Past Mistakes and Future Lessons

Chronid was small, but what it lacked in square footage, it made up for in height. The town seemed almost futuristic: LED screens plastered the face of each building, creating a cyberpunk-like aesthetic. Various news reports, pop culture trends, and the makeup-heavy faces of idols stared down from every angle—unnerving and foreign.

Eyes were glued to the screens as shouts and excited clamor filled the sidewalks and streets. Most traffic was of the foot variety and even then, despite the cramped space, it remained minimal. Stairs crisscrossed each other in helical patterns as people traversed the gemstone-embedded steps like ants. The sidewalks were far more mobile, transporting people to pre-programmed destinations. Neon arrows indicated the appropriate flow of foot traffic and small grassy medians were left untouched for those who had time to spare, meant for leisurely enjoyment.

Besides its technological advancements, what was most striking about Chronid were its multiple levels; above and below. The subsurface consisted of shopping and eatery as it spanned multiple subfloors, each one more prominent and luxurious than the last. From casual styles closer to the surface to urban and punk styles on the lower floors, Chronid had it all.

Above the surface, clear, glass elevators swooshed up and down, taking people from one story to the next. Like its subsurface, the town reflected a luxurious appearance from its storefronts to its bars—even the schools boasted large halls and open naves. Back alleys squeezed between high-rises, hidden from the colossal eminence. Towering into the sky, each story managed to find a new way to express the diverse culture and appreciation of Chronid while still embracing styles strangely reminiscent of Earth.

The top floor was home to various idol groups, music agencies, and medical services. Concerts were a frequent occurrence, yet noise was never an issue. Somehow, Chronid was the image of luxury despite current events. With large LED screens plastered to the face of every multiple-story building, something news-worthy was both expected and ignored entirely, contributing to the progressive style of the town itself. If no one cared, there was no need to instill fear and uncertainty.

                                                                             ***

“Lyra, enough,” Brendan whined as he tried to free his wrist from her grasp. “We’re here, so you can let go now.”

“Not yet.” She looked around, uneasy. “You have no idea the scope of what I have to tell you, but this is too public.”

Brendan looked around, uncertain himself of what had Lyra so spooked. It was the middle of the day, the sun dazzling the glass and metallic architecture of the town. There was cautious, but was there such thing as too cautious, all things considered?

“There.” Lyra pointed to a small shade tree near the edge of town, just far enough away from the center of the story that it would be impossible for anyone to eavesdrop.

“Just to be sure we’re on the same page here, the girls did tell you about Chiipha beforehand, including myself, and the encounters with the devils?”

“Yes,” Brendan said.

“Great, because I’m about to blow your mind.”

A stern looked crossed Brendan’s face. The past two years hadn’t been a cakewalk and he was always on his toes. There hadn’t been time to be otherwise.

Lyra let out a deep sigh. “How do I put this?” she pondered. “You know how Lacia told you about Kaden and the others, right?”

Brendan nooded.

“Well… they never actually existed, and I know Lacia is going to tell you something different, but you should hear it from me first. It’s true she did just mysteriously end up here. What she told you about the power called “Aria” is also true, but it goes by a much different name.

“Remember when you asked how you should put it? I have the answer to that question.” Brendan paused for a moment. “Bluntly.”

“Look, I’m sorry, but this is information you need to know, and you need to know like right now. Anyways,” she continued, “I had to garner an elaborate illusion to make her think what was going on was real. If she had fully awakened right then and there, Ahzef and the other devils would have been on us in seconds.”

“Because something about her gift is like a signal flare, correct?”

“Yes. Until she’s ready to fight at full strength, she cannot awaken her powers completely. Your little princess is, well, a princess. Her primary duty is to defend the boundary between Earth and the Reverse World. However,” a brisk wind rustled the tree above their heads, “there is also another princess whose primary duty is— Can you guess?”

“To guard the boundary between Chiipha and the Reverse World,” Brendan finished.

“Unfortunately, she was devoured by the devils many years ago and a ceremony was never held to pass the title on to an heir: One, because she was a virgin and had no children, and two, what they stole from her is the reason they’re actively seeking Lacia out.”

“Alright. Let me make sure I’ve got this right: a new Princess of Chiipha was never crowned because the one who originally held that title was devoured and her powers stolen, that and the fact she had no children.”

“And even if she did, they would have been too young to ascend to the throne. She was just a little younger than we are.” Lyra looked even more uneasy than before, but her face told Brendan there was still more to the story.

“Your face tells me there’s more.”

Lyra went from a look of uneasiness to embarrassment in seconds. “Yes, but you have to promise not to say anything until I give you the okay.” She tucked locks of caramel brown behind her ears.

The tips of her ears were oddly shaped, pointed almost, something Brendan had only read about in books, but hadn’t seen in person. He wracked his brain, desperate to place why her ears seemed so familiar.

“No… It’s not that I’ve read about them…” He stared directly into Lyra’s eyes. “Your ears indicate that you’re part of a certain race of people, don’t they?”

“Huh? How could you possibly figure that out from their shape alone?”

“It was an old folk tale passed down through the family. Granted, somehow it got so off track that the moral of the story ended up being about not sleeping when you’re tired, whatever sense that makes.”

“The Iliern,” she whispered softly.

“And if I’m right— Wait. Did you just say—?” He grabbed Lyra’s palms, exposing them to a small beam of sunlight peeking through the tree leaves.”

Her palms gave off a faint crystalline sheen, exposing a series of patterns that twirled through each other, eventually forming a large makeshift star.

“I knew it. You’re—”

“Shh!” Lyra hushed him. “Not here, Brendan. Besides,” she looked around anxiously, “we have business to attend to here. I didn’t drag you to Chronid for a vacation in case you were wondering.”

“I’m aware,” he said, reigning in his excitement. “After this, we need to figure out where Lacia is before the devils do and Aria is our best shot at that.”

                                                                           ***

A small groan escaped Aria’s lips. It took everything she had and then some to escape from that hell of a castle. She was almost certain they’d jumped to Chronid, but the room was dark, and it smelled of mildew and wood—not exactly what she’d been hoping for. She hadn’t expected to run into Kuria after finding Mana, and the fight proved to be a costly one. Aria had used most of the mana she’d been storing; healing Mana was out of the question for the time. Unfortunately, this left her teetering between life and death.

Was it guilt she felt or an increased sense of uselessness and lack of power? Whatever the case, they both needed medical attention—Mana especially.

A warm, wet sensation covered her hand as she struggled to find something to prop herself up against, but it was no use; she was too sore to move and whatever she’d touched continued to expand. Panic overtook her senses. She feared Mana had bled out until the smell of grapes and fermented alcohol greeted her nose.

“So, it’s a wine cellar… Thank god.” She clamored around in the dark for another minute as her eyes gradually adjusted. The light from under the cellar door desperately tried to eek its way in, but the darkness consumed it at its source.

Without warning, the door suddenly flew open, smashing Aria in the face as she took the full brunt of the door. She held her hands over her nose, attempting to hide the gush of blood. Fresh salty tears stung her eyes.

“Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?” An angry man stood in the doorway.

“It’s a long story, ok?” she said, voice muffled, “and how can you stand there and ask questions when you just bashed me in the face with a door?!” Aria retorted back.

“It’s my wine cellar and you’re the one who was sitting in front of the door, now get out before I throw you out!” He scanned the room, observing a busted wine barrel that now oozed red wine all over the floor. Moments later, his eyes caught sight of Mana, motionless in a back corner of the room.

Aria looked towards the man then back at Mana. The pain was so disorienting that she didn’t realize Mana had thawed out. “How did she thaw?!” Aria scrambled towards Mana, wounds still fresh and bleeding.

“We were supposed to have more time,” she mumbled.

Noticing Mana’s disarray, the wine keeper rushed over to join Aria. “Forget what I said earlier. Right now, we need to disinfect those wounds.”

“But if I wake her up, it could send her into shock!”

“Do you see the way the skin around the wounds has turned purple? It means that infection is setting in and if she doesn’t get medical attention quickly, you’ll have an even bigger problem on your hands than waking her up.” The man trickled fresh wine over the open wounds, hoping to slow the infection, but her wounds were deep.

Mana’s face twisted in what must have been excruciating pain, but she remained unconscious; probably for the better.

“Are you able to carry her legs? I’ll carry her top half.”

Aria tried to stand but her legs gave out almost immediately. She’d spent most of her mana and physical strength fighting Kuria and the door in her face moments earlier wasn’t helping. “I’m sorry, but I can hardly even stand.”

“Whatever you just went through has adrenaline pumping through you’re veins like crazy. It’s amazing you’re both alive, judging by her injuries.” The man stood up and yelled out the door. Not a minute later, several people in aprons appeared in the doorway as the man explained the situation.

“These young men will take you both to the hospital,” the wine keeper explained.

“You guys have a business to run. Don’t wo—” One of the workers picked her up, carrying her in his arms. “Y-you really don’t have to.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’re closed for the day anyways,” the wine keeper grinned, glad to be of help. “I’ll get this cleaned up and I apologize for the way I reacted earlier. You both just come see me when you’re all healed up, okay?”

“Y-yes sir. Thank you, and sorry,” Aria stammered.

                                                                                ***

“This town is more like a labyrinth. How does every single floor have something different from the one above it?”

“Just follow me and we’ll figure it out together,” Lyra said, unamused by the whining.

“Lyra, wait—” Brendan made a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn, barely catching sight of Aria and Mana being whisked away up an elevator.

A voice from behind stopped Brendan mid-stride. “Do you know those two? The one with the yellow undergarments was in especially bad shape.”

“Mana’s were yellow,” Brendan exclaimed.

Lyra shot him a disgusted look.

“You two should hurry. They’re being taken to the hospital—the one at the top story of town. When you enter, it’s right there on the left. I found them all banged up inside my wine cellar. God knows how it all happened.”

“Thank you very much, sir.” Lyra paused. “Uhh… is there anything we can compensate you for?” Large, wet spots dampened the man’s knees—likely wine.

“Considering the shape those two were in and the fact that I accidently bashed the other one’s face in with the door, I just ask they come see me when they get better. I came off a bit harsh,” the wine keeper said solemnly.

“We’ll make sure they get better, and they’ll be back to see you in no time,” Lyra said, trying to console him, “but we’ve got to go now. Thank you for your help!”

The man smiled as he waved them off.

                                                                           ***

The sound of crutches on tile floors wandered into the waiting room where Brendan and Lyra sat waiting. Vending machine snacks offered limited sustenance for its weary waiters, but they quickly forgot about the stale chips and warm waters as Aria rounded the corner.

“Before you ask, I’m fine. It’s just a bad sprain.”

Brendan was the first, and the last, to point out the mass of bandages that covered her face. Aria planted one of her crutches into his foot as he gave a look that said, “What the hell?”

“You really should know not to point things like that out. A girl’s face is pretty important, and we don’t need reminding when it’s less than pretty.”

Brendan apologized, though he wondered if he was going to need crutches after having his foot smashed. “Enough foot smashing. How is Mana? Did the doctors say?”

Aria’s face remained unchanged as she shifted her arms on the crutches, but something bothered her. Her eyes portrayed a distant look as if she’d received bad news. She sighed and motioned for Brendan and Lyra to sit back down.

“We got really lucky, getting here when we did, but that doesn’t mean she’s out of the woods yet.” Aria attempted to take a seat herself as Brendan jumped up, trying to help into her a chair. “She’s in the Operating Room currently. They’re trying to see just how much internal damage there is.”

“Is it safe to assume, then, that her injuries are beyond the scope of healing with magic?” Lyra said.

Aria’s mouth twisted to form a look of uncertainty. She didn’t have all the answers, but the ones she did have weren’t much better. “Look… A lot has happened in the last two years and while I can’t say for sure if she’s truly that in-danger, I can say that I can’t heal her, right now.”

“Aria. I think it’s best you tell us where you’ve been and how you and Mana sustained such serious injuries.” Brendan stood up, folding his arms. “What I know for certain is that if you’re alive, so is Lacia and that means one of two things—”

“That Ahzef is alive or you two truly defeated the devils,” Lyra finished.

Aria looked her dead in the eyes, emerald irises bore into Lyra’s soul. Even Brendan was uneasy, afraid the girls were about to throwdown right then and there.

Lyra was the first to speak. “I missed you Ari,” she smiled.

“I missed you too, Lyra,” Aria smiled back. “Long time no see.”

Brendan was completely lost. “Ari? And… you two know each other?”

“We do,” Aria replied, “and I promise I’ll explain later, but right now, let me catch you guys up to speed.”

                                                                       ***

“You spared off against the fourth ranked of the Reverse World?!” Brendan was shocked. “I’m sure she was nothing compared to Ahzef, but if what you’re saying is true, and Kuria didn’t just play us all for fools, then we have a problem.”

“And you met Chronyu?” Lyra added.

Aria nodded. “There’s more, though. Brendan I’ve already told, but you don’t have the full story, so buckle up.” She avoided eye contact at first, afraid of Lyra’s reaction. “The reason I was ever with the devils in the first place was because of the accident when I was little. I wasn’t myself after mom and dad died. I was wallowing in self-pity and when I found those essays, my own selfish reasons led me to a place I should never have set foot in.”

“Aria—”

She shook her head, silencing Brendan. “I thought that what we were doing was for my sake. After Lacia and I fought Lucifero, our memories melded and I was there, living through them.” Her voice softened to a whisper. “I had no idea who she was at first, so when Ahzef brought her in, I thought— No… I didn’t think. I could feel it when she was transported to Chiipha for the first time.” Aria’s voice trembled.

“Aria,” Brendan started, but Lyra put a finger to her lips.

“I assume you guys already noticed the disturbance in the universal plane… That’s because Lacia was forced through a gate that wasn’t meant to be opened.” Glistening tears flowed down her cheeks. “This all started because of me. It’s my fault we’re in this mess.”

Lyra lifted Aria’s chin, wet with tears. “None of this is your fault. You were hurting and didn’t know any better. I mean, how could anyone ever blame you?”

“She’s right,” Brendan added. “None of us could have ever suspected the universe was filled with such terrifying, yet mystifying, things. Magic, devils, even other worlds. Hell, no pun intended, even other beings such as Omnis and Hika.” He flashed a cheery smile at her. “Aria, I told you two years ago that I didn’t expect you to act like anyone other than yourself. Do you remember that?”

Aria nodded. “Of course I do.”

“That hasn’t changed. Not once in these last two years.”

Her cheeks flushed beat-red. “Brendan—”

“You’re my world and I wouldn’t have it any other way, so keep your head up.” He smiled once again.

Lyra stepped out into the hall, giving Brendan and Aria some space. The day had grown into night as the minutes passed like speeding cars. Moments later, the sound of newly approaching footsteps caught her attention. She assumed it was one of Mana’s doctors as the tapping of rubber soles grew closer. Hopefully they had good news.

“You’re one of Mana’s friends, right?” a voice asked.

She wasn’t sure how to answer the question considering she hadn’t known Mana for long. “Uhh, yeah.”

“She had some major internal damage and we’ve repaired what we could, but she’s likely going to have chronic pain due to the extent of her injuries. There was a lot of torn muscle, but whatever impaled her thankfully missed any vital spots.”

Lyra sighed in relief. It wasn’t great news, but it wasn’t bad news either.

“We will need to keep her as an Inpatient for several days to monitor her during the recovery period. She’s lost a lot of blood too, but she’ll make a full recovery there.”

“Can she have visitors yet?”

“Let’s give it ‘til morning. She needs the rest tonight, but if you want to visit then, that should be just fine.”

“Understood. Thank you for all of your hard work. We know this was sudden.” Lyra apologized. “I’ll make sure those two,” she pointed behind her with a thumb, “get the full report.”

She shook the doctor’s hand before returning to Brendan and Aria in the Waiting Room who must have noticed her absence.

“What happened? Is everything okay?” Aria started.

“I was actually just talking to one of Mana’s doctors. Nothing vital was hit and she will recover, but she won’t be like before the fight. The doctor said she’ll likely have to deal with chronic pain, but the torn muscle will heal with time. Other than that, they want to keep her a few days to monitor her recovery. They’d like her to rest tonight.”

“That’s a relief,” Brendan said, relieved.

Aria’s face brightened knowing that Mana would be okay. “Once my mana recovers a little more, I think I can reverse the rest of the damage. She should be as good as new once I’m done.”

“How about we get some rest ourselves?” Lyra suggested. “I’m beat and we have a lot of catching up to do, Aria.”

Aria smiled faintly. “That we… do.” She trailed off as a mysterious rumble knocked loose stacks of paper to the floor, roller beds skidding across the hallways of the hospital. The shaking lasted several minutes before eventually subsiding. “Was that an earthquake?”

“Yes, but didn’t it feel… different?” Brendan said cautiously.

“You’re right. It started off super gradual and died off the same way, like when a train rumbles down the tracks,” Aria agreed.

“They’re actually called “Phauakes” here. If anyone finds out that the gateway between Earth and Chiipha was opened,” Lyra glanced over her shoulder, “it’ll cause mass panic. We can’t let that happen, obviously, so if someone overhears us saying ‘earthquake’, we could be in trouble.”

“Phauakes, right…” Aria turned to Brendan, then Lyra. “Anyone have any great ideas as to lodging for the night since we were so rudely int—”

The entire hospital shook violently with astounding force in a test of adversity to the sudden forces of nature. Windows shattered, unable to hold their frame. Beds crashed into each other, and medical equipment was torn from its wall outlets. The shaking was accompanied by what Aria swore sounded like a freight train barreling straight towards her. Crashing and banging corroded the usual peace and quiet of the hospital.

If the whole building came down, it wouldn’t be just the patients any rescuers would be searching for under the rubble.

“If we die here, it’s all over, but this shaking—” A ceiling tile crashed to the floor inches from Aria, interrupting her thought.

“It wouldn’t be any fun if that were to happen, now, would it?”

Aria turned, working to identify the source of the voice in her head, but it was to no avail. “Who are you?” she demanded.

“I think you’ll have your answer to that if I just show you,” the voice taunted.

A dark shadow pooled under the lights between the hallway and the Waiting Room. It compounded on itself, heaps of black shadows dripping like mud from the largest mounds before finally congealing into a solid form.

“Mikaun,” Aria growled. “What do you want?”

“You’re enemies of Ahzef and the Reverse Royalty, are you not? I’d like to propose an idea.” Mikaun snapped his fingers putting an end to the shaking. “Is that enough to trust me?”

“Absolutely not,” Aria and Lyra said in unison.

“Do you really think I’d ever trust a devil?” Aria warned.

Mikaun shrugged. “And what if I told you I had some information you might find useful?”

“Like?” Brendan said, guardedly. “You won’t gain our help either if you’re going to keep us guessing.”

“Help?” Aria’s voice rung with confusion. “Help a devil? Brendan—”

“I’m interested in your offer, but since you seem to know so much about us already, how about you explain why you’re here.” Brendan took command of the conversation.

“Very well then.” The devil seated himself in an undamaged chair at the front of the room. “I didn’t used to be so apt to help you humans, but what Ahzef seeks is the destruction of everything—a full reset if you will. Do you remember the Searing Wounds event?”

Brendan raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Go on.”

“Recall the Lhumin boy that was injured. Now, think about why there’s no record of the event.” Mikaun let his words sink in.

“There’s no record because the elders died with the knowledge of it. Anyone who lived during that time is gone now and what remains of the record is mostly just word-of-mouth. It’s been over 200 years since the conflicted ended, so why does it matter now?”

Mikaun opened his hand. A large, bound book appeared in his palm, perfectly balanced. Leather straps sealed the contents of its pages, but the book looked as if it could fall apart at any moment. The scent of acrid ink filled the room.

“This,” Mikaun said releasing the leather straps, “is the official record of the entirety of the Greyriter family history.”

“Not possible. There can’t be a full record if the events of the Searing Wounds were erased from all written text.” Brendan approached the devil, but Mikaun signaled for him to stay. “There’s only one way to verify your claim and the legitimacy of that book.”

“There’s a hidden emblem on the fourth page of every Greyriter record and in order to see it, one must warm the backside of the page; specifically, the bottom-right corner.” Mikaun looked Brendan in the eyes. “Now take it.”

Brendan snatched the book from Mikaun as he gently lifted the fourth page, warming it with short breaths. It was just as Mikaun said; a small emblem faded onto the specified corner of the page.

“So, is no one going to ask how he stopped the phauake, or…? It only seems fair we know why you’re here as well, Mikaun.” Aria was cautious, but the earlier apprehension had vanished. “You never answered us.”

Mikaun crossed his legs. “I’m actually here for that one.” The devil pointed at Lyra.

Brendan looked at Aria who only reflected the same expression back: confusion. “That actually reminds me… Lyra, we, Mana and I, never got a full introduction from you. No offense, but we still don’t know why you came to us.”

Lyra sighed. “Does it really surprise you? After all, Aria and I are pretty close. That alone should give you some idea.” She was firm, but her shifting feet told a different story.

Mikaun clapped his hands, recollecting everyone’s attention. “Now, now. Don’t get ahead of yourselves. I told you I had some information you might like, remember?” He smiled devilishly though it lacked malfeasance. “Oh, but we should have your friend present for this as well. Shall we pay her a visit?”

“But the doctor said—”

“Boy, I am the doctor,” Mikaun taunted, flashing his badge. “I’m sure you’re just as anxious.” He smiled at Aria who subsequently shivered.

“Don’t do that.”

                                                                              ***

The hospital looked mostly unscathed by the phauake though small piles of rubble could be seen pushed against the wall. Considering the clangor of the phauake, the dead-silence of the hospital was almost eerie. Either the hospital had a slow day, or its patients slept like rocks. Aria was envious.

Aria lagged Brendan and Lyra, but she didn’t mind. They were lost in conversation and seemed to be having a good time, judging by the occasional giggle from Lyra.

“They make a cute pair, but I think I like what you and Brendan had going on, back at the Hall of Memories and all.” Mikaun seemed to slither up next to her.

“More chills… Ughh…” She shivered. “How do you know about that, anyways?”

“The answers you seek are not far, but I don’t dare interfere much further. As it stands, you’ve now met three of the five of the Reverse Royalty. The fifth and sixth seat are known as the Binary Twins—they fight together versus alone.”

“Why are you telling me this, Mikaun? What are trying to get out of us?” Aria leaned against the wall, taking the weight off her ankle. “I know you, for whatever reason, can’t answer that, but if you’re trying to gain our trust—”

“You have fifteen minutes before you find yourself in a real bind, so less questions and more listening.” Mikaun helped Aria hobble into Mana’s room. Brendan and Lyra were already seated.

“It’s almost three-thirty in the morning and I hurt. This better be good or—”

“Good morning to you too, Mana,” Mikaun piped. “Now, all four of you, listen to me very carefully.” The devil’s playful face turned serious. “An encounter with the final two seats of the Reverse Royalty is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to happen right now. You have less than fifteen minutes before they show up, so I will make this as quick as possible.” Mikaun closed the door and pulled the blinds.

“You’re not a normal doctor, are you?” Mana said, narrowing her eyes.

“Very observant. Now then, Lyra— Or would you prefer I call you ‘princess’, instead?”

“Since you’ve gone and told my secret, I’ll explain myself. Mikaun can pick up after I finish.” Lyra shot Mikaun a look of disappointment. “Approximately two decades ago, the princess of Chiipha was devoured by the devils thus allowing them access to the boundaries between Earth and Chiipha. However, they had been brutally defeated the last time they attempted this—a Rezertia.”

Aria kept a watchful gaze over Mikaun as Lyra continued her explanation. Something felt off, but she couldn’t place what.

“There are meant to be two princesses, but not the kind that wear fancy dresses or that you see in movies. Their solemn duties are to protect the boundaries between Earth and Chiipha and ensure that their respective inhabitants are safe.” Lyra spoke quickly, but everyone seemed to be following. “Because the princess of Chiipha was devoured, an official ceremony to crown her heir was never held, but also because the devils completely drained her of her powers—this is why they are back now.”

Mikaun checked the clock on the wall. “Earth is also missing its princess, but that’s a side to the story you will have to hear from its rightful owner.”

Lyra allowed Mikaun to finish before continuing. “As for myself… Chiipha used to be home to multiple royal families, and that’s an entire history lesson in of itself, but I am a princess to one of them: the Ekair family.” She could sense the overload of information was still processing. “I don’t have the time to explain everything right now, and with time as scarce as it is—”

“I’ll wrap this up,” Mikaun said, checking the clock once more. “The devils were beaten back in the past, most recently just over two decades ago, as the princess here stated. Unfortunately, it was at great cost.”

Aria was the first to speak. “What is your reasoning for coming here, Mikaun? Why are you providing us with this information despite being one of the devils yourself?”

“Ahzef seeks to destroy, then rewrite, the universe. That alone explains the shifts you’ve felt in the universal plane. I’m providing this information because, like you, I also have something to protect. Ahzef must not be allowed to succeed. If you fail, it won’t be your universe alone that withers away.” The devil bowed his head.

“But I know that’s not right…” Alarm bells went off in Aria’s head.

“I understand.” Mana added. “I may not have all the information right now, or know what’s truly right or wrong, but I do know we can trust you.” She placed her hand above her heart. “I can sense the benevolence in you, Mikaun. You truly do have something that means the world to you and, just like us, you don’t want that to vanish.”

“By the way, how did you stop the shaking earlier? I’m mostly just curious,” Brendan said.

“From the phauake, you mean?”

“Yes. You snapped your fingers and it just… stopped, but there has been almost no word on the thing at all. Not to mention how eerily quiet it is. Why hasn’t there been some kind of emergency response?”

Mikaun grinned. “It’s very unfortunate you came to that realization, albeit it was a simple deduction.”

The devil began to split in two. One entity retained Mikaun’s original appearance. The other’s was much more feminine in nature.

Another “snap” sucked the color from the room as everything faded from soft hues of blue and white to darkness dimly lit by hanging lanterns along a stone wall.

“Dammit, Brendan,” Aria exclaimed furiously, “You just had to go and address the elephant in the room, didn’t you?”

“Oh, come on now, Aria. You didn’t sense something was off, too?”

“If you two don’t shut up and figure out what the hell just happened, we’re as good as dead—now get along or I’ll be the scariest thing you see for a while,” Lyra smiled.

Aria walked to the front of what looked to be a large holding cell. She gripped the metal bars until her knuckles turned white. “We can’t afford to lose this kind of time. When I get my hands on that damn devil, I’m going to blast him like I did Lucifero.”

“You’re going to blast who like you blasted me?”

Aria groaned. “It just gets better by the minute…”