Two male silhuettes emerged from the fog, which once again has taken all of London. The older, balding male looked around himself and looked at the watch to check the hour. The younger one was glaring nervously at the suitcase he was carrying.
"They're supposed to be here already."
"You sure this is the place?" Asked the younger, red haired man.
"Yes! I don't understand! They should be here! This is the place!".
"Chip Donald?" a young woman in black coat suddenly appeared out of the fog, followed by another male, simirarly dressed in black, which also was carrying a suitcase.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67Ulrx52kZ
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIh9X2C9Oew
"I'd rather be called Malva." the balding male said nervously.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uaQO7W68P
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSd0o0Vjws
"Understood. Do you have the package?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXpmaRSddI
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg1uymjjP2
"Do you have the you-know-what?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzu5X10tXS1
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4leJyTyxL
The woman turned her head towards her companion, who nodded understandingly and opened the suitcase678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZblGXKrgcc
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgojaBQiLg
"One million pounds. Cash."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdSnzY5ibL
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZz0S4ISCo
"Only one million!?" The young, ginger male seemed irritated. "Do you even know how hard we have worked to get this thing for you?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4i0jKg5wpb
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMeprrAySk
"Our offer is final."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJdGaZ2cTr
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IV7pTkNJz
"Fine, Fine!" hissed Malva. "Just give us the money."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJkHlO6YCx
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXiiTOJEFr
"Let us see the inside of the suitcase first."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nHOOyBngZ
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsr0UK0VE0
The younger male who came with Malva seemed irritated, but the older one hushed him with one look. 678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0onJjZQVqV
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMPOltme4Y
Malva kneeled down and opened the case.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwrrPS8uSA
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndc6yXf6uZ
"Pure Tepraparatapranium." He said, pointing at what looked like green-yellowish jelly inside the case. "Fresh from the Mines of Ora Ora. Didn't even touch it. Happy now?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EpJ2V9MIC
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgWjYCZJks
"Thank you." The woman replied. "Please close the suitcase and hand it over to us."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HCzJbrf5d
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjf9xtjTZgu
"First you hand yours!" The younger male shouted.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzMWlp6Fcd
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb0JCPK9p0
"As you wish." 678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkDyACdrl7
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMndaWJRHrP
The man in the black coat stepped forward and handed the case to Malva, who, in turn, handed him the one he was holding.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlz1couj9VD
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7INKlL4rSH
"Thank you for your cooperation." The woman said.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHHNzmL5E9
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnxgJvImYV
"Likewise." Malva took a bow.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhhYQPqPhI
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vPcSW3GF9
The balding male patted the younger man's shoulder and they both turned around to leave, talking with each other happily.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qjZvWKQ20
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPj53HQhX8
The woman in the black coat nodded at her partner. The male slowly has slowly reached into his pocket and picked up a small device that looked like a bigger pen or stencil. He pointed and pressed the top of the device two times.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitDkhLORg0
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oY1yBPJtF
Both of the other men instantly fell to the ground, unconcious.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVT10YeAgEB
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUQ8p3MbXz
The woman calmly walked towards the bodies. She picked up the suitcase with money and kicked the younger male, so he was now laying on his back. She examined his body until she noticed a small difference on his face.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydvRStoEyV
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeYhwHftAY
"Shapeshifters." The female said with disgust, looking at the man's black pupils.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmj9G5OJNS
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoaVPP5Wyv
The woman corrected the position she was holding her briefcase, returned to her partner and they both walked away from the scene,slowly and silently.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqtkhZzimC
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlIyZ4O59f
****678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtI9thTcXIi
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTkFT21Ine
"I swear, the food keeps getting worse and worse with every day." Jamon complained, as he, together with Aleksander, left the Cafeteria located on floor I and were slowly walking through the department towards their common room. 678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyzaIIhTnh
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8NlSNAahT
"Oh, come on, it was not that bad." the blonde boy replied, although silently he agreed with his friend. The quality of the food definitely was not the departments' strongest aspect.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4Ae5Srha3
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfxZZ1hfBy
"No, really. It was even worse than when I ate Kaszanka without knowing what it is."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpAZ8S5eSt
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOesBALk70M
"Hey!" The other boy laughed for a bit "I like kaszanka! That's one of the most popular sausages where my father comes from!"
"Dude!" The middle eastern boy looked at him horrified "But it is all blood!
"Not all of it."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8bMdjhuoO
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SEBoaPZjv
"Well, of course not all of it. There is also fat, skin, some poor animal's lungs and liver.."
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfu35fKqcg
"Hey..."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6wGc7rYjd
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSWxyxkBJo
"...kidneys, maybe brain even."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkgg6x14sb
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yUBBQ97qS
"Hey!" Aleksander grabbed him by the shirt and pointed at the staircase leading downstairs "Is this not your father?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVA3Omji3T
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHuoS0yBTF
Hussein Abedi was indeed going down to the basement, for reasons only he potentially knew, and he did it rather in hurry, as he ran downstairs quickly.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdKqUkEHgF
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ107j1CCqy
"I don't care." The middle eastern boy lost all of his usual joyful spirit.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkqUVAuNY1
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡho5HBYYTEd
"Wait... but here it says <<RESTRICTED, ONLY APPROVED PERSONEL>>."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIevKf24AA
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqiqV3kD86
"Maybe he has approval." The other boy muttered. "Come on, let's go, I don't want to bum into him when he will be coming back."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡid3m4FLeED
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YfE9DlS1K
The boys made only a few steps,however, before they heard somebody shouting.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWaD7mokFO
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprPonge6iB
"Aleks! HEY, ALEKS!"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8DaFkKSW2
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLZZU8X5Mu
They turned around and saw the Italian girl, Bianka running towards them.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVYJSEJKA6
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrgSdX5tck
"Oh, hey." Aleksander smiled "What's up?"
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUgrqLBoue
"I've been looking all over the department for you." she panted "Where have you been?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4Sx6jaOpV
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNiO6oWY2n
"In the cafeteria... what happened?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CG012HWDF
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRpdgeWP9J
"Probably eating another sausage made from pig's blood?" The girl winced "Look,the Head Officer wants to talk to you. She said it's urgent."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBnpDixk15
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CGJVkSPT8
"Okay, let's go."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJjogIKt9m
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5EvuR1NPA
"I think she only wants to see you this time." The girl replied and Aleksander raised his eyebrows. "I'll be going to the cafeteria."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZclrOJ9Wvz
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmbLhmNYLg
"Well,okay then."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvko33Fs8L
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUW1kFR5p0L
The girl ran towards where the cafeteria was located, and the blonde boy moved forward, wondering why Head Officer Ayumi Aruta would summon only him to her office , and not anybody else.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHi6DUCqS5o
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7Zz9IMI5H
"I wonder what she wants. Did I do something wrong?" The boy looked around and realized there is nobody to answer. He turned around. "Jamon?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ctoic498C
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRuQwta9By
The middle eastern boy was standing still in the same place, pale as a rock.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7Q5trZyTv
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eR0GF7DLi
"Jamon, you okay?" Aleksander asked slowly.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeE5wavUrj
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsf4Y4i1yX
"Kaszanka... is made... out of a Pig?" 678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbhoDAC6YR
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyyDh4xiFd
The other teenager looked terrified and Aleks suddenly understood. He closed his eyes and carefully responded.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0Pnqzmpa7
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXqzzQqLfR
"...Yes?..."
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5Nnz4Qp0m
"Oh my God!" Jamon paled even further. "But I... I did not... oh my God. OH MY GOD!"
The middle eastern boy turned around and ran away.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0PLmfgsms
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqipJ8PD2R
"Jamon, I'm sorry!" Aleksander shouted after him "I did not know, honestly!"
He was about to run off after his friend, but remembered Ayumi Aruta wanted to speak with him. Hesitantly, he turned around and headed through to her office. He was familiar with the department's corridor now.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIOaMNxkFq
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHUK15UAuu
The boy reached the door, and extended his hand to knock, but before he managed too, somebody shouted hysterically from the woman's room. The scream was short, but it seemed like someone was being torn apart inside the office. Aleks raised his eyebrows, but decided to knock anyway. Nothing could surprise him about those people anymore.
"Yes, come in!" Aruta responded cheerfully from the other side.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLt4xbaFJs
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ROiZrkojZ
Aleks opened the door, and understood he was wrong once again.
Inside, Ayumi Aruta was pulling the tail of something that looked like a half-rabbit, half chicken with no fur. The creature turned his little face towards him and squeaked again.
"I'll come back later then." The boy turned around.
"Oh, no, no, no!" Ayumi shouted "Please, don't be scared of Sonia!"
"Sonia." The boy muttered.
"I got her as a gift from Robert last week." The old woman smiled "Well, more as an apology for what happened."
"What... is she?" Aleks' eyes were still wide.
"What? Umm.... that's a good question actually. We never found out. Robert ter Maan found her during his first investigation, her egg burried under the surface. Since then, we can't understand what she is. Every test came back empty or with errors. It's like she herself did not wish to be experimented on. But she seemed friendly, so we stopped. Robert kept her since then."
"Okay." The boy simply nodded his head.
"Now, Aleksander, you might be wondering why I summoned you here, alone." Aruta lost her optimism "It's just that the matter is quite...personal." The woman sighed "You surely remember Lord Lanthra?"
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhy5YmZQAT
The blonde felt his blood freeze.
"What about him?" he asked, clenching his fist.
"His right-hand man has been found unconcious on the streets of London. He was found with over one million British Pounds which were confirmed to be stolen. We have arrested him and brought him here." Aruta shook her head "Had that be it, I wouldn't summon you here. But he claims he has lost a suitcase full of Tepraparatapranium - one of Lanthra's most valued possessions."
"What's so special about that Tepra-thing?"
"It's one of the most rare and expensive materials in the whole omniverse. It can be used to cure all known sicknesses, stop aging, and what's most important to us: bring organisms back to life. I don't know how on earth Lanthra got at least one suitcase of this material, but I am sure that with this amount of Tepraparatapranium, you could resurect a dead human."
Aleksander looked at her pale, her words sinking into him.
"Wait, you mean, that using this, I... I could..."
"Not quite. In order for it to actually work, you need to use it with some other ingredients. They, however are not as hard to find, so... it's not impossible."
"Why are you helping me?" The boy asked "I mean, if I were to succeed, I will have..."
"Yes, we will have to erase your mind." Ayumi nodded "You would not remember me, your new friends, or anything that happened here. But you will have your mother back. The choice is yours."
Aleksander blinked. Choice? Sure he came to like Jamon, and Bianka, and Dagmar, and... but his mother would always be the most important person to him. And if that's the only chance he had...
"What do you want me to do?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLkHcUz2NU
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcsFnKJ6mH
The old woman nodded. She stood up and activated a large monitor, showing the pictures of two people.
"The situation is not good. The material was apparently sold to some of the members of Pearl's Haven."
"Of what?"
"Pearl's Heaven. Long story short - it's a cult. A very dangerous one. Once you're in, you can never get out, they make pretty damn sure of it." Aruta was digusted "One can only wonder how they would use the Tepraparatapranium. But, the best guess is that they want to use somebody as a host."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6quNEsV1oT
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡen79bWD4Qj
"A host for what?"
She sighed.
"They believe that a person that they kill and then resurrect can be used as a vessel for a creature they refer to as Master. Said Master will apparently lead them on a quest to purge the world, leaving anyone but them dead, and then he'll bring them to some sort of heaven."
"It's just a cult, though..." The boy muttered "That Master can't exist, can he?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25GPYTWfyj
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3V5QmUCUXZ
Ayumi looked at him.
"You've seen Shapeshifters, aliens and unicorns, and yet you still say that? Of course he does exist! He just can't manifest himself yet." The woman sighed again "This is a very dangerous operation, Aleks. I'm starting to regret that I am telling you all this. Just... forget about it. I'll send someone more experienced..."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCn6t4hZ9a
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfOW8qQzpv
"NO!" Aleksander yelled "I'll do this! Just... tell me what do I have to do!"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9adcbDjr2
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEgXCwxtn4
Ayumi looked at him carefully and sighed again.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NRIIZ2M3i
678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8WjhoXeKK
**********************************************************************
"O, brothers and sisters!" A young, brown-clothed woman walked to the center of the stage "Let us celebrate, for the Promised Day is upon us! Let us pray that the world sees the power and the truth of the Prophecy!" A few dozens people kneeled down, their heads lowered. "And tonight, we welcome a new Selected! Please, greet Aleksander Jennsen! Son, you may remove your hood now!"
The blonde slowly walked on stage. He was not feeling too comfortable in the thin, brown clothing.
"Aleksander!" The woman yelled "How come you've seen the light!?"
"I..." The teenager was starting to regret his decission quite heavily. He remembered Aruta's words: once you're in, you can never get out. They make pretty damn sure of that. Shit. "I came upon an article about you. I just got interested."
The boy turned to face the woman
" BEHOLD!" She yelled. The look in her eyes was insane. "Even through the Lies of the Fallen, the Truth will shine!"
"That's her!" Aleksander heard a voice in his left ear "That's the woman that's attacked me and my boy! I recognize her voice"
The mic and camera were placed, Aruta assured him, in such a way that it was undetectable. Still, those people were crazy. One false move, and...
Suddenly, a bell rung. Aleksander just now noticed another, old male sitting in an decorated chair on the left side of the stage.
"Brothers and Sisters!" The woman yelled "The Great One wishes to speak! Let's feed our souls on his words!"
The man stood up and everyone got quiet.
"Welcome, my children!" Despite his age, his voice was strong and clear "Welcome! It is such a joy to see the numbers of the people desiring the Truth grow so rapidly! There is not many of us yet. but soon, he world will hear the Prophecy!" Everyone raised their heads again. "The Master speaks into me! He says..." the man lowered his voice into a whisper , and his eyes became hateful. "He says there is a Snake in the Garden of Truth! ." Everyone gasped once againe. "One of us shouldn't be here.... One of us is rotten!" His smile returned again "Don't worry though! The Snake's fate will b e over by this time tommorow! And then, when the bell announces the Twelfth Hour, noone will be able to stop him! Noone!" The man started laughing maniacally, and soon was joined by dozens of throats.
Aleksander felt like he was going to pass out.
ns216.73.216.48da2
