ambidextrous," Maron responded. "If you really cared for Kasside, you'd let me help him. You have no idea what you're doing."

"I'll let Kasside know you cared about him before you died," Tethia replied.

"Maron, we need to hurry," Syre urged.

At that moment, the elevator doors opened wide. Four soldiers stepped out and into the room. The soldiers stood still, staring left, then right, and then left again.

"Capture that Alchen!" Tethia commanded them, still in disguise.

The soldiers raised their weapons at Maron and formed a line, "Put your hands up, Alchen!"

" 'Hand,' technically," Maron shrugged.

Just then, the radios buzzed with static on the armor of each soldier, "This is Presider Veret Impyo requesting an update regarding Presider Harrin Bata. Presider Sengar Connor, please report. Over."

The soldiers stared blankly at the radios and each other, turning around in unison as Tethia ran at them with great speed, back in her normal appearance. They began to fire their weapons as she held out the Mercyblade, deflecting the bullets to the ground. Tethia grabbed the nearest soldier's gun and pointed it away from herself, using her momentum to uppercut the soldier in the stomach. A flash of light was produced as the soldier was blasted up into the air.

Syre grabbed Maron's shoulder as Tethia continued fighting the soldiers, "Now's our chance."

"You go on ahead ... I'll only slow you down. Find Kasside and get him out of here while I deal with Tethia," Maron said. "Get going."

"Be careful, Maron," Syre said with a pensive look.

"You too, Syre," Maron replied with a slight bow.

Syre removed her heavy armor and threw it to the floor as quickly as she could. She ran to the edge of the nearby staircase and warped up to the top.

Maron fixed his eyes on Tethia as all four men were now on the ground.

"This invention of yours is useful, if not a bit uncomfortable," Tethia said as she adjusted the Mercyblade.

"That's because it was made to be worn on the left arm, by Kasside," Maron said aggressively.

"Then I'll be sure to return it to him, since you can't use it," Tethia replied.

Maron held his book open in his hand as a sheet of paper came out and wrapped around his shoulder. The page extended outward and formed an arm and a hand in place of the ones he lost.

"I wonder—what would you be without that book?" Tethia said as she briskly approached.

"Such a shame that you will never find out," Maron said.

Tethia proceeded to throw a number of punches with the Mercyblade as Maron blocked each one with his paper arm, backing away as she came forward. The paper arm expanded and came back into shape quickly with each blow, absorbing the powerful energy that was released each time. Tethia tapped the side of the Mercyblade to release the blade. She cut the paper arm in half with a quick sweep. Maron swiftly grabbed the alchemy stone from the front of the Mercyblade while Tethia's arm was down. He removed the stone and threw it on the ground near Tethia's boot. The bottom of her boot melted to the floor in a puddle of black and restricted her from moving forward.

A hand grabbed Tethia's shoulder from behind and turned her body toward it as she struggled to break free. The hand belonged to an armored body with purely paper skin and no facial features. The paper soldier came down on Tethia with a forceful fist and sent her to the ground.

"Syre was kind enough to leave an empty suit of armor for my acquaintance here," Maron said.

"Two on one?" Tethia growled as she cut the bottom of her boot from the floor with the Mercyblade.

"It would have been more, but I'm running a bit low on paper, and I have another meeting after this," Maron said.

Tethia grunted as she got up and charged the paper soldier, slashing away as it ducked and weaved, narrowly dodging her attacks. The paper man lifted his leg in an attempt to kick Tethia, but Tethia cut the leg clear off.

She kicked a rifle from the ground up into her hands and pointed it directly at Maron, "I'm done with you."

Suddenly, the radio from the paper soldier's armor buzzed and the sound of muffled gunshots came through.

"Maron, Syre, things got a little crazy down here. I couldn't hold everyone off," Nenemé said through the radio.

Footsteps marched up the stairwells, and both doors simultaneously opened as CROSS soldiers poured into the room. Maron grabbed the radio from ground, and he and Tethia ran as quickly as they could up the nearest staircase.

As they came to the next floor, Tethia stood at the top of the staircase and deflected soaring bullets back to the attacking soldiers, causing them to tumble down the stairs. The two remaining soldiers ceased firing and ran toward her. Tethia grabbed the first soldier and threw him toward Maron. Maron pushed the soldier back at Tethia, and she used her elbow to jab the soldier's throat. Maron yanked the second soldier in front of him just as Tethia slashed her blade. The soldier fell as Tethia made her way up the next set of stairs with Maron still chasing.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to share an elevator?" Maron asked.

"Why don't you just give up already?" Tethia yelled.

"Because, if I give up, Kasside dies," Maron responded.

"I don't believe that," Tethia barked.

"You don't need to," Maron said calmly.

Meanwhile, Syre had warped her way to the 70th floor of the building. She stopped and stumbled against the wall, "Just ten more," she said to herself.

Soldiers began to run down the stairs above her, their radios humming as they shouted codes and warnings at each other.

"That's what I get for taking a break," she sighed.

She continued warping up each flight of stairs, avoiding unnecessary confrontation with soldiers and workers that were rushing out of the building.

Syre finally reached the top floor of the abnormally lofty building, panting with her hands on her knees. The top floor was eerily quiet, considering the situation boiling on the floors below. There were a number of short hallways, and each hall had one white door on each of the three walls. Syre walked down the first hallway, cautiously reaching out for the center door. She slowly swiped the keycard to the door, leaving her hand on the handle as the little green light turned on. Syre pushed the door open and prepared herself for what lurked on the other side.

The room was dark and reeked of something foul. She pressed her hand to the wall, finding the switch for the lights as florescent bulbs illuminated the room. There were two rows of familiarly long chairs going down both sides of the room. In each chair was a body, strapped down from head to toe with blindfolds over their eyes. Syre walked down between the rows, examining the bodies as she came to a control panel with a black screen over it. She walked to the panel and pressed a green button as the black screen lowered and revealed a room beyond a thick glass wall. Syre shrieked and fell to the floor as she came face to face with a man on the other side of the screen. The man was holding his head between his hands, and his eyes had been gouged out, leaving only empty holes with dried blood around the sockets. She stood up and peered into the room, taking note of several others beyond the screen, all without eyes and stumbling aimlessly while holding their heads.

"You bastards can't hold me here forever, you hear me?" a voice shouted from nearby.

Syre exited the room and quickly opened the door on the right side of the hallway with the keycard. There were several holding cells made with metal walls painted white and a glass screen in front. A girl with straight black hair and a green circle on the side sat in the first one.

"Yallu?" Syre said in astonishment.

"Syre?" Yallu said. "Never thought I'd be so happy to see you. Took you long enough."

"Hold on, I'll get you out," Syre said.

Syre closed her eyes as she attempted to warp. She opened her eyes with a confused stare.

"You can't use alchenergy in here. There's some sort of blocker," Yallu explained.

Syre scanned the keycard against the lock on the metal door and it slid open automatically.

"Thanks. Where are Kasside and Maron?" Yallu asked.

"Maron is downstairs fighting Aero who is actually Kasside's ex-girlfriend. Long story," Syre sighed.

"Okay, I'll pretend that makes any sense. What about Kasside?" Yallu asked.

"Kasside was captured yesterday by Veret. I'm looking for him now. He should be on this floor," Syre answered.

"They have my brothers, too. I saw them when they brought me in. I'm worried that Raxa and Adderson might be caught as well," Yallu said.

"Yallu, Adderson ... Adderson was killed this morning. We saw it happen, but we couldn't save him ... I'm so sorry," Syre said with her head down.

Yallu swallowed her spit and clenched her fists, closing her eyes as tears built up in the corners. "They're gonna pay," she growled, grinding her teeth.

"Here, take this keycard and let everyone else out. Find your brothers and get out of the building as soon as you can," Syre instructed, handing Yallu the card.

"What about you? Will you be all right?" Yallu asked.

"I'll be fine. If I see anyone, I can just warp away, remember?" Syre grinned.

Yallu put her arms around Syre and hugged her tightly as streams of tears fell down her cheeks.

Syre exited the room and ran down the main hallway. Each hallway she passed by looked identical to the last, with one white door on each wall. As she ran toward a new hall, four soldiers turned the corner and briskly walked in her direction. She quickly maneuvered away and hid behind a potted tree next to bathroom doors. The soldiers unknowingly walked by her and continued on toward the elevators.

Syre turned and began walking to the other end of the room, stopping at an opening and peering around the corner. There were two male soldiers in dark armor standing with guns drawn and their backs to a large metal door.

"Only one reason they'd still be here," Syre said to herself. She took a deep breath and counted down from five. She turned the corner and equipped Severance in her hands as she walked directly at the guards.

The guards raised their guns as she approached. "Stop right there!" the first guard directed. "Drop your weapon or we'll shoot!" the other exclaimed.

Syre warped around the hall several times, each time coming closer and closer to the soldiers. She stopped and threw the lace toward the first soldier as he began to fire wildly. The dagger disengaged from the lace as Syre warped behind him. She aggressively kicked the soldier in the back, pushing him into the knife as it cut into his chest and came through his armor. The second soldier turned around and pointed his gun, but Syre warped once again, appearing behind him and wrapping the lace around his neck. The soldier dropped his weapon, struggling to breathe as he tried to pry the lace from his throat. He fell to his knees and dropped his arms to his sides, falling to the ground as Syre released him.

She reached into the soldier's pocket and retrieved a keycard. She stood up and approached the door, her hands shaking as she tightly gripped the handle and pressed her ear against the wall, attempting to listen through. She scanned the card and quickly pushed the door open. Her eyes became wide as her mouth opened in sync.

Veret was standing inside the room, facing Syre with a gun in one hand and holding Kasside by his collar in the other. Kasside was barely conscious, and the suit he had worn to the auction was now torn in many places. He had bloodstains on his skin and clothes, and bruises lined his arms and face.

As Syre took a step forward, Veret aimed the handgun at her head.

"Where's the boy with the book?" he asked sharply.

"Let him go," Syre ordered.

"I know he came with you. Where is he?" he asked again.

Syre stayed silent, staring down the barrel of the gun and gripping the end of the lace tightly.

"Pity," Veret said, pointing the gun toward Kasside.

" _No!_ " Syre screamed.

Veret shot three times, missing Kasside by mere inches as each bullet made a hole in the glass wall behind him. Veret pushed Kasside forcefully from his collar against and through the wall, shattering it into tiny shards. Kasside seemed to float for a moment in the air as he fell backward out of the room, and then quickly dropped out of view as the shards of glass dropped with him.

" _Kasside!_ " Syre cried out.

She ran past Veret and jumped without hesitation through the shattered window. The entire city was in clear view below, coming closer with each passing moment. A tempestuous gust savagely thrust against Syre's body as she desperately reached out to Kasside. He continued to fall limply like a doll as his hands and eyelids twitched.

"I can't reach you," Syre cried as she warped toward Kasside several times, coming a few feet closer each time.

Back on the fourth floor, Maron and Tethia finished off the last of the soldiers as they raced to the other end of the room. Crowds of workers were running for their lives and flooding the stairways as they stampeded toward the exits.

The radio in Maron's pocket hissed with feedback as Nenemé's voice came through, "Maron, not to worry you, but there are two people falling from the top of the building near the entrance, and one of them is warping."

Maron and Tethia looked at each other, and then they both quickly ran to the railing at the staircase. They looked up through slanted windows just above the rail. Sure enough, two figures were diving down at an alarming rate and picking up speed. Tethia hopped over the railing and down to the stairs, running down as fast as she could as Maron stayed behind.

Maron climbed on top of the railing, watching as his friends came closer and closer. He calmly opened his book, which had only three pages left inside. The first page gently slid away from the hard book cover and rose up over his shoulder to create an arm once more. The next two pages of his book slipped out and waited near his feet. Maron took a step onto one of the pages and began walking up toward the slanted glass as the pages caught his feet under him. He stopped just short of the window and closed his book in his hand. Maron's entire body began to change from skin to paper, starting at his legs and moving upward. His forehead began to glow with red light, shining with the same circular symbol that appeared on the cover of his book. The rest of his body shined with the blue markings that covered him. He spread his arms and waited until Kasside and Syre were just above his floor.

Maron sighed, "This boy."

He flew at the glass with tremendous speed, causing it to shatter as he moved in a straight line to Syre and Kasside. Syre was finally able to grab hold of Kasside, hugging him tightly as a Maron soared toward them. The moment Maron made contact with Kasside, his pages unraveled, turning outward and cocooning Kasside and Syre. Kasside and Syre continued to fall rapidly, stopping only a foot from the ground as the blue-marked pages burst with energy in all different directions, providing a cushion that pushed them a few inches up into the air before gravity pulled them back down. Maron's black book fell out of the air and landed a yard away from them, popping open as it struck the ground, revealing a translucent prism with a black alchemy circle on the base.

### Chapter XV: Two Worlds Collide

The gunfire—deafening. The city—chaotic. Pages upon pages of off-white paper softly swayed side to side and sunk to the ground. The rectangular fountain in front of the entrance to the oversized building was broken into large pieces of wet concrete. A number of escaped Alchens were fighting soldiers in the streets as more black trucks appeared and surrounded the building, sending reinforcements into the chaos.

Kasside and Syre were face to face on the ground with tattered clothes. The pages that had come to their rescue began deteriorating around them, burning in invisible flames as they withered away into nothing. Syre opened her eyes and pushed herself to her knees as an inescapable ringing noise flooded her head. Noticing Maron's open book, she reached out and pulled it to her, looking up in the air and surveying her surroundings in confusion.

Tethia came bolting through the front doors to the outside, blocking her face with the Mercyblade and running straight toward Kasside. From the other direction, Nenemé was making her way over as well, ducking as she ran to cover herself from incoming bullets. Tethia knelt down and cushioned Kasside's head with her hand.

Nenemé approached Syre, noticing the book in her hands. "Where's Maron?" she asked in a fretful tone as she knelt down.

"He's gone," Tethia answered.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Nenemé asked.

Syre opened the book, examining the prism and the dark alchemy circle inscribed on the base. Kasside's eyes widened as he gazed upon the book in Syre's hands.

"Kasside?" Tethia said as she shook him lightly.

Kasside's eyes began to pulse with golden light as his body began to tremble.

"This isn't good," Tethia said under her breath.

"Where's Maron, Tethia?" Nenemé asked again.

Tethia let go of Kasside and stood up as soldiers approached from all sides. "We're leaving. Syre, get us out," she commanded.

"Everyone grab on," Syre said in a despondent tone.

Syre began to reach down for Kasside, but Tethia pushed her away and stood between them.

"Not him," Tethia said.

"What? Why not? He's the whole reason we're here," Syre argued.

"I know, and he will survive, I promise. It's us I'm worried about," Tethia said.

" 'Us'? Since when are you part of this group? This happened because of you!" Syre said.

"Syre, she's right, we need to get out of sight for now," Nenemé said.

The front doors to the building burst open, and Veret came charging through with a team of soldiers behind him.

"I'm not leaving Kasside here, especially after everything we just did. Maron saved us. He gave himself to save us," Syre growled.

"Honey, Tethia's right. Just trust me ... this is what we have to do," Nenemé said. Tears started to stream down her face as she grabbed Maron's book from Syre.

Syre clenched her teeth and looked over to the front door, watching as Veret came closer. She closed her eyes as they disappeared in a twinkle of blue light, leaving Kasside on the ground as he began to breathe heavily and clench his fists. Syre, Nenemé, and Tethia hid safely behind nearby cover as the group of soldiers surrounded Kasside.

"Hold your fire," Veret ordered.

The soldiers kept their weapons aimed at Kasside as Veret approached him and knelt over his body.

"Where's your friend with the prisms, Kasside?" he calmly inquired.

Kasside's eyes opened wide as a thick steam of yellow-gold emanated from them, and the blue in his hair became luminous as a foggy golden aura outlined his body. The entirety of each eye was overtaken with the golden color, leaving no visible pupils. Veret stepped back and away from Kasside with a disgruntled look on his face. Kasside calmly stood up as the steam radiated from him.

"Open fire!" Veret commanded as he ran for a CROSS truck that was parked nearby.

At that moment, Kasside lifted his hands and dug his fingers into the side of his head as his teeth showed like an angry wild wolf. His nails pierced his skin as blood started to fill gaps in his fingerprints. The surrounding soldiers all fell to their knees with their hands on the sides of their heads as an ear-splitting, high-pitched tone emitted throughout the immediate area. Kasside let out a bloodcurdling and rage-filled bellow as the masks of each soldier cracked over the eyes, and white light protruded through as the broken panels dropped to the ground.

One by one, the soldiers began to mindlessly grab their rifles, firing upon their own comrades and then taking their own lives if left alive. A few soldiers aimlessly wandered off into the streets with their hands still attached to their heads and haunting white light in their eyes as pedestrians screamed in terror.

Syre, Nenemé, and Tethia covered their ears and closed their eyes as the cars in the street began to swerve hectically.

"Syre, can you get us inside the building?" Nenemé shouted over the ringing noise.

Syre nodded and grabbed Nenemé and Tethia. She warped away from the commotion and into the first floor of the building.

Inside, a number of Alchens were still trying to escape the clutches of CROSS as they fought their way to the exits. A sea of motionless bodies covered most of the floor, bathed in crimson red that stood out from the gray interior. The girls ran down an empty hallway, avoiding the ongoing battles in the main rooms of the building. A few Alchens were hiding in corners and closets, staying away from the imminent bloodshed.

"Syre," a voice called out. Yallu was standing at the other end of the hall with Raxa at her side, waving at Syre to come to them.

"You didn't make it outside?" Syre asked as they ran to Yallu.

"Are you serious? Did you see all those stairs?" Yallu scoffed.

Yallu led them inside an office space that had multiple cubicles, each with a desk, a phone, and a computer. A large area in the middle of the room had been cleared off and the office supplies were used as a barricade for the door. Po and Bu were both inside the room, standing in a corner behind the farthest cubicle as they furtively looked out. Yallu and Raxa sealed the door off behind them with the desks and chairs as they entered the room.

"We were thinking about making a run for it when I saw you guys. What are you doing back in here?" Yallu asked.

"Kasside is outside. I can't exactly explain what's happening, but I wouldn't go out there if I were you," Syre answered.

"He's out there alone?" Yallu abruptly asked.

"He's going to be fine," Tethia said.

"And you are?" Yallu asked in an insolent tone.

"She's Aero," Syre said.

"Ah, the ex-girlfriend. You're cool," Yallu said with a nod.

Tethia glared over at Syre with her devilishly red and angry eyes. Syre shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"So, where's Maron?" Yallu asked.

They each cast their heads downward and stayed quiet.

"Oh ... I see," Yallu said, hanging her head.

Nenemé hugged Maron's book tightly to her chest as she began to weep softly against the wall. Syre walked over to her and put her arms around her, rubbing her back gently as her eyes filled with tears as well.

"I'm so sorry, Nenemé. If I could have caught Kasside, none of this would have happened," Syre said.

Nenemé looked up as she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled, "No, he did what he had to do. I don't blame you, or him, or anyone else ... He sure saved your asses," Nenemé laughed as she wiped her tears.

"Yeah, he did," Syre smiled.

"So, how are we going to stop Kasside with Maron gone?" Nenemé asked.

"We'll find another way," Tethia said.

"You still haven't explained what's happening," Syre blurted out.

"Kasside has these fits of rage every now and then, and they always turn out like this," Nenemé began to explain. "He can never remember them after they happen. We did everything we could to keep it a secret from him until we could find a way stop it from happening."

"He absorbs nearby alchenergy, as far as we can tell. Then he passes on some sort of permanent illusion, hence the Moonstruck," Tethia stated.

"And you never thought that this information might be beneficial for Kasside to know?" Syre said.

"We didn't know how he would react. We couldn't risk it," Tethia replied.

Syre paced around the room with her hand on her forehead, taking deep and calming breaths, "How did Maron stop him?"

"Maron has always had a way with him," Nenemé answered. "I'm not sure how he did it, but he always calmed him down without gettin' hurt."

"What happens if we can't stop him?" Syre asked.

Tethia and Nenemé glanced at each other with empty expressions.

"You don't know," Syre sighed.

"We haven't had to worry about that since Maron has been with him. Maron knew that Kasside would be unstable without him," Nenemé said.

"That's why containment is not the answer. We need to rid Kasside of his alchenergy completely to give him a normal and safer life," Tethia declared.

"Maron wasn't 'containing' him, he was going to help him gain control over it. Without his alchenergy, Kasside wouldn't be the same person," Nenemé contested. "I shouldn't have to argue that to an Alchen."

"We don't have many options, Nenemé ... Kasside is still out there," Syre said. "Tethia, how do we get rid of Kasside's alchenergy?"

"The prisms, like I have been saying," Tethia answered. "We need the prisms to make the Arcrone to take away Kasside's alchenergy. Got it?" Tethia said in an irritated manner.

"Okay, how many prisms do we need?" Syre asked.

"It's more complicated than that," Tethia said. "Let's see the prisms you have."

"Maron gave me these before we got here," Nenemé said, retrieving two prisms from her pocket.

"This one was outside. I found it in Maron's book," Syre said, holding out a third prism.

"He's really gone then," Tethia sighed. "I get the feeling that little shit would have known what to do here."

"So, you don't know how to use 'em?" Nenemé asked.

Tethia examined the prisms closely, turning them over in her hands and tapping her foot as she thought. "Asian girl, do you know how to use alchemy?" she sharply asked, pointing at Yallu.

Yallu shook her head and shrugged.

"Does anyone else in here know how to use alchemy?" Tethia inquired.

"Maron taught me a few things," Syre answered.

"Good," Tethia said. "Nenemé, can I see Maron's book?"

Nenemé looked down at the book. She caressed the cover with the tips of her fingers and took a deep breath. She reluctantly handed the book over to Tethia.

"Wait, I have something for you," Syre said, digging into her pockets. "Maron told me to give this to you if something happened to him," she said, holding a note out to Tethia.

"Why didn't you say so?" Tethia asked as she opened the paper and looked over it carefully. "That motherfucker."

"What is it?" Nenemé asked.

"Does anyone have anything infused, like an alchemy stone or chalk?" Tethia asked.

"I have an alchemy stone that I made a few days ago," Syre said.

Syre handed the stone to Tethia. Tethia snatched the stone from her and walked to an empty section of the room. She knelt down and began to draw a large circle on the ground, using the alchemy stone like a pencil while holding the note in front of her. She drew different shapes and lines inside the symbol as it slowly became a complex design. Once she was finished, the alchemy stone had been reduced to dust. She placed each prism in a small circle within the larger one.

Tethia stood up and wiped her hands, "Syre, I'll need you for this."

"So, this is what his note was for?" Syre asked.

"I don't know where or when he got this, but it's a circle I've never seen, and I'm not surprised that he knew about it the whole time," Tethia said.

Syre walked over to one of the small circles on the edge and stood inside the lines. Tethia placed Maron's empty book in the center circle, and the entire drawing began to glow with white light. A low humming noise was being produced throughout the room.

"Well, I'm doing something right," Tethia sighed.

"I still don't know what I'm supposed to do," Syre said.

"You're going to have to go get Kasside," Tethia responded.

"You guys said that he was too dangerous to be around," Syre argued.

"He needs to be here if we want to stop him, and I can't warp," Tethia replied. "Just don't look him in the eyes. Set him in the middle and stand in your circle like you are now. As soon as you're back, touch the floor and use what Maron taught you about diffusion."

Nenemé walked toward Syre and pulled a white headband from her pocket, "Use this," she said.

"Do you just carry that around with you everywhere?" Syre asked.

"It's good luck," Nenemé winked.

"Remember, the longer you stay near him, the more energy he will absorb," Tethia warned.

Syre took a deep breath, "The rest of you should probably clear out in case we fail," she suggested.

Syre warped away with Nenemé's headband in hand, reappearing outside near the entrance of the building. Sirens blared and guns blazed as Alchens and soldiers ran rampant through the streets in an all-out warzone. Blood lined the streets and bodies were being carried off in each direction. News anchors ducked behind cover and took footage of the massacre.

"What have we done?" Syre said to herself.

At the heart of the commotion, Kasside was still standing near the front of the CROSS building, eyes wide and teeth grinding. The light from his eyes was blinding, and massive amounts of energy radiated from him. A dozen Moonstruck limped around the area near him with the same bright eyes and lost look about them. Syre's heart was pounding as she felt herself becoming weaker. She hid behind a large planter and fastened the white headband around her eyes. She took several calming breaths, closed her eyes and clenched her fists. She stood up and turned toward Kasside as light began to seep in through the uncovered spots under her eyes.

"I really hope you know what you're doing, Tethia," she said.

In an instant, she was gone and appeared next to Kasside, hugging him tightly and keeping her head down as the a harsh ringing struck her ears. Her muscles tightened and she warped again, landing inside her circle as instructed by Tethia. She quickly pushed Kasside into the middle and put her hand to the floor as Tethia did the same. The alchemy circle lifted from the ground as their surroundings began to break apart, leaving empty black patches of space that defied logic and reality. The circle acted on its own, constricting around them as the lines burned into their skin. Syre and Tethia held their positions as steam began to protrude from their bodies.

In a flash of white light, everything stopped. No voices, no ringing, no gunshots. Time halted for a few moments as the white light faded, revealing unfamiliar surroundings. The sky was tinted with multiple colors that were constantly changing and moving. Oranges ducked under pinks as pinks swirled with blues. In the sky sat a gigantic sun, comprised of blue and black flames that danced wildly around it. Different sized rocks and boulders floated around in all directions, unaffected by gravity or other forces. The rocks easily passed through each other as they moved around, some coming up through the ground while others fell from the sky.

Syre looked down at her hands. Her body was glowing with a pink aura, and her skin was covered in markings (much like the ones she'd seen on Maron's body). Her skin was being torn away, molecule by molecule, and thrown into the air. Tethia was nearby with a red aura glowing around her.

"Where are we?" Syre asked.

"You should know exactly where we are," Tethia answered.

"That isn't possible ... unless we're dead," she said.

"I don't think we're dead, but I definitely can't use alchenergy," Tethia commented.

"You don't think the prisms took away our alchenergy, do you?" Syre asked in concern.

"It was always a possibility. It's a sacrifice I was willing to make," Tethia replied.

A sensation of both cold and warm wafted through the area and coursed through their bodies, inside and out.

Syre stood up and turned around in a circle, "Where's Kasside?"

"I'm not sure," Tethia responded. "We shouldn't be wasting time. I can already feel my body breaking apart. This place is not meant for us to walk around in."

"Lead the way," Syre said with her hand out.

Tethia turned in circles a few times, staring in each direction for a few seconds as she contemplated her choices. "Follow the sun, I guess."

"You guess?" Syre said.

"Yes, I fucking guess, Syre. I've never been to another dimension, or realm, or whatever the fuck you want to call it," Tethia spewed.

"All right, relax. Let's follow the giant death sun," Syre said.

They began their trek toward the raging star that sat in the surreal and ever-changing sky. Syre looked down a few yards in front of her and noticed a black object on the ground with a white aura around it.

She ran over to it and picked it up, "Maron's book made the trip," she said, wiping it off.

"It's not a book if it doesn't have any pages," Tethia replied.

"What did you have against Maron? He wanted the same thing that you did," Syre said.

"You didn't know Maron like I did," Tethia responded. "Regardless of his intentions, he was manipulative, controlling, and selfish. It's not like I hated him—hell, I'm just like him. Maybe that's why we didn't get along ..."

Tethia and Syre remained quiet for several moments as they continued their walk.

Suddenly, the black and blue ball of fire spit out a swirling pillar of flames that travelled by them at a high speed. The girls ducked out of the way as it passed by.

"What the hell was that?" Tethia asked.

The firing continued, blasting a beam in the same direction each time, reaching farther than the terrain allowed them to see.

"Do you think it's telling us where to go?" Tethia asked.

"Even if it is, do we trust it?" Syre asked.

Tethia turned and looked in the direction of the horizontal flames. She shrugged, "Fuck it."

They began to walk in the direction of beams, being careful not to come too close.

"So, what was it like being in CROSS?" Syre asked.

"You're asking that now, while we might be the first people to visit Anexia?" Tethia said.

"Just trying to pass the time," Syre shrugged.

Tethia sighed, "It wasn't terrible, I guess, but most of the time I was scared out of my mind. There are some very powerful Alchens out there."

"Did you ever see Leo while you worked there?" Syre asked.

Tethia laughed, "Leo is a statue with a bank account," she said. "I think the day he found us in my cabin was the first time he's been out of the academy."

"What about Rhoya? What was she like?" Syre asked.

"Rho was the best," Tethia responded. "She was tough, honest, smart, and she was the most accepting person I had ever met."

"Sounds like Kasside," Syre said.

"They were a lot alike," Tethia said, "except Kasside can be an idiot."

Tethia stopped in her tracks. She turned her head as the sun was no longer behind them, but on her side. "Are you seeing this?" she asked.

"Did we get off track?" Syre asked.

"No way," Tethia replied.

She took a few steps forward and the sun crept forward with her, ending up in front of her. The beams continued to fire, only now in a different direction.

"We're never getting out of here, are we?" Syre asked.

"Probably not," Tethia sighed.

The girls continued following the flaming pillars as the grains of dirt from their steps lifted into the air and gently began to float away. The vast landscape only seemed to be getting larger as they walked. The ominous sun continued to change places in the sky and each time they changed their course.

Several minutes later, they came to a flat area with tall, opaque pillars of green gas that wisped back and forth. The pillars faded near the top, bleeding into the colored sky. Syre walked near one of the pillars and slowly stuck out her hand.

"I wouldn't touch anything," Tethia warned.

Syre pulled her hand back, "Yeah, you're right."

They continued walking as the fiery blasts continued to soar past them. Barely visible orbs of gas began floating between each of bending towers in straight lines. In the distance, another green pillar came into view, however appeared to be solid. As they came closer, the structure became clear.

"Is that a skyscraper?" Syre asked.

"Are you really still asking me questions? I have no clue what any of this shit is," Tethia replied.

"Sorry I asked," Syre said.

The sun once more began to change positions in the sky, sending the blasts in a new direction.

"I can't feel my weight under me when I walk and it's really irritating," Tethia mentioned. "You know, some people think Anexia is supposed to be filled with fluffy clouds and singing children."

"Maybe there's more to it than that," Syre said.

"Shit," Tethia blurted out.

"What now?" Syre asked.

"I just had a thought. What if we failed, and now we are just Moonstruck walking around outside in the chaos?" Tethia asked.

"I hadn't thought of that," Syre responded lowly.

" _Shit, shit, shit!_ We're fucked! This is all part of the illusion, and now I'm stuck here forever with 'Princess Innocence,' " Tethia ranted on.

Syre turned her head and sharpened her eyes, walking away from Tethia as she approached a moving object in the dirt.

"Did you even hear what I just said?" Tethia shouted.

"Princess Innocence, Moonstruck—got it. What is this?" Syre asked as she inched closer to the object.

Tethia walked over to her and examined it from a safe distance, "I don't know, just don't touch it."

The object was a tree root, sticking out of the ground and wriggling around like a worm in quicksand. It had a dull blue glow and seemed to be reaching toward them.

"It looks like it's alive," Syre commented.

"Alchenergy can look like whatever it wants to look like," Tethia said. "Also, I don't know if you've been paying attention to me, but it's possible that none of this is real."

Syre slowly reached out with her fingertips, but the root backed away and lifted up, revealing a long, stretched body that seemed to go on for miles underneath the dirt. Syre turned to Tethia with raised eyebrows as Tethia shrugged and sighed.

They began to walk along the expanding blue root as it led them through the exotic world. The root seemed to be on course with the flaming pillars.

"So, following the creepy root is fine, but how dare I follow the sun?" Tethia muttered.

"At least the root isn't on fire and shooting at us," Syre replied.

"Yet," Tethia mumbled.

After several minutes, the root brought them to a steep hill that appeared through a cloud of fog. As they walked up the large incline, more roots became visible and were spread out in all different directions. Dead trees lined the outskirts of the area, and just beyond the trees were more hills and mountains that blocked their view of anything farther. Blue branches that reached high into the air were overhead as they neared the hilltop.

A gargantuan tree came into view that lay in their path as they finally reached the top. The tree was comprised of multiple trunks that spiraled round together like an upside-down tornado, glowing with blue light. The base was hundreds of feet wide with breaks in between the legs of the twisted trunks. The black and blue fire in the sky seemed closer now, striking the tops of the branches as pieces of wood snapped off, sending particles wandering into the sky.

The wind began to blow heavily as Syre and Tethia's bodies began to rapidly break away. Whispers started to come from the direction of the tree.

"This feels familiar somehow," Syre said.

"Then maybe you can tell me what happens next," Tethia said in a dull tone.

Syre cautiously moved closer to the massive tree. Tethia glanced around the area as the fire continued to savagely strike the branches.

"You're really going in there?" Tethia asked.

"There has to be something in there," Syre responded. "Besides, it's possible that none of this is real, right?"

"If you want to start touching things, be my guest. I don't care anymore," Tethia told her.

Syre and Tethia entered underneath the tree through the dark and mysterious gaps between the legs. Pure darkness surrounded them, and the whispers grew louder as the wind ceased. Creaking noises came from the tree and echoed through the hollow inside.

"You're hurting my hand," Syre said.

"Shut the hell up," Tethia whispered.

A few seconds later, an alchemy circle appeared from the ground and lit the room with white light. The circle stretched throughout the entire inside of the tree, illuminating the incredibly tall and vast area. Tethia and Syre shielded themselves from the light with their hands. Syre stepped back and dropped the book on the ground as the dirt under them began to lift.

Suddenly, two groups of small roots shot from the ground and spun around each other, binding together to create a mass that took the shape of human legs. Syre and Tethia watched intently as the roots continued to grow and wrap themselves into the shape of a body. Branches swooped down from the ceiling of the massive structure to complete the upper half of the body. The face slowly grew details as the wood solidified into one piece.

Syre stared at the face for a few moments and her eyes became wide, "Maron?"

### Chapter XVI: Vexed and Hexed

The branches—swaying. The flames—dancing. The fire continued to relentlessly singe the branch ends from the spiraling tree. The sky continued to change colors, and small orbs of light flew away in all different directions. A body made of collected wooden branches stood tall inside the base of the tree.

"That solves that, we really are dead," Tethia moped.

"No, not yet," the wooden man said.

"It _is_ you," Syre exclaimed.

"Yes, in some form. I have been bound to this tree for more time than I can keep track of," Maron replied. "When my body was destroyed that day, it left behind a prism, did it not?"

"It did, but that was all only a few hours ago," Tethia replied.

"Relative to you," Maron said. "Time is a very easy thing to manipulate, and right now your sense of time is much different from those who are not here," he said. "In any case, it appears that the prisms have successfully brought you here."

Tethia put her head in her hands and rubbed her forehead, "But the prisms were supposed to take away alchenergy. If it's just a portal, wouldn't Kasside be here?"

"Kasside is very much here," Maron said, using his stick-like fingers to point to the fire that continued to attack the tree. Maron knelt down and picked up the dropped book, "Bringing this was the best thing you could have done."

The symbol on the cover began to glow. The branches and roots that bound him to the tree suddenly snapped. They curled toward him and around him as they plummeted into the book cover, disappearing as they entered a void of white light. Pages began filling the book as the light disappeared. The alchemy circle on the floor vanished, and the circle on the book cover faded until it was nothing more than an indentation.

"Why do you still look like that?" Tethia asked.

"I won't pretend to have all the answers," he said, "but the forms we take in Anexia may correlate to our different methods of arriving here, however vague that response may sound."

"You're made of wood. Nothing you're saying could possibly be enough of an explanation," Tethia said.

At that moment, a spinning stream of fire broke through the tree, blasting open a large hole above them as bark went in all directions. Maron quickly lifted his hand as the fire struck his palm and began to swirl around. Tethia and Syre ducked out of the way as the flames continued to grow.

"What's happening?" Syre asked.

"Kasside is taking alchenergy to use for his rampage," Maron answered.

"What are we supposed to do?" Tethia asked. "We can't even use any damn alchenergy in this place."

"The ritual has finally ended. You need not do more," Maron stated.

"What are you talking about?" Syre asked.

"It's not something I can easily explain, but my body and mind have been reconnected, and I finally have clarity," Maron said.

"I'm still pretty sure that we're Moonstruck and this is in our heads," Tethia said.

The fire took the shape of a body, contacting the ground as limbs formed from flames. Maron kept his palm facing the fire as features appeared on its newly formed head. A full body now stood in front of Maron, entirely composed of blue and black fire that tapered off around the edges. It had golden glowing eyes that locked with Maron's gaze.

"Is that Kasside?" Syre asked.

"Yes," Maron answered. "We must keep him here if he is to be released from this place, and hope that he does not overpower me."

"Nice knowing you," Tethia said.

Maron latched on to Kasside's shoulders as the fire crawled up his arms, singeing him as it moved. Maron's eyes were glowing with white light as he and Kasside stood completely still, shining like glorious deities.

"This place is pretty fucked up," Tethia commented.

In a flash of white light, everything stopped. A tingling sensation fell over their bodies and oxygen filled their lungs. Syre peeled her eyes open slowly as the light faded and saw Maron and Kasside, facing each other in the center of an artificially lit room. Back in a flesh body, Maron's hair was long once again and fell over his face. His body was clear from any markings.

The bright light from Kasside's eyes faded and he fell limply to the ground.

"Did you do it?" Syre asked.

"We did," Maron smiled.

"It's weird that you're smiling. Stop it," Tethia said.

The door to the room opened wide and Nenemé stepped inside. She dropped her weapons as she met eyes with Maron. She put her hand over her mouth, laughing as joyous tears raced down her face. She ran over to Maron and jumped on him, tying her arms and legs around him as they embraced.

"What the hell took you so long?" Nenemé asked as she wiped her tears. "I'm going to have to cut your hair again."

"I've missed you, too," Maron replied.

Kasside began to sit up and slowly opened his eyes. He yawned and glanced around the room, "Did we win?"

"Not yet," Syre replied as her eyes began to water. She knelt down next to Kasside and put her arms around him tightly.

"Is Maron wearing a wig?" he asked.

"Here, this is yours." Tethia said as she handed Kasside the Mercyblade.

"Thanks. I'm not sure what's happening, but I'm glad to see you're not killing each other," Kasside said.

At that moment, Po, Bu, Yallu, Raxa, and Leo came inside the room and closed the door.

"Leo? What are you doing here?" Tethia asked.

"Can't anyone just be happy to see me?" Leo sighed. "I'm glad to see you're all getting along now, but it's a mess outside and even worse at the academy."

"What's happening at the academy?" Syre asked.

"Ever since you guys left it's been chaos. I didn't get a chance to tell you the last time I saw you, but Juna completely lost it, and now the whole place is a warzone. They could really use a hand," he said.

Tethia shook her head, "We've been through enough already to go back now, and frankly, it's the main reason we left."

"I have a truck outside. We could be there soon if we use the Crossline. There are a lot of Alchens over there that weren't able to escape like you were. I'm starting to believe that CROSS might have killed those kids ..." Leo said.

"We'll help," Yallu said, raising her hand.

"So will we," Maron announced. "We'll have to pass the academy if we're to leave the island either way, and I'm assuming we all want to leave the island."

Kasside, Syre, Maron, and Nenemé stood in a line with smiles and faces of determination.

"Tethia?" Leo asked.

Tethia crossed her arms and sighed, giving Leo a bothered expression.

" _Aero?_ " Leo asked again with a smile.

"If you get me killed, I swear on my fucking life I will haunt you," Tethia replied.

"Let's go," Leo said as he exited the room.

They each followed Leo outside of the building and around the fighting that was still taking place in front of CROSS Headquarters. Kasside looked around as they ran through the commotion, furrowing his brow as he spotted Moonstruck stumbling in the destruction. Leo opened the back of a parked CROSS truck and helped them each get inside. Tethia took the passenger seat as Leo got into the driver's seat and began to drive away.

"Hey Leo, if you had a truck this whole time, why didn't you let us use it to escape?" Kasside asked through the window in the back.

"You think they would trust me with an armored truck? I couldn't even get a coffee mug," Leo laughed. "I stole this baby."

"Wow, look at you. Not such a wimp after all," Tethia said.

"You think so?" Leo asked with an off-putting grin.

Tethia sighed, "But you're still a creep."

Leo entered a nearby ramp to the Crossline and pressed the gas pedal to the floor, sending the people in the back crashing into each other.

"There are eight people back here, hon," Nenemé told Leo.

"Sorry, I've never done this before," Leo said.

They remained on the highway as the noises from the city died down, and it became calm for the first time in hours.

"How did you guys get me out? I remember getting shot by Veret, but I can't feel the wound," he said, feeling the skin under his shirt.

"We promised you explanations, so maybe now is the time," Maron replied.

"Maron," Syre quietly said.

"It's all right. You were right, we should have told him sooner," Maron told Syre.

"Should've told me what?" Kasside asked.

"Please understand that I only kept these things hidden for your protection and ours," Maron said. "The reason you cannot feel your wounds is because they have healed. In fact, the day we first saw Veret, you were cut by his knife, but that healed as well."

"So, I can heal in my sleep?" Kasside asked.

Maron shook his head, "You absorb alchenergy. When you absorbed the alchenergy from Veret's blood, it became normal, and thus, no longer poisonous. After you were shot, you must have absorbed enough alchenergy to accelerate the healing process, although it's unclear."

"I don't understand," Kasside said.

"Kasside, something inside you triggers when you are angry, and you enter a state of uncontrollable rage," Maron said. "During these fits, you siphon and release massive amounts of energy. Anyone near you becomes locked in an entranced state, forever."

"Like the Moonstruck?" Kasside hesitantly asked.

"Precisely. You created the Moonstruck, Kasside," Maron said.

Kasside looked down, deep in thought, putting his hands on the sides of his head. Syre stood up quickly in preparation of the worst. Maron put up his hand as she slowly sat back down. Kasside inhaled and exhaled heavily a few times, grinding his teeth and subtly shaking his head.

After a few more moments, he sighed and dropped his arms, "Well, that figures."

"You're not angry?" Syre asked.

"I'm not sure yet ... It's hard to take in, but it's not like it doesn't make sense," Kasside replied. "Who else knew about this?"

"Tethia, Nenemé, and recently, Syre" Maron said.

"What about Leo?" Kasside asked.

"Do you really think Leo can keep a secret?" Nenemé asked.

"I heard that," Leo shouted from the front.

"How many times has this happened?" he asked.

"A handful of times, but never on this scale," Maron said. "We were able to reduce casualties when we realized that I could not be affected by your illusions, and you become calm when I stand in your way."

" 'Reduce casualties' ..." he said glumly. "And you never told me any of this because you thought that I would go crazy again?"

"We were unsure of how you might react to such news, and we had to be careful in such a confined area with so many lives at stake," Maron said.

"We'll help you control it, Kasside," Syre said.

"I'm think I'm starting to remember, at least in pieces," Kasside said. "Most of it is pretty hazy. What ever happened with the prisms?"

Syre scratched her head, "I remember we put them in an alchemy circle, and there was a bright light. To be honest, I can't remember much after that."

"All I know is the prisms didn't take away our alchenergy," Tethia said.

"The prisms are great and mysterious objects. Perhaps the details are better left unknown for the time being," Maron suggested.

"I still don't fully understand, but I'm just glad you're okay now," he said.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't understand any of it either, kid," Nenemé told him with a smile.

Yallu, Raxa, Po, and Bu sat on the other side of the truck, trying to speak over the noise of the engine.

"Yallu, I apologize, but your father's prism is gone," Maron said.

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad that he was able to help out one more time," she smiled. "It makes me feel like he's still here."

"I'm sure he was a great man," Maron replied.

"He was a lot like you, and by that I mean he was really into all that alchemy crap," Yallu smirked.

Less than half an hour later, Leo exited the Crossline and slowed the truck. "We're almost there," he said.

"Already? Man, we didn't make it very far, did we?" Kasside laughed.

"Farther than most. Not to mention I was driving at a hundred miles per hour," Leo boasted.

"Settle down, big guy," Tethia said.

The truck stopped as the all-too-familiar sounds of gunshots and screams surrounded them.

"Don't forget what you're all fighting for," Maron said. "This is bigger than you, than me, or any one of us. This is about helping our kind survive. It's for equality, and showing our enemies that we don't back down when we are treated unjustly."

They each secured their weapons as they became quiet and concentrated at the task at hand.

"Kasside, you'll need this," Maron said, handing him a small alchemy stone.

Kasside put the stone into the holder of the Mercyblade and nodded.

Leo opened the back doors of the truck and they quickly jumped out. They ran through the destroyed gates of the academy and into the fray. Soldiers were in scattered groups as they fired upon any cadet they saw. Cadets were running in all directions; some were fighting to fend off advancing soldiers, and others were tending to their fallen comrades.

"Where do we go?" Raxa asked.

"We stay together and find the presider," Maron responded.

A helicopter flew overhead and aimed a bright light down on them just after they entered the academy. "Stop where you are and release your prisoner!" they announced through a speaker.

"I think they mean you," Tethia said to Leo in an amused voice.

"No thanks, I'm all right," Leo shouted at the helicopter as he waved.

Nenemé pointed her hand gun at the helicopter and shot once, causing gas to leak down. Kasside turned the Mercyblade over as they returned fire, sending the bullets away from the group. Syre quickly grabbed Raxa and warped into the air with him. Raxa clicked his tongue as the liquid gas caught on fire and trailed back up to the helicopter. Syre warped back to the ground with Raxa as the helicopter exploded in a red and yellow ball of fire.

The rotor from the helicopter detached and came straight toward them. Four pages from Maron's book slipped out and quickly caught each section, holding them in place as Maron calmly watched. The rotor dropped to the ground as the rest of the helicopter fell over the wooded area.

"Unnecessary, but effective," Maron said as pieces fell around them.

They continued to push on. They came to an open area in front of a wide building, and groups of bodies covered various spots of the ground. A few cadets were hiding in cover as two soldiers fired at them. Po and Bu ran to the cadets and made a circle around them with their arms. A protective barrier formed around them and sent the bullets off course. Tethia, Yallu, and Kasside ran at the attacking soldiers and caught their attention. Tethia grabbed Kasside's arm and yanked it in front of her as the bullets were deflected away. Yallu ran along the side of a wall, balancing perfectly as she avoided their shots. She jumped from the wall and landed a forceful punch on the first soldier. Tethia swept the soldier's leg and sent him to the floor as the other attempted to reload his gun. She grabbed the ammo from his hand and reloaded his weapon while still in his hands. She angled the weapon at his face and forced him to pull the trigger.

A third soldier came running into the area and lifted his firearm. Leo quickly lifted his own and fired several times as the soldier fell. They each looked over to Leo as he slowly lowered his gun.

"I guess you're officially out of CROSS," Kasside said.

"Not gonna lie, it feels nice," Leo responded. "I just wish it were under different circumstances."

"Guys, Raxa is hit," Syre stated from behind.

They each turned to see Raxa with his hand on his side, his shirt stained red.

"I'll live," he groaned.

"No, you need to sit down," Yallu said.

"We need to keep moving," Maron said.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll get Raxa to help," she said.

"We'll do what we can from here. There are plenty of people that need help," Bu said.

"If you get into trouble, hide somewhere and get out of the academy. Wait for us near the entrance if you can," Maron instructed.

The rest of the group entered the large building, which had broken windows and bullet holes across the walls. A slain cadet was sitting against the wall just inside, eyes wide and stiff as a board, staring an empty stare at the adjacent wall. They walked through the halls of their classes from past years, looking inside to see each one had been violated in some way.

They exited through double doors and entered the courtyard. Immediate gunfire came toward them as they each ducked and spread out to find cover.

"There's too many for me to cover everyone," Kasside yelled over the sound of bullets flying as several stuck to the Mercyblade.

"What now?" Syre asked.

"We can use the gym to get behind them," Leo suggested.

"He's right," Tethia said. "Nenemé, Leo, and I are the closest to the door. Kasside, can you distract them for a few seconds?"

"You got it," Kasside said.

"All right, but be careful," Maron warned.

Kasside ran from behind cover and began to taunt the soldiers while shielding himself behind the Mercyblade. Tethia, Nenemé, and Leo ran and entered the curved building to their left as Kasside found cover again.

Inside the building, Tethia led Leo and Nenemé through a short hallway. Posters for various events were pinned to the walls of the hall, torn and stained with dirt and blood. The lights above them flickered and buzzed as they carefully approached the doors.

"Come on, it's clear," Tethia said as she opened doors that led into the gymnasium.

A woman with a cap and a ponytail stood on the stage on the other end of the room, pointing a gun as a shot echoed throughout the gym and smoke left the barrel.

"Get down!" Leo shouted as he stepped in front of Tethia and pulled her to the ground.

Nenemé knelt down behind a row of chairs as Tethia and Leo sat up.

"You're hit," Tethia said while inspecting Leo's shoulder.

"I'll be all right," Leo said as he pressed his hand against the wound. "This armor sucks."

"Entry Ascenler," Juna called out, "I am disappointed to see where your true loyalties lie, but I can't say that I'm surprised." She closed the door to a small cabinet full of weapons and ammo behind the stage.

"It's just 'Leo' now, Presider Oritz," Leo said.

"What did they tell you? That they would be your best friends if you gave them information about CROSS?" she scoffed. "You're naive."

"They didn't have to tell me anything. I can see very clearly on my own that CROSS is nothing but a bunch of bullies against an innocent group of people," Leo replied.

"Innocent?" she laughed. "Name one Alchen that hasn't killed someone or at least tried to. It's in their blood. You're a fool to think you belong with them."

Tethia grabbed Leo's rifle and quickly shot the lights above them. Shards of broken glass fell over them in the darkness of the room. Juna stood underneath the only remaining light source on the stage and calmly checked her weapon.

"I can't believe I used to think she was hot," Leo whispered.

Tethia gave Leo a clout to the head with a hard and swift palm.

"I said 'used to,' " Leo whined.

"You're out of ammo," Tethia groaned as she tossed the weapon aside.

"I have a few rounds," Nenemé said.

"The world you are striving to create can never exist," Juna stated.

"Not with you in the way," Leo shouted back.

"So, what's the plan? You beg me to stop my men from protecting themselves and then we release all the Alchens into the city so that they can wreak more havoc?" Juna asked.

Quick footsteps approached Juna from the side in the dark. She pointed her gun in the direction of the noise, but a bullet struck the side of the gun before she could fire. The gun was knocked out of her hand and sent to the floor, sliding against the wood. Tethia entered the lit area and lunged at Juna. Tethia and the presider exchanged blows as they swiftly dodged and blocked each other.

"You fight like a soldier," Juna said as they stepped away from each other.

"I was a soldier," Tethia replied, "until I started killing you all off, starting with Presider Maceo."

"You're Aero? Funny, even I thought you were going to be a man," Juna said as she grabbed a knife from her belt holster.

"It isn't me you should be worried about," Tethia said calmly, pointing to her feet.

Juna looked down at a microphone cord in front of her. The cord jerked backward and sent her to the ground. Nenemé stepped up on to the stage from behind her with the cord in one hand and a gun in the other.

"You kill me and your last hope of getting out of here alive dies with me," Juna warned.

"My boyfriend told me about you. He said you hit him in the head with a baton," Nenemé said as she cocked the gun.

" _You fucking Alchen lovers will die along with the rest of them!_ " Juna spouted as she lifted herself, still brandishing the knife.

Nenemé pulled the trigger and Juna fell limp, a line of blood spilling from the hole in her forehead. Her cap lay upside-down on the stage behind her head, filling with blood as the smoke from Nenemé's gun cleared.

"The others are still waiting outside," Tethia said as she hopped off the stage.

"I'll go check it out. Help Leo up," Nenemé said.

Outside, Kasside, Maron, and Syre struggled to fend off the soldiers as more and more arrived. Pages from Maron's book flew in each direction, grabbing onto soldiers and throwing them to the ground as Syre warped by and tossed Severance at the nearest opponents. Kasside ran up to a lone standing soldier and bashed him with the Mercyblade, causing him to fall on his comrades nearby.

A larger soldier walked onto the scene near the bronze statue, which was now headless and armless. He had green panels on his mask and familiarly long and greasy hair. Syre threw her weapon again, but the soldier put out his hand and the dagger changed directions mid-flight.

Syre warped away and regrouped with Maron and Kasside behind a large concrete pillar. "Isn't that the presider that killed Adderson?" she asked.

"Yes, Presider Sengar Connor, from what I can tell. He's the one who can manipulate magnetic forces," Maron replied.

"Adderson is dead?" Kasside said as he caught his breath.

"We saw him get killed near the building Veret was keeping you in," Syre responded.

At that moment, a group of Alchen cadets rushed in from the side, attacking the soldiers and taking their attention.

"Now's our chance," Kasside said as he moved from cover.

Nenemé could be seen coming out from the adjacent building and running toward them. The presider walked down the paved path as Kasside and Nenemé ran toward him from different directions.

"Kasside, the Mercyblade!" Syre shouted.

Kasside stopped and examined his arm. "Shit," he said as he struggled to remove the apparatus.

Presider Connor lifted his arm toward Kasside as Nenemé took aim with her gun. Unable to remove the blade, Kasside was swiftly pulled along the ground as the presider attracted the Mercyblade toward him.

" _Nenemé, don't!_ " Maron yelled.

Nenemé squeezed the trigger just as the presider pulled Kasside in the bullet's path. He twisted Kasside's arm behind his back, using him as a human shield. The bullet exited the barrel of the gun and soared through the air, spinning with great speed and heading directly for Kasside.

There was a flash of blue light, and Syre suddenly appeared in front of Kasside. She pulled him away from the presider, and in another flash of blue light, Kasside and Syre were gone with no trace of the bullet.

They reappeared a few yards away, falling over each other as they hit the ground.

"Are you okay?" Kasside asked.

"I'm fine, I just got grazed," she said. Part of Syre's shirt was ripped and the top of her shoulder was bleeding.

Kasside looked over Syre's shoulder and saw Nenemé, looking toward them with her hand over her chest. Nenemé dropped her gun and fell to her knees while examining her hand. Her shirt and hand were covered in blood, and there was a small hole in her shirt, just above her left breast.

" _Nenemé!_ " Kasside yelled as they got up and ran to her.

"Shit, I must have warped the bullet along with us," Syre panicked.

Maron's eyes widened as he began to walk straight toward Sengar. The presider retrieved his gun and shot several times at Maron, but each shot was quickly diverted by a page from Maron's book. Two pages wrapped around the presider's knees and squeezed tightly, snapping the bone like crackling twigs as he screamed in pain. Another page removed his mask as Maron quickly approached. Maron threw his arm forward as page after page came out of his book and forcefully entered the man's mouth and went down his throat. Sengar choked and gurgled as his eyes began to water. His body began to lift into the air as Maron conducted with his hand. Maron clenched his fist and the pages began to exit the presider's body, tearing through his skin in all directions as several swirled together to the ground, creating a support and holding his body in place.

### Chapter XVII: Blood-Soaked Dreams

The pages—scattered. The blood—dripping. The sound of approaching helicopters drowned out the screams for help and the groans of agony. The yellow sun was setting behind the burning trees and black smoke that polluted the area. A body hung in the center of a paper tree with piercing branches and a twisted trunk.

Maron ran over to Nenemé and lifted her head gently with his hand as Leo and Tethia limped toward the scene from the gym.

"Find help!" Maron commanded.

"No, don't let them leave," Nenemé said.

"We'll get you out of here, Nenemé. I'll make a regeneration circle," Maron said in a panicked manner.

"Hon, we both know I'm not walkin' out of this one," she said as she put her hand on Maron's cheek. "I'm so glad you came back, Maron, because this group would be so lost without you."

"Nenemé, you can't go. Please, don't go," Maron pled. "You're supposed to come with me ... We're so close, Nenemé. I came back, and I'm better now."

"Buck up, love, I'll be with you the whole way," Nenemé smiled. "You were such a pain in my ass all those years, but look how you turned out."

"I love you," Maron quietly wept.

"I love you, too," Nenemé said. "Do me a favor ... get these kids outta here."

Maron's pulled Nenemé's face close to his. Their lips met as Maron's hair draped over Nenemé's head. The rest of the group remained quiet as tears filled their eyes. Nenemé's grip loosened and her hand slowly fell to the ground. Maron softly placed her head on the ground and pushed her hair away from her face. Her eyes were closed and she had a comfortable smile on her face as the color began to leave her body.

Maron looked down at his bloodstained hands. He quickly grabbed his book from his coat and began to trace the engraved circle on the cover with the blood on his index finger. He then put his thumb in the center and pressed down. As he finished, the circle began to emit a dull glow and Nenemé's body did the same. Page after page began to come out of Maron's book and cover Nenemé. A few moments later, the pages scattered into the air and back into the book, and Nenemé had vanished.

Maron stood up with his face cast downward. He turned around and lifted his head, marching forward with a threatening stare. His eyes seemed to glow with blue and his body gained a white outline.

"Get everyone out," he said as he walked. Pages from his book began to rise up around him as he moved toward the nearby group of cadets and soldiers.

"You heard him," Kasside said as he wiped his face and picked up the Mercyblade. "We keep moving."

"We do it for Nenemé," Syre announced as she wept.

"She killed that bitch Oritz. Let's prove it wasn't for nothing," Tethia said, grabbing a gun from the ground.

"I'll drive," Leo said.

Maron calmly walked through the commotion as soldiers were thrown in all directions by a swarm of pages. Bodies were slammed repeatedly into the ground and through windows as approaching helicopters shined spotlights on Maron. Maron threw several bodies up in the air toward the helicopters, forcing them to break formation to avoid them. A few pages quickly went up and wrapped themselves around the rotor of the first helicopter and caused it to drift and collide with the second one, sending both to the ground in a shower of metal and sparks. Multiple pages began to seek out enemies like bees protecting a hive.

The rest of the group ushered the remaining cadets away from the battle, opening up the back of CROSS trucks and leading them inside as Maron continued his rampage.

"We need a driver for each truck," Tethia said.

"I can drive," a cadet answered. A line of volunteers took the driver's seat of each vehicle as more and more cadets piled in.

"Get out of here any way you can," Tethia instructed the cadets. "If you have family, go to them."

Yallu, Po, Bu, and Raxa were walking toward them from the entrance of the academy.

"Hey, what's going on? What's with Maron?" Yallu asked as she approached.

"Nenemé ... Nenemé didn't make it out," Kasside wept.

"I'm so sorry, Kasside," she said lowly, hugging him tightly.

"Her last wish was that we all make it out of here alive, so let's get moving," Tethia said.

Maron was still surrounded by a hurricane of paper as he walked back toward the group. The pages calmed and slowed down as they circled him. Kasside waved him over as they headed for their truck to make their escape. Maron closed his book and walked across the battlefield, stepping over bodies and large pieces of metal and glass.

"Where are we going?" Leo asked as he got in the driver's seat.

"Anywhere but here," Tethia replied.

"Just get us off this island," Kasside said.

"Kasside," Yallu called out. "We're staying."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I've got my brothers to look after, and I won't leave them again. Not to mention Raxa and my friends back in Decasus," Yallu replied. "They deserve to know what happened to Adderson."

"You're sure you don't want to go to the States?" Kasside asked.

"We're sure. Someone has to watch this place. We can make our way back home on our own," she answered.

Kasside nodded and Yallu put her arms around him.

"How are you holding up, Raxa?" Kasside asked.

Raxa nodded, "I wish it had been a Hotshot, if you can believe that," he said. "Don't worry about us, we'll look out for each other, and you guys do the same."

"Be safe," Kasside smiled.

"We will," Yallu replied.

"Thanks again," Bu said.

"Take care," said Po.

Raxa, Yallu, Po, and Bu climbed inside their own truck as several other Alchens joined them. Leo started his truck as Kasside, Syre, Tethia, and Maron each piled into the seats and quickly shut the doors. The tires screeched as he hit the gas and took off down the main road, running over the broken fence that once kept them locked inside.

"You think we could hitch a ride at the docks?" Syre asked.

"I know how to get there, but I can't promise we'll have a way across," Leo replied.

"I'll swim for all I care," Kasside said.

"Where would we go once we get to the States?" Tethia asked.

"We could try my parents, but I haven't talked to them in years," Syre said.

"Same here. I do have a childhood friend who might still live in Sacramento. I used to practically live at his house," Kasside said.

A few quiet minutes went by as they sat in the cold metal box, their muscles aching and their breathing steady. The road was harsh and sirens were blaring throughout the city. The moon took over the sky as the sun finally retired.

"Maron, forgive my asking, but what happened to Nenemé's body?" Leo asked.

"Her body was destroyed, but her essence has been preserved inside the book," Maron replied.

"Even though she's not an Alchen?" Leo asked.

"Bloodwelding only requires life energy," Maron said. "Everyone has some kind of energy inside them."

"I thought your essence was in the book?" Syre asked.

"It was, but the connection is different somehow than before," he answered.

The road became smooth as the truck went up a gradual slope.

"We're on the Crossline. If we have enough gas, we should be at the docks in under an hour," Leo said.

"I'm so glad I came with you guys. I never would have made it anywhere on my own," Syre said.

"Yeah, and once we get to the States we can actually live our lives in peace," Kasside sighed.

"You do know CROSS is in the States, right?" Tethia asked.

"At least there's always somewhere else to go. I'm sure there are plenty of Alchens who live happily there," Kasside replied.

After half an hour of driving, everything was calm and quiet. Kasside was fast asleep against Syre's shoulder while she stared out through the small window into the front of the truck. Maron stared intently at the red symbol on the front of his book, caressing it with his thumb. Tethia and Leo kept each other awake by pointing out landmarks as they drove by. Several other vehicles zoomed by on the other side of the Crossline, heading toward the academy.

Leo turned on the radio in the truck. Muffled voices spoke to each other, giving codes and commands with the faint sound of gunfire in the background.

He tuned the channel and a clear voice came through, "Last call for code 47-10 at Cinar Docks. I repeat, code 47-10 at Cinar Docks."

"What's that?" Syre asked.

"It's a CROSS emergency call to go to the States. They're taking reinforcements across," Leo replied.

"Wouldn't they be sending reinforcements here?" she asked.

"Leo, someone is behind us," Tethia said, staring at the side mirror.

Two headlights were shining behind them, steadily coming closer.

"Do you think it's one of the cadet trucks?" Syre asked.

"I don't think it's a truck at all," Tethia replied.

The two headlights separated as a motorcycle came into view on either side.

"Leo, hit the gas," Tethia commanded.

"I am hitting the gas," Leo nervously replied.

"Doesn't this ever end?" Syre sighed.

"What's happening?" Kasside asked as he sat up.

Tethia leaned her body out of the window and fired her handgun several times. The motorcycle swerved and crashed as the soldier flipped forward onto the Crossline. Several more vehicles approached from the ramps just behind them, and a helicopter came into view overhead. The other motorcycle stayed directly behind the truck, using the long back as cover.

Kasside and Maron opened the back doors as the motorcycle approached. Syre warped and appeared horizontally in front of the driver. She kicked as hard as she could while still in the air and warped back inside the truck. The driver fell backward off the bike, causing an incoming truck to run over his body and swerve to a stop.

A soldier in the helicopter lifted a large cylindrical weapon over his shoulder.

"You might want to speed up," Maron warned.

"I told you, this is as fast as she goes," Leo responded.

"Syre, take me to the top," Kasside said.

Syre grabbed Kasside's arm and warped to the top of the truck. The soldier fired his weapon and a rocket propelled forward. Kasside turned his arm over and ducked his head down. The rocket soared toward him, slowing down as it drew near. It stopped just short of the Mercyblade, turning over and repelling back toward the road. The rocket struck the ground in front of a pursuing truck and exploded in a red-hot ball of smoke and fire, sending the truck into the air and upside-down. Maron released several sheets of paper from his book. The pages attached to the pilot of the helicopter and swiftly threw him out. The helicopter spun out of control and landed over the edge of the Crossline.

Kasside and Syre stumbled as a smaller car rammed the side of their vehicle. Leo swerved the truck into the car as it attempted to pass them. Kasside took a running start and jumped down, striking the hood of the car with the Mercyblade and crushing it with a large blast of energy. A few sheets of paper made a belt around him as he propelled off the hood, bringing him gently back to the truck. Leo laughed and cheered as they sped away from the mess of metal and fire and continued on the Crossline.

A few minutes later, the ocean came into view through the windshield, glistening with starlight and the reflection of the bright moon.

"We're here," Leo said as they took an exit from the Crossline.

"About fucking time," Tethia spewed.

Leo pulled the truck to a stop in an empty parking lot. They each climbed out of the truck and looked around. There was a line of boats that were bobbing lightly in the water just beyond a wooden dock.

"Maron," Syre said as she pulled out a folded white headband, "she'd want you to have it."

Maron smiled and took the headband in his hand, "Thank you, Syre, for everything."

"I'm guessing you were one promotion shy of getting your own boat?" Kasside asked Leo.

"Most presiders don't even have one," Leo replied.

"There's one out in the ocean," Tethia said, pointing out to sea.

They each looked to the water as a large ship entered a thick mist in the distance.

"There's no way we'll catch them. We'll have to wait for the next one," Leo said.

"No, I can make it," Syre said.

"With all of us?" Tethia asked.

"Don't push your limits, Syre," Kasside warned.

"I'm not. I know for a fact that I can get us on that ship," she said confidently.

Maron looked at Syre as she stared intently at the ship. He put his arm on her shoulder as each person did the same. Syre closed her eyes as they began to flicker in and out of sight. She bit down on her lip as her body began to tremble. She took a deep breath and lifted her head as they vanished into blue light.

They reappeared in mid-air and fell onto a hard wooden surface. The sound of lapping water and the soft buzz of an engine surrounded them. They each struggled and grunted as they got to their feet.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," Kasside said.

"You might not get the chance to," Tethia said.

Kasside looked up as a group of armored soldiers came and stood in front of him with guns raised.

"Stay on the ground!" a soldier ordered.

They each attempted to get up, but they felt a massive force push them down to the floor.

"I think he told you to stay on the ground," a distorted voice said.

A husky soldier in a dark mask walked toward them with his hand out as the rest of the soldiers moved aside.

"Presider Thern ... we never did get your last name," Maron said as he slowly lifted his head.

"Bata," he replied. "Harrin was my cousin."

"I hope CROSS was able to recover his corpse from the scene," Maron responded.

"They did, but no one will find yours at the bottom of the ocean," he said.

Another man came out from a door on the ship behind Thern. His hair was unkempt and his outfit was ripped and stained. He stared angrily over a scar on the bridge of his nose with bright green eyes.

"What a surprise," he said.

"What should we do with them, Presider Impyo?" Thern asked.

"Leave the boy with the book and the red-eyed girl. Kill the rest, and start with this golden-eyed abomination," Veret replied.

Syre used all her remaining strength to grab the dagger from the Severance lace. She detached the dagger and slowly slid it to Kasside's hand. Kasside grabbed the dagger tightly in his right hand and began to slowly lift his left arm, fighting to keep it straight.

"Struggling won't help you," Thern said.

"We didn't come this far to get killed by you," Kasside growled.

Kasside let his arm fall and struck the Mercyblade against the ship. The resulting force lifted him high into the air and out of the presider's range. Thern looked up as Kasside threw the dagger toward him in midair. Thern raised his other hand to the dagger and forced it to fall to the floor as Kasside landed and rolled just behind him. Thern quickly turned around and lifted his hand as Kasside raised the Mercyblade over his shoulder, causing the blade to fall rapidly under the increased gravity and stick to the floor.

Thern's body shook as Kasside looked up. The rest of the group stood back up as Thern fell to his knees with empty eyes and blood dribbling from his mouth. As Thern fell to the ground, his body split into two sides at the shoulder and collapsed onto the hard floor of the ship. A red pool instantly formed around him, and the soldiers all pointed their weapons at Kasside.

"Call them off!" Kasside commanded.

Veret lifted his hand to the soldiers as they lowered their weapons. Leo and Syre collected the guns from the soldiers and threw them to the other side of the ship. Tethia calmly walked over to Thern's body. She removed the mask from his face and placed the strap around her belt loop.

"What do we do with them?" Kasside asked Maron.

"The soldiers can go. Do what you want with Veret," Maron replied.

The soldiers quickly ran over to the lifeboat, climbing over each other to secure a space. They each squeezed into the boat as Leo lowered it into the water. Kasside angrily approached Veret with the blade of the Mercyblade still equipped.

"Wait," Veret said. "Kill me if you want to—"

"Oh, I want to," Kasside replied.

"None of this matters anymore ... not the future, not the past, and certainly not the present. If I am going to die either way, please, I must know if the Arcrone worked," he pled.

"You were told wrong, Presider, it doesn't stop alchenergy," Maron responded. "We are living proof of that."

"I see," Veret sighed. "Do what you will," he said, closing his eyes.

Kasside grabbed Veret's arm and swiftly sliced the strap, and then repeated the process on the other arm, causing both straps to fall to the ground. Veret's face tensed and the muscles in his neck tightened.

"It figures that such a dull ability could be thwarted by something as simple as a strap," Kasside said.

Leo and Tethia brought an inflatable raft to the railing of the ship and threw it into the water. Several pages from Maron's book wrapped around Veret's limbs and lifted him slightly into the air.

"One more thing," Kasside said. He put his hand in Veret's coat pocket, retrieving a prism and placing it in his own pocket. "Look at it this way—you get to kill one more Alchen."

The pages lifted Veret over the railing and down to the raft. Veret stood on the raft and stared blankly as the ship continued moving through the water away from him. In a matter of seconds, Veret was gone and all that was left in view were clouds and blue ocean water.

### Chapter XVIII: Beyond the Sea

The ship—rocking. The ocean—calming. Small fish swam alongside the ship, curiously pecking the sides and swimming away into the ocean depths. Star after star appeared in the night sky, competing to be the brightest.

Kasside and Syre sat behind Maron as he captained the ship through the water from the helm. Tethia sat next to Leo, prying into his shoulder wound with a metal device as he bit down on a small rag.

"Not so rough," Leo mumbled through the rag.

"Quit being a baby," Tethia said.

Syre and Kasside laughed as they watched Leo squirm around while Tethia held him down.

"We're on course for San Francisco. We'll be there by morning," Maron said.

Kasside stared out at the ocean as he leaned against his seat on the ship.

"Things are going to get so much better once we get to the States," Syre assured him.

"Can't be any worse than 'Hell Island,' " Kasside replied.

"I wish my grandpa were alive ... you'd get a kick out of him," she said.

"Well, I don't know about my family, but my friend Reno and his family are the nicest people I ever knew. You guys will definitely get along," Kasside smiled.

"What if CROSS continues to chase us?" she asked.

"After everything we've done, they should be worried about us chasing them," he said. "I'll fight every single one of them if that's what it takes ... I won't run any longer."

After a few minutes, Kasside was fast asleep. Leo and Tethia sat in the back, staring at the calming ocean water that was endless in each direction.

Syre got up and approached Maron at the helm of the ship, "Hey, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"What is it?" Maron replied.

"When we used those prisms, did we really create the Arcrone?" she asked.

"If only it were that simple," Maron said. "While it is possible to activate a few prisms, the Arcrone is not easily obtained. What you created was a piece of something much greater. Even some of the greatest alchemists argued over the existence of the Arcrone."

"But whatever we did worked. You're back," she said.

"And I am grateful for that, but the Arcrone would require much more time and sacrifice, as well as skilled alchemists with years of training. I am lucky that such power was not required to heal my ailment," he replied.

"One more thing," Syre said. She pulled out a slightly burnt piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Maron. Maron opened the folded paper, looking down at a photograph of a man, a woman, and a small child with long, black hair.

"You dropped this in that house we went to in Decasus, as I'm sure you've figured out," she told him. "I don't know what happened to you, Maron, but I trust you, and I'm sorry for anything I said to you before."

"Thank you for this, Syre," he replied as he folded the paper and put it in his book.

Hours went by as a thick fog surrounded the ship. Sunlight was pushing its way into the sky beyond the fog, creating a soft glow of color behind slow white clouds.

Tethia got up, being careful not to wake Leo, and walked over to Maron. "So, you told him everything?" she asked quietly.

"Everything he needed to know," Maron replied.

"Did you mention the kids from the academy?" she whispered.

Maron shook his head.

"Yeah, I thought so," she said. "I will never forgive you for that, Maronnel."

"I know," Maron calmly replied.

The fog began to clear as solid land came into view. White sand and green hills lay before them in the near distance. Seagulls were cawing and flying overhead, their feathers like white brushes that caressed the canvas of the sky. Syre, Kasside, and Leo each woke up and surveyed their surroundings.

"Welcome home," Maron said to Syre.

Maron turned off the ship as it lazily approached the shore. They each excitedly jumped out and into the water, making their way to the hill of sparkling sand and healthy grass.

"If my parents haven't moved, we should be able to stay with them for at least a few days," Syre said as they came to the shore.

"Sacramento isn't far from here, so we can head there afterwards," Kasside said.

"What is the technology like in the States?" Maron asked.

"Much, much better," Tethia responded.

"You can make all of us some Mercyblades," Leo grinned.

"Hopefully, we won't need them," Maron said.

Syre climbed her way to the top of the hill and stopped to look outward as the rest of the group followed close behind. Kasside reached the top after the others and looked down at the town below. Fire raged throughout an empty city, plagued with fallen buildings and broken bridges. Towers of black smoke met in the sky over the barren and lifeless scenery as a single bird flew overhead. The streets were broken apart and the plants were charred. A few minutes went by as they gazed over the land, paralyzed by the conditions.

"Today's my birthday," Syre said.

Kasside locked his fingers with hers, "Happy birthday, Syre."

###

### AUTHORS

Joey and Chris are first cousins and have been best friends since before they could speak. They have always had a shared interest in creating fiction. The idea for _The Bird Knows More_ came up during their high school years from what they credit to a combination of "nerdy" inspirations and plain old imagination, but was dropped less than halfway through when they decided that they didn't have enough free time to complete it. After graduating high school, they were reminiscing about their abandoned project and decided to pick it back up to rewrite the story as adults.

Joseph M. Berrellez

Joey was born in Valencia, California as the youngest of 5 children. He is a lifelong musician and overall artist, and he has performed at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and Whisky A Go Go. His favorite instruments are electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, and alto saxophone. Joey's interests include manga, computers, music, physics, and many more.

Christopher R. Settle

Chris is the youngest of three boys born and raised in Southern California. Ever the athlete, he has natural talent for multiple sports, such as basketball, football, and soccer. His affinity for crane machines has filled his home with stuffed prizes for his Siberian Husky, Jasmine, to enjoy. Being an athlete, gamer, and writer, Chris enjoys walking many paths in life.

### CONTACT & CONNECT

We sincerely hope you enjoyed our work. We'd love to hear from you—please let us know your thoughts in the form of a message or review. This is our first book, but we hope to make many more. Thank you for supporting us by not pirating, and thank you for reading!

Join us on social media and at our website for news, reviews, surveys, behind-the-scenes information, and more! Click on the links below to check it out and get in touch.

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