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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dD6JrH7GN
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"I'd rather be called Malva." the balding male said nervously.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpiTGgdbqq
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"Understood. Do you have the package?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXWoiFyzde
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"Do you have the you-know-what?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKbl1tKRBx
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The woman turned her head towards her companion, who nodded understandingly and opened the suitcase658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPGK39pfyq
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"One million pounds. Cash."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfNJ2lZKWA
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPfap1oMuU
"Only one million!?" The young, ginger male seemed irritated. "Do you even know how hard we have worked to get this thing for you?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxR6WZx7kU0
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnU7qsm4R2
"Our offer is final."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgOKVMqHNv
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"Fine, Fine!" hissed Malva. "Just give us the money."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOz88K1W6bR
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIG23K09U1
"Let us see the inside of the suitcase first."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmDdk2mktQ
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbw9Eq0h0S
The younger male who came with Malva seemed irritated, but the older one hushed him with one look. 658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInSKbGgGO1
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2A4OsbVBs3
Malva kneeled down and opened the case.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3g9Cj1f2g
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"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?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15MnfTkhHa
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiHSo4JRvR
"Thank you." The woman replied. "Please close the suitcase and hand it over to us."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj99eWKWWC7
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5VjUpOgVU
"First you hand yours!" The younger male shouted.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6IKwW31cr
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"As you wish." 658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCYflxCDcP
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The man in the black coat stepped forward and handed the case to Malva, who, in turn, handed him the one he was holding.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiUKP3owKY
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQ4rMlgOQ4
"Thank you for your cooperation." The woman said.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDHM5uA1gt
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75nvlxtk6S
"Likewise." Malva took a bow.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEaEPXUOqV
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The balding male patted the younger man's shoulder and they both turned around to leave, talking with each other happily.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqLeIzGCQY
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDEUIIchvN
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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTatoMfG2nP
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Both of the other men instantly fell to the ground, unconcious.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGtoZxT9AF
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7YbvTTDWS
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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwR0WLeMqc
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RASrZNDQT
"Shapeshifters." The female said with disgust, looking at the man's black pupils.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhLyv1K9wI
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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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6b6H5KDcX
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****658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FCM9nPx6s
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Za5ZUrlKI
"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. 658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0zQ1WYvUd
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"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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SbX2H01XX
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"No, really. It was even worse than when I ate Kaszanka without knowing what it is."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVuoJGAY25
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCKiQUjqav
"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."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHad4E5shT4
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlY6myao0AP
"Well, of course not all of it. There is also fat, skin, some poor animal's lungs and liver.."
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iE8YziW1U
"Hey..."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKjNcEF6HV
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheoNhEQINn
"...kidneys, maybe brain even."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8ssl50uKz
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjehZeefeG
"Hey!" Aleksander grabbed him by the shirt and pointed at the staircase leading downstairs "Is this not your father?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIS4CO1ltrx
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgedZcVje4
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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKYkg4s6Nx
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"I don't care." The middle eastern boy lost all of his usual joyful spirit.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFteHx4PbX
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnMMFhvNeC
"Wait... but here it says <<RESTRICTED, ONLY APPROVED PERSONEL>>."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbknz6KIP9R
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mOD0HXgEL
"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."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCWhOzxCHn
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The boys made only a few steps,however, before they heard somebody shouting.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzlUYmFad2
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViGk6fXPi4
"Aleks! HEY, ALEKS!"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJbIqtbWMq
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUYLvPVQRZ
They turned around and saw the Italian girl, Bianka running towards them.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2e9DmVfyn
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"Oh, hey." Aleksander smiled "What's up?"
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFujk7rbJI
"I've been looking all over the department for you." she panted "Where have you been?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBV43UZQxev
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0kFR8Be3Z
"In the cafeteria... what happened?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRCxOOVpgy
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGsb7BD7zm
"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."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9MEwnajH8
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"Okay, let's go."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCR7M8g4PW
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"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."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTS7IHnO7in
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"Well,okay then."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcrfk0S2Ff
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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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBta5GPyUCF
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWXDnPUd5l
"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?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7QW43PTp5
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylHRJ80yDF
The middle eastern boy was standing still in the same place, pale as a rock.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlx2qtn6Nf
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"Jamon, you okay?" Aleksander asked slowly.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5l3K7VqOh1
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"Kaszanka... is made... out of a Pig?" 658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡye3yTZuNGN
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4P8Aay8S4g
The other teenager looked terrified and Aleks suddenly understood. He closed his eyes and carefully responded.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡye1Og2ObNo
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDCFKDPsHG
"...Yes?..."
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"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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1J9N1Oetl
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmVy82AH5S
"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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDNgUJRs5F
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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.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA81TdXij4q
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaiUEqtXZv
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?"
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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?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZ6aWh3SuC
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8dS5M5cyq
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."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiz9AZDli4
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60wryxk7ZO
"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?"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47farIFG6i
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqEHmyqMUl
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..."658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxbezaMCmh
658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9IvAhgoem
"NO!" Aleksander yelled "I'll do this! Just... tell me what do I have to do!"658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYEYV6mP3L
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Ayumi looked at him carefully and sighed again.658Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hv2vvCRC1
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"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.
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