Tribulations

Rook looks at his disfigured thumb. He grabbed it, popped it into place, and wriggled it around until he was satisfied. On the other side of the room lies motionless the little girl who tried to challenge him.

Not just a challenge. She had gone for the win. Impressive.

He walked over to the lifeless girl but something happened he did not expect: Angelica got up.

The girl was bleeding profusely from a head wound and leaned against the cracked wall to keep herself standing. Her face and eyes burned bright with an animalistic energy.

“Ah, it's been a while—alter of Angelica. I always thought you were the more interesting of the two. I have to commend your performance. I wasn’t expecting jujutsu and advanced combative techniques from either of you.”

Angie smirked, spitting out a chunk of blood. “Let’s just say I knew a GB guy at church.”

“Green Beret?”

“Ground Branch.”

“Sounds like an interesting story. Any last words?”

”Not my last, but you’re gonna hear it anyway.”

Rook approached closer to hear what the girl had to say. He displayed no reaction at first. However, a slight smile began to appear. And then the unthinkable happened—

He laughed.

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I woke up to another unfamiliar ceiling. Waking up somewhere new is the most disorientating feeling, especially when I don’t remember falling asleep…

I tried to sit up but my head exploded in pain like a thousand tiny needles.

“Ow! My head…”

A large medical dressing was wrapped around my head. Everything looked blurry like a dirty window. I was in some sort of medical room complete with, uh, or ….an IV sticking out of my arm?

“What’s going on?”

”Angel, you're finally awake!”

I could just make out a figure but I’d know that voice anywhere! The bubbly ashen-haired girl and my best friend!

“Lyla?”

She practically jumped on me which made me realize the rest of my body was also in pain!

”Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Take it easy, you're killing me here!”

”I’m sorry Angel, are you okay? How are you feeling? Where else does it hurt? Sable is still here. She'll make it better.”

Lyla points to Sable who’s presence I didn’t even notice. The sour faced redhead sat with her legs and arms crossed, like she was forced to wait on me.

“You’ve already been thoroughly treated. If you have any complaints about my work, I’ll kill you.”

“Sable you’re so funny and amazing! Did you know her kanon specialty is healing? I would have never guessed she’s practically a doctor when it comes to the human body—”

”Slow down.” Too many things were happening. “Sable healed me but… how and why?”

The events were starting to come back to me. I was in a life and death fight with Principal Rook and the one hit KO that nearly killed me.

My eyes met with Sable but she averted her gaze. Was it embarrassment or did she hate my guts?

Sable stood up quickly and hurried for the door. Before she did, she gave me one last glance back. There was sadness in her eyes.

“You were tested by Principal Rook. Once again you did what I could not… you passed.”

Sable slipped out of the room.

“Wait!”

I didn’t know what I wanted to say besides thanking her. But a part of me wanted to say something more...

Ever since the demon attack, I had seen a glimpse into her true self. In that brief moment I saw past the mask she put on to fool others.

I knew because I used to wear one too.

We all wore masks to keep others away.

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“Congratulations on your graduation. You can go back to doing whatever you used to do.”

Those aren’t the words I ever thought I’d hear coming from the man who tried to kill me last week. I’d never heard him joke before. It came off as bizarre.

“I’m joking of course. You did not graduate. But, you accomplished something much greater—you have earned my trust.”

Rook saw I wasn’t having it. He tried to take a more conciliatory tone, or whatever he thought playing nice meant in his demented mind.

“I understand you’re still upset, I would be too. I’m not asking you to forgive me.”

”Good!” I interjected, “Because I’m not!”

Maybe he should feel what it's like to be choked to death?!

I felt Angie come forward into my consciousness. “This guy might be an autistic asshole but I don’t think he wants to kill us anymore.”

This was the first time Angie had come out when she wasn’t threatening me or my life wasn’t in danger. I liked this feeling. It was like having your most trusted partner by your side.

I let myself calm down and nodded for Rook to continue.

“As part of the test, I gave you an option to back out. I’ll give you one last chance. This time it will be straightforward. Option one: you leave this place immediately and live out the rest of your life as you see fit. This entire chapter of your life will feel like a distant dream. You will have questions that will never be answered but you will be happy and live a long life.”

I didn't bother responding. I took a page out of his book to not say anything and try to look stoic.

“Option two: stay and see how deep the rabbit hole goes. You distinguished yourself in front of both of us. Your courage and abilities demonstrate you have what it takes to be an operative in our world.”

A woman appeared from behind me. I hadn’t seen or felt her presence at all!

“This is Sheila. She is a member of a separate division. Regardless of your decision, she has asked to talk with you about it.”

I recognized her from the demon attack. “I saw you at the end of the hallway.”

Sheila looked pleased by this. “You are very perceptive. I’m able to mask my physical presence with kanon but some, like you can see through the illusion. And that is precisely why we need your assistance.”

She glanced over at Rook. I could sense an unspoken tension between them. We seemed to be an unlikely alliance coming together for an important reason.

“Before we go any further, I need your verbal consent. There will be no records of this conversation or this mission ever happening. History will never know our names if we succeed or if we die. Can you still continue knowing death in the line of duty is a high possibility?”

What am I doing? This is insane! I’m not cut out for this life and death stuff. I’m just a small town girl who got dragged into this crazy world. What possible reason was there for me to stay?

Angie was still by my side, waiting patiently. In my mind I turned to her. It was just the two of us.

“Angie, I’m scared. I felt brave last time but now…”

“But now shit just got real.” She chuckled and put her hand on my shoulder. “Listen, real bravery is deep down you’re scared but you tell yourself, ‘screw it, we’ll do it live!’ I know you better than you know yourself, if that makes any sense. And what I feel you’re conflicted about is there’s still something out there watching us. The creeping dread.”

“Yes. The creeping dread, ‘the curse.’ I don’t want to keep running away. I’ve done enough of that. So what do you say?”

“There’s nothing left for me to say. Only you can decide that.This is your life and you won’t have me much longer…”

I didn’t know what she meant by the last part but I knew in my heart what I needed to do.

I returned back to the real world. Sheila and Rook waited for my answer.

I took a deep breath. This was the most monumental choice that would shape my life—forever.

“Y-y-yes!” Butterflies flapped wildly in my stomach. I did it. There was no turning back from this point. I looked them both in the eyes.

“I’m staying until I discover the truth, no matter what it takes. My answer is yes.”

Sheila looked extremely uncomfortable while I detected a sly smile behind Rook’s folded hands. The idea that these two worked for the same organization intrigued me, so I started there.

“For starters—who the hell are you people?”

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I had to listen to Rook go on for a 20 minute lecture on the history of the top secret organization known as “MAJI,” which was a synonym for something I had already forgotten…

Sheila sat on the desk nearly nodding off and I felt myself going in that direction if Rook didn’t get to the point soon. I was beginning to see right through him. At his core he was a giant nerd.

”This is all very interesting and everything but what does this have to do with me? You mentioned that MAJI was created for preternatural phenomenon yet you have a basement that spawns demons. Explain why you're so bad at your job?"

I almost got a reaction out of Rook. I was still mad at him and honestly, I wanted to get under his skin just once.

“Over fifteen years ago during Operation Grunge, there was a high probability that my boss, the Director, was compromised by a demonic artifact known as the Icon of Pride. Neither the artifact, nor the user who stole it, were ever recovered. However, I noticed a gradual change in his actions over the years until I was finally forced to reach out.”

“So what makes you think your boss was compromised or infected or whatever?”

Sheila joined in, “The full capabilities are still a mystery but one of its verified abilities was mass possession. Without a defense a person would fall directly under its power. I was sent here to verify or recover the Icon if the opportunity presented itself.”

“As to your question why MAJI can't handle this: it's precisely because it's an internal matter that makes it so complicated. Over time MAJI became its own shadow government with no oversight and too much power. With power comes struggle, the unified intelligence and research agencies all broke up into competing factions.”

”You can think of it this way.” Sheila added in, “Rook and I are from two of those competing factions but there is a threat that concerns both of us enough to work together. The primary threat is now the demon incursion you experienced. At their core demons are spiritual beings from “second heaven” unable to take physical form in our realm, “first heaven.”

My head was spinning. I had so many questions…

“We don’t know why or how the Director is able to do this. I suspect the Icon is at play and even more alarming beyond the manifestation of demons but the possibility to control them.”

The attack by the tall demons was still fresh in my memory. Now that I look back, they seemed very fixated on me…

“This is not quite what I expected to learn, it's a lot to take in. I do have a question. Why can’t you just call the military?”

“Unfortunately, if a raid was authorized, and no evidence of the Icon was found, it would start a war in the organization.”

“So?”

“My people would be labeled as traitors and wiped out.”

Oh…

“Despite our best efforts, we still don't understand the Director’s intentions or his plans. The compartmentalization procedures in this complex are at a level I’ve never seen before.”

“But do you at least know why I was brought here?”

Sheila shook her head and turned towards Rook. His eyes and the way he stared at me told me everything I needed.

“Of course you know why.”

“Of course,” He smirked, “Fifteen years ago you were born in the middle of the failed raid to retrieve the Icon.”

I heard the words but my brain didn’t register. He waited for me to take it in. The horrifying realization caught up. The implication that…

“So my family…”

“Indeed, your mother was part of the cult. I was the one who shot and killed her.”