Arc 3 - Chapter 12: A Rift In This World

(Libertatem 29, 59 / 7:56AM)

—He’s Jenny’s father?

Everyone gawked, as they all looked back and forth between Jenny and Kenji. Looking like she took over his eyes, and parts of his hair, his genes were more prevalent within her than expected.

But turning toward the other woman, she had her frown and glare the same as Luna’s. Her hair was straight, unlike Jenny, who had hers braided.

“And my other daughter is Iris. Do not disturb her, as she’s usually drawn to herself.”

“I’ll be fine father.”

David hung himself near the kitchen, away from everyone.

But Kenji managed to take glance at him. Feeling his stare, feeling his cold irises, his sneaky nature of playing nonchalant wouldn’t work on him.

“David. Quit hiding for I must speak to you. You and your friend are needed.”

“Got it sir…”

Both David and Boris walked together, as they followed both him, Jenny, and Iris. With the group of adults strolling through the small hallway, it left the youngsters to abide by themselves.

Luke and Christian turned toward their respective groups. Christian allowed a simple breath to draw from his lips, as he stared at a window.

“Home sweet home.”

They all stared with him, and Luke trailed the outline of a garden. It had trees, the pedals all plastered in purple and lavender. The grass was a mix of yellow and green, and it wasn’t that tall, only ankle-deep. Feeling like he was enveloped in a warm marshmallow, all of his body relaxed at the mere sight of nature.

“I’m surprised you guys were willing to take us in. We’re not labeled innocent so…”

“Ah don’t worry. The Boss told me all about you guys. We all knew you were false sinners. The reason why we were hostile is because I thought you guys were a different group.”

—Because someone decided to not fill up at the border.

‘Hey. Don’t blame me for this mess!’ thought Jack.

The more they stared at the garden, the more the calmness of rest began to swelter within them. Having his right hand below his chin, Christian began to rub it back and forth. Using only his pointer finger and thumb, most of his nails scratched away traces of dry skin.

“What turned you guys into wanted men anyway?”

“It’s complicated … very complicated … but we were accused of excessive force during the counterattack.”

“Wait, you guys were the ones defending the city?”

Both Chris and Pacifica dropped their jaws at Luke’s words.

Christian nodded at his take, as he dropped his hand from his chin. Resting it onto his thigh, he pushed it into his pocket, while moving his eyes onto Luke.

“Never thought you guys would be that battle hardened. What happened afterward? Right before you were accused?”

“We were summoned to a military ceremony, but it turned into a tribunal. One thing led to another … and …

[I think he’s the one … I know of it.]

Luke remained quiet.

Raising his right hand up to his shoulder, he rubbed it back and forth against the leather. Scratching away bits of old dust from prior, he pushed his eyes onto the living room table to his right.

“I was falsely accused … of something I didn’t do.”

“... I’ll leave that subject alone.”

Christian turned his body around, and had his eyes facing the wooden staircase behind all of them. Looking like it led to the second floor, the staircase itself looked old and worn, with splinters sticking out like seashells. Clearing his throat, he had everyone’s gazes face him.

“Because you all are guests, you’ll abide by the rules of the Pacithiests. Smoking and pre-marital sex aren’t allowed here.”

“What about hand-holding?” Asked Hope.

“Only for married couples. The Boss implemented those rules, not me. And another thing…”

He folded his arms beneath his chest, and furrowed his right eyebrow. His ears perked up, they twitched, once his eardrums allowed in heavy breathing.

Although no one heard a thing. Clicking his tongue, he glared at the door.

“We’ll allow the shark-human to stay, but don’t expect me and my brethren to treat him well.”

________________________________________________________________________

(Libertatem 29, 59 / 8:04AM)

“Tell me David, what did you relive in that battle?”

The only light bestowed for them was a lightbulb.

Hanging in the center of the room, no windows were implemented, as the chiseled-stone walls surrounded them. The air warmed with humidity, no mold or fungus grew, despite the room looking like an old basement.

“Similiar to the attack on Ticia, but on a much smaller scale. They didn’t push an all out invasion, but a strike-force.”

“I can confirm with David. The undead used in the battle are liches, with zompire hordes not that common.”

Kenji nodded at both David and Boris’s conjunctions, as the air only grew more warmer. No way for ventilation to spew in, all that left was for the crackled stone to swell in sweat.

While the old man grappled his hands together.

“About this new enemy…”

“Whether it was intentional or not, they used old friends of ours, and turned them into enemies. This way of fighting, way of planning, can’t be done by a zompire of any kind.”

His hands only tightened against one another. Sitting at the back of the table, he had himself oversaw the rest of the adults.

David and Boris sat to the right of him, their hands down below their waist. And to the left of him, were his daughters Jenny and Iris. Iris had a face radiating confidence, while Jenny darkened her eyes the longer she remembered.

“But I feel there’s more to this. Because you saved the city, defended its civilians, you are on the run for…”

“We were charged with damages, ones that were clearly intended to make us look like villains. In fact, one agent blamed a fault Luke had no means to cause.”

“You mean the boy with red eyes? What kind of fault did he bestow?”

David allowed a soft heap of air to draw from his mouth. Continuing to wear his cowboy hat, although he was indoors, he had no means to take it off. With the lightbulb dangling from overhead, the shadow of the hat darkened his cheeks and especially his eyes.

“They thought he was a cartel leader. A group by the name of Los Cerdos de Ojos Negros.”

“... is this true?”

Kenji glared at David, as even the shadow of his hat couldn’t keep him hidden. Pushing on a frown, it only made David bring his right hand from his pocket, and rose it up high.

Putting his palm on top of the hat, he unveiled his hair to glow under the light. Resting the leather on his lap, he couldn’t look straight into the old man’s eyes…

“I was with Luke ever since he was 12. There is no way for him to be some criminal ringleader.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but you’re straying away from the original topic. Travel back to where we started.”

David pushed his old eyes on the dark-purple haired woman, who was the same age as him. Unlike him, she had wrinkles digging into her forehead, and her cheeks continued to be ice cold. Looking youthful for his middle age, David cleared his throat, and raised both hands onto the table.

“I bet good money that whoever led those attacks is human. He or she could’ve orchestrated the invasion of Ticia, but…”

‘He or she could’ve wiped Lagefor off the map … so why did they go easy on us?’

He had his eyes staring at the wooden table. Unwilling to look at Kenji or Iris, his pointer finger tapped repeatedly, while his thoughts jumbled within his brain folds.

But as he thought, Boris took off the black fedora that he wore. Having it rest on his lap, his fingers still gripped the edge of the cotton.

“But before we continue any further, there’s one other thing I should mention.”

He glanced at Jenny, who didn’t bring her head up not once during their talk. Pushing his attention onto Kenji, his eyes were as cold and frail like frozen granite.

Raising his left sleeve, he swiped away chunks of sweat with his suit. Taking in a small swift of air, he pushed it out softly, before resting his chubby cheeks against his jawline.

“In the attack that we countered, there was one enemy we faced. This enemy was lethal, dangerous, not because he was the undead … but because he was human.”

Boris pushed down his eyes, as all of his face began to slightly strain for what he might say. Feeling like all of his body weight was on his shoulders, it squeezed and rubbed the chair that he sat on.

Until he directed his eyes onto Jenny, of all people.

“He’s an old Pacithiest, one that died during the demi-human skirmishes. Kenichi. Kenichi Honda is his name… and he’s still alive.”

““What…””

Not a single muscle twitched.

Iris’s mouth quivered, as she began to lose feeling within the innards of her legs. David didn’t bring his eyes to anyone, especially Kenji. As Jenny battled a quivering throat, and a wrinkled face, the guise of memories rushed into her like a stampede.

“He’s now our enemy. I know he used to be close to you all, but he’s changed. Who knows when, who knows how, but words pulling words can’t abide him back.”

“If he truly … truly is working for—”

“He is.”

Boris pushed his nonchalant eyes on Jenny, who croaked her voice to form the weakest of arguments. Trying her hardest to maintain control, it only made Boris sigh with a strained throat.

“And we have two enemies at our throats. The government declared us as enemies, but it’s clear whoever is puppeteering up above … has their sights on us.”

“Then what will you do?”

Boris felt both of his fingers softly shake, as he softened the grip he had on his hat. Losing strength in his biceps and shoulders, he looked to hold emotions at bay.

“For now, we will lay low. But again, I am deeply indebted for your hospitality.”

“Any friend of David is family to me. I and my mercenary group don’t align with the government’s way of life. Any help, any request, will most likely be granted.”

Boris softly smiled, but not so bright for him to radiate warmth. Rubbing his right cheek with one of his hands, traces of sweat stained his skin, along with his fingers and nails.

Still having his other hand grip his fedora, he softly nodded at Kenji’s stubborn pride.

“Then I can assure you we won’t be a burden. The commander of the Dark Angels has done well in keeping them in line.”

“The boy with red eyes? If I may give some insight on him…”

Kenji had both of his hands grappled against one another, as he had his eyes stationed on Boris.

His eyebrows straightened, his body and back were well aligned with the stature of his lower body. With his elbows holding up his shoulders, not a single groan emerged from his throat. Even when his bare skin clung onto patches of old splinters.

“He’s not a strong leader. Not in my eyes. He may be smart, he may be caring, but a leader is someone who puts their soldiers first.”

“With all due respect sir, but Luke’s no coward.”

— “Any leader can send soldiers to take the bullet for them, but can a leader do the same?”—

For the first time in a while, Boris had nothing to rebuttal against an opponent with words.

Slouching his body, he had his upper back wrestle against the wooden chair. Breathing out air through his nostrils, his lungs scraped with black And just like that, three harsh coughs corpsed around his hanging vocals. Without reclaiming an ounce of his breath, he kept his head low, with one of his hands balled against his mouth.

“Luke— cough cough … is a soldier. I kept my eyes on him ever since he was 12. He has proven himself, in my eyes, to do more than anyone.”

“But that was in your eyes, not mine. You may see him as some leader, the chosen who has potential; but I and everyone else think of him as ordinary.”

Kenji glanced over toward David, who had remained silent like a bat. Feeling the old man’s gaze, David lifted his head an inch up, while eyebags roamed underneath his eyes.

The air growing even thicker in warmth, it was like their body heats were turning the basement into a sauna.

“David. I know you’re holding something with your lips. Spit it out.”

David raised his right hand toward his forehead, and began ruffling the strands of his black hair. Messy, unorganized, he pushed out air through the lobe of his tongue, as he then ceased his ruffling. Clutching both of his hands together, he had one thumb over the over.

“If the government did declare us as enemies, I might know who has branded us…”

Everyone felt their heads lean in, as their ears perked up at the trail of his words. Feeling their boots squeeze the ground, the chiseled stone dented from their strength.

As David narrowed his eyes tenfold.

“During the skirmishes, there was one family that pushed events to motion. Events that caused a great rift in this world.”