Fun Fact: Most of the world speaks a common language, although there remain a few who cling to their near-extinct native tongue. Hydrus City is a notable country that uses its native tongue as its administrative language.
~ ~ ~
Felix had been staring blankly into the distance for at least thirty minutes when a shadow intruded on his presence. He chose to ignore it for the moment, fully basking himself in the view before him instead.
The night cooled quickly, and its evening breeze whistled gently in his ears. Time seemed to wait with bated breath as the skyline hung locked in a moment, almost as if seeking to preserve itself in a painting before slipping away.
Felix released a long breath. Sirius City was still a pretty-looking place, despite everything that had happened.
“You know, we’re quite literally facing the destruction of our country right now.” The presence had finally decided to speak up.
Felix chuckled to himself, turning to look at his friend. “And it wasn’t all that long ago when we were fighting for the fate of humanity itself.”
“True. But this time it’s personal, isn’t it?” Gaius walked up beside him, leaning on the railing as he looked at the cityscape as well. He paused for a moment. “It has been personal for all of us, in fact.”
“Indeed, it has.”
“Thank you, Felix.” Gaius smiled. “For everything.”
“Hmm? Ah, don’t mention it,” Felix muttered absentmindedly. “We’re all friends, right?”
“Friends help each other, and not just give without taking.” Gaius turned to him. “You always were the strongest one among us, but even the gods have their companions. If you ever need a push, I’ll be right there behind you, my friend.”
Felix closed his eyes, looking away to hide his rapidly souring expression.
“Truth be told, I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do what’s right. Aglaia just… reminds me so much of Marcia,” he said. “And when it counts, when we’re in the thick of it, I… I don’t know if I can be rational enough to lose her again.”
“You don’t have to.” Gaius placed his arm around his shoulder. “You’re terrified, that much is plain. So is she. Life disappoints because we fall short. But you don’t have to destroy what you love just to save it.”
“What should I do? The only way I know how to beat someone is by using brute force.”
“Then don’t force your way through.” Gaius smiled. “Because I don’t think she really reminds you of your sister, Felix. I think she reminds you of yourself.”
The memories came back to him one by one. Her endeavour to help others. Her stubbornness. Her power. He clenched his fists. Gods-dammit. Gaius was right on all accounts; he just didn’t want to admit it.
“When did you become such a gods-damned guru, Gaius?” Felix grinned. “And I’m the one who’s supposed to be psychic.”
The two of them stared blankly at each other before cracking up like a pair of drunkards. The laughter washed over them, ebbed away, and hit them again for no reason. Tension melted away as they tried to stop giggling, only to bellow even harder in laughter. Their reaction was way stronger than what the feeble joke deserved.
But still, it felt good. There had been way too much doom and gloom going around these few weeks.
“Alright, alright, enough horsing around.” Felix wiped the tears from his eyes. “Let’s go check up on the refugees.”
They headed towards the spiral staircase.
~ ~ ~
A woman bumped into Felix just as he entered the main hallway. She was dragging a suitcase behind her, and looked like she was leaving the refugee camp. Felix stared at her with a quizzical look on his face. Why leave now when the crisis wasn’t over yet?
“S— Sorry…” the woman mumbled and scurried towards the entrance, keeping her head low as if she was embarrassed for some reason.
Felix looked around in confusion. That woman wasn’t the only one leaving the refugee centre. Small pockets of people were pouring out of their quarters and heading in his direction as well. He hurried over to Cybele, who was speaking rather agitatedly with a man.
“Please reconsider your decision, sir. It’s a lot more dangerous outside—”
“No, no. You’re not stopping us.” The man was shaking his head frantically. “I’m not going to risk getting caught up in another attack. It’s better for my family to isolate ourselves from everyone.”
Cybele raised a pleading hand futilely as the man ushered his family towards the entrance as well.
“What’s up?” Felix asked the sighing woman.
“Everyone’s leaving,” she said. “They’ve lost faith in our ability to protect them. They’re all opting to live on their own now. Even most of the Guardian Council have decided to go home and be with their families. We’re all that’s left.”
“No surprise there,” Gaius muttered, gesturing to the devastated architecture around them. “Everyone’s just lost too much.”
“Dammit!” Cybele yelled abruptly, slamming her fist against the wall.
“Dammit…” Her voice dropped as she tapped her head against the concrete in defeat. “Maybe Isis was right. Maybe this is just our comeuppance for how much Magis have wronged the Meta population. Maybe this is how the Heavens have finally decided to punish us.”
“Don’t think like that, leader.” Felix placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’re all in this together—”
Where am I?
His ears instinctively pricked up like a dog’s, although it was obvious that the voice was in his head. Felix let go of Cybele as he slowly distanced himself from his colleagues. He moved to a quieter spot and focused his mind.
Aglaia? Is that you?
Oh, gods… Felix. H— Help me, I’m lost…
The boy’s heart raced with anticipation. Psychic power coated his eyes as he latched onto her mental signature. He couldn’t let her go. Not this time.
Aglaia, where are you? Come back, please. Don’t do this.
“No!” Pain pierced his head as the girl lashed out in fear. “They have shown me what is to come; I must do this. There is no other way.”
“There’s always another way; there’ll always be light in the darkness.” Felix was clenching his fists fervently. “Hold onto my mind. Let me guide you; let me show you!”
“Magic is a sin, a violation of natural law. Nought but pain and hellfire await those who possess it,” Aglaia spoke, although it seemed distorted, as though other people were speaking at the same time. “But so long as I turn them into soulless living beings, they need no longer suffer any punishment after death. Without a soul to receive pain, only peaceful oblivion awaits.”
“Who are you to decide how we should live or die?” Felix retorted. “Who are you to poison Aglaia’s mind?”
“Ngh… Felix, stop.” Aglaia was back, although she was sounding more and more in pain by the second. “This is all wrong. I went the wrong way… I need to go back. I need to go back in time to stop all this.”
Aglaia, don’t do this!
“Aglaia, come back!” the boy blurted out as his eyes shot open. He tried desperately to connect with her telepathically, but it was no use. The girl had already masked her psychic signature again.
“Did Aglaia just contact you?” Gaius was bent over him, his face way past the line of comfort.
Felix nodded. He opened his mouth to recount the details, but was interrupted by the sight of two very important people being led towards them by the Vulcan sisters. Their arguing voices drifted to his ears.
“Alcaeus, I’m telling you this as a friend. You have to let them know.”
“Know what, Dad? What are you not telling us?”
“Alright, alright, I yield!” Vulcan stopped in his tracks, turning around with an apologetic look. “Look, I just didn’t want to alarm the public. The UWA has given us one week to solve this crisis. That was four days ago. We have three more days before…”
“Before what?” Cybele folded her arms.
“Before they use the Hydrus bomb on us.”
“No… they can’t do that…” Kleopatra covered her mouth in shock. “They’re going to murder billions!”
“Apparently, they can,” Secretary Atlas Cicero said grimly. “The UWA is a peacekeeping organisation only by name. Every country that joined is really just there for their own national interests.”
“But we have some good news of sorts,” Vulcan said in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood. “Our researchers have managed to use the shape of a B’javiar tear to pinpoint the location of its source. Apparently, it’s in the Meta Liberty Fighters’ base of operations.”
“That’s not news to us.” Felix walked up to them. “We already know who is responsible for this.”
“Who?”
He hung his head regretfully. “It’s Aglaia Helenus, my protege.”
Cicero looked at him in surprise.
“You mean the girl in our Guardian training program?” he exclaimed. “She didn’t seem that type to me when I recruited her.”
“What, the type to be an Eldritch horror because she lost control of her powers?” Felix joked dryly, sarcasm lacing his voice. “Who would’ve thunk it?”
Cicero pursed his lips in response, but he took out a small orb from his robes. He tossed it in the air. Everyone watched in awe as the orb expanded in the air, almost as if in slow motion, before it transmuted into some sort of fabric.
A suit of some sort plopped to the ground anti-climatically.
“Neat technology,” Kleopatra commented.
“Experimental shrinking technomagick,” Cicero picked up the suit. “Alcaeus and I are in talks about integrating this into our military forces. But that’s the boring part.”
“We made this in light of our current situation.” He gestured to the suit. “I have a couple more here, so everyone put them on before we discuss anything further.”
Felix received the orb.210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSNMVdD9YO
