Chapter 5 - what abound in nighttime

No need for demon blood poison, I’ll kill myself tomorrow. She looked at her clock. 00:30 am. 4:30 hours of sleep. I hate school… She suddenly opened her eyes. I’m a real dumbass. I just need to say I feel sick and mom would let me stay home! Happy about her newfound solution, she undressed and went to sleep. Tried to go to sleep, I should say. A soon as she closed her eyes, her mind started working relentlessly. I’ve a grimoire. I’m doing magic… So that is the gift of the demon… Luca. The book said I had an affinity with shadow and frost, and my two… spells? My two spells represent one of each element, if those are indeeds elements… It’s like in a videogame, or a novel… It’s nearly enough to make the chance of dying worthy, doing magic… I hope I’ll be able to remove my cast in no time, I really want to try the hands move that goes with the incantation… It’s so exciting! So much more than school! It went on like that for another thirty minutes before something appeared slowly at one of her windows. At first she didn’t see anything but the light of the street lamp cast strange shadow and, intrigued, she got up and went to look. And froze when, on the other side of a the glass, a vaporous shadow creature looked at her with eyes full of dark sickly-yellow light. She took a step back when it extended a tendril toward her but stopped when she understood what it was doing.

Are you Lysandre Derissie? It wrote on the glass with some kind of luminescent substance, the same color as its eyes.

“...Yes? Can you hear me?” She answered, nodding her head.

I can hear you. A common friend sent me here.

“A common friend?”

Yes, he said to me that he recruited you last wednesday in the afternoon, around a cup of tea.

Luca.

“Yes, indeed. Who are you?”

Questions are for later. You need to come with me.

“Now? It’s the middle of the night!”

Yes, now. And it vanished.

What do I do-What do I do-What do I do… She made a decision when she started dressing again. Will I not be able to sleep tonight? The thought was quite angry, but only on the surface, excitation boiling deep within her. Careful not to make a sound, she exited the house.

“Hello?” She whispered.

“Shhh, you don’t want to wake the whole neighborhood.” A man whispered back in her ear. By an humongous effort of will she did not scream. “Don’t do that again, please.” She turned her head. The man was tall but all his other features were clothed in shadow. Just like the second spell! “Sorry. And sorry, too, for the way I contacted you. Surprisingly, this house is Warded, I couldn’t penetrate in it without being detected, hence my trick with the shadow and the writing. Come now, as we have a lot to do tonight.” He started walking right away.

“W-where are we going?”

“To the headquarter. Now silence, we will talk a bit more once we’re on the move. Come, hurry!” She hurried behind him.

The streets are quite creepy at night, without sound nor people… She looked at him. Even more when the only other human is more creepy than the landscape itself. Another five minutes of walk.

“Good, now get in the car.” He said while taking a remote and pushing the unlock button, making the car bip. “A car? The HQ is that far away?”

“It’s in Lastreau. Not my fault you live in the middle of nowhere.” The end of his answer was nearly cut by the door he closed on him. She rushed at the other door and got in the car. Once her door was closed too…

“Ashrall-I-Flootkr-Ostral!” She could behold him doing an incantation, and even saw how he moved her hand. She was sure she could do it herself. If only this motherfucking cast wasn’t in the way!

Shadows erupted from his hands, flooding the compartment before flowing through the gap between different parts of the car, seemingly extending itself over the vehicule.

“What was that, what did you do?” She eagerly asked, her tongue once again flapping quicker than her mind could work. He looked at her. “Magic, kid. It was magic. Now please keep quiet. It’s late and I’ve had a busy day.” She suddenly realized his covering of shadow had disappeared, and she could now see his face and features correctly. He was young, less than twenty-five years old she would have said, with dark short hair and, maybe dark eyes? She couldn’t see correctly since the compartment was quite dark and he was now looking at the road while driving. Overall, he had a more asian-typed body, but she couldn’t be more precise, she had never been the brightest for those things.

“So you’ve been personally recruited by a top-brass?” She looked at him, surprised. “So now you want me to talk?” She retorted, slightly outraged.“Please, don’t make my day harder. I’m not a night person.” She kept her gaze on him a while more before letting it go. “I don’t know what you mean by top-brass. I just talked to a man that said he would send his men to help me, or something.” He took a quick look at her, raising an eyebrow. “So you’re what, an underground demonist with a high-seated acquaintance?”

“What?” She exclaimed.

“Ah. Not a demonist then. Someone tied to another faction? Lastreau is a tiny city, but Brussels isn’t far away. Big factions headquarters they have there, I heard. So? A technomacian maybe? Or even an exorcist? Mind you, I really don’t know what an exorcist would do with our tiny demonist cell, aside from burning it to the ground.” She had difficulties following what he said, trying to keep every information in her mind.

“You’re quite the chatty fellow for sure. I don’t belong to any faction… yet.” She answered, trying to play safe.

“So you’re a freelance? Why did you choose to join us then?” He took another look at her, now frowning. “You’re quite young aren’t you?”

“I’m sixteen, nearly seventeen, mind you, I’m not young. And I don’t know if I can talk about why I joined you, not now at least.”

“Secrets secrets. A young girl with secrets and top-brass as friends, you’re quite the oddity you know?” She didn’t answer his mildly angry comment.

***

The rest of the trip went by in silence, the guy driving without asking anymore questions. “We’ll arrive shortly.” She looked at the clock. 1:30 am. What am I doing? What am I going to do tomorrow? Curse me and my bright ideas! “If were you I would tone down the murderous face. Having high seated friends doesn't mean you will be protected all the time.” He commented, only half-veiling the threat. She looked at him and took over her to soften her expression. “Indeed.” They were waiting for a garage door to finish opening, after what he drove into it, going down the ramp and parking in between two other cars. Nice cars, they should cost quite a bit.

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“Let’s go, kid.”

“I’m not a kid!” He looked at her and shrugged. “As you want, miss. Please follow me, esteemed guest.” His tone was on the verge of mockery but Lysandre said nothing, tiredness snuffing her will to snap back. He took her to an elevator that brought them in a big, if cozy, room. The place was full of red satin, old patinated copper and high candelabra.

“Oh, Pierre! Back already? I told ya it wouldn’t be a pain in the ass to bring the new recruit back, eh?” An old man’s voice filled the room from one of the leather seats arranged around the fireplace. An old man sat there, pipe lit and eyes sparkling with mischievousness. “So you’re the new recruit, miss? Happy to make your acquaintance, I’m Sylas, the Guardian of this cell.” He had stood up to greet her. A bit lost, she looked at… Pierre… and saw him doing a slight curtsy, which she quickly replicated. “I ask the right to enter, Sylas-Grifatshi.” He said. Grifatshi… guardian… Echoing him, Lysandre asked the same thing. “I ask the right to enter, Sylas-Grifatshi.” Pierre gave her a withering glare but Sylas smiled approvingly. “An important and polite guest? Where did you learn to speak the demonic tongue so smoothly, lass?” She looked at him surprisingly. “It’s demonic? I was only repeating what Pierre said.” This time he laughed openly, even more to the sullen face Pierre was doing. “Oh so it’s easy it is? You’ll be quite something if that’s true, lass. I hear you both and give you the right to enter, Acolytes.” At the last word, Pierre’s face nearly turned purple but he said nothing. He just started walking toward the only door of the room, a big bronze door with carved words on it.

Ot-Ishrill-Hor--Faera-Hor-A-Nikt-Alfadom-Etas(Ye)--Colvro-Fadroma-T-Anceact--Coni-L-Ot-Iuelli-Fadom

Which the young man read. “Hmmm… The Darkest Hour, the Witches Hour Is Not Midnight, As Fearful Folks Think, But In The Deep Of The Night.” He looked at the door, but it didn’t move an inch. He repeated himself but nothing changed.

“Iuelli ...isn’t it Cradle instead of Deep?” Intervened Lysandre, re-reading the inscription, not even realizing she was fluent in it. It was like english to her. He looked at her and read it again too, then looked at her furiously. “Ear me, freelance…!” He stopped dead in his speech, looking behind him toward the Guardian. Finally, he just said the incantation once more, replacing Deep by Cradle, and the door opened on a long corridor. More red satin and old copper, more candelabra, and old doors along the walls on both sides. Pierre, however, didn’t stop in front of any of them. They were going toward the end of the hallway, a doorframe opening on a high room, and circular, she saw when they arrived in it. At the center of the room stood some kind of apparatus showing the Earth, with metallic arms supporting lens turning over it, some with smooth trajectories, other with chaotic ones. Are those clouds? And rain? She started walking toward it but Pierre stopped her. “You’ll have all the time you want to watch the Arcane Map if you’re accepted, Claimant. Come with me.” His tone was gloomy, with a note like an insult for the title he had used for her. The rest of the room contained two old-fashioned fireplace, multiple leather sofas and numerous bookcases. But no windows, not since we took the elevator. She didn’t even know if they had taken it upward or downward since she hadn’t felt any movement.

Pierre stopped once more in front of a door and knocked exactly four times. Not two second later, it opened, seemingly by itself, but only darkness could be seen. “Thanks Pierre, you may go now.” A voice ressounded from the room, right through the veil of shadow. “Come in, Lysandre.” She hesitated to pass through the veil. “Oh for fuck’s sake, go already, fucking newbie!” Pierre exclaimed before getting away in a long furious stride. That’s one fellow with whom I’ll not get along great. She tested the shadows, putting a hand in them and, seeing it wasn’t dangerous, she went through. Far from dangerous, she even felt at ease all the time the shadows were surrounding her, finding the next room blinding when she finally exited the darkness. The room on the other side was a study with a heavy oak desk over which a woman was leaning her, writing without looking at the newcomer. “Take a seat please, I’ll be done in a couple of minute.” Lysandre wanted to argue, after all it was already late, but the voice of the woman was unequivocal and she found herself sitting and waiting. The ticktock of a heavy pendulum clock rocked her and she nearly fell asleep. “All right, let’s get to work!” The sudden speech startled the girl who nearly fell from her chair. “I knew you would be young but I hoped you would at least have been and adult.” The woman said, giving a piercing look to Lysandre. What the fuck do they all have with my age? “My name is Elijah Kansky, I’m the Master of this Demonist Cell.” She really has a gift to make you feel the capital letters of the words she speaks. “And you are Lysandre Derissie, our newest Claimant.” “Yes ma’am.”

Elijah smiled. She wasn’t exactly beautiful, with her too big nose and exhaustion showing more than a little on her face. But I always liked redhead. “You’re polite, it’s a start. Do you know why you’re here, Lysandre?” What? “Because I’ve been recruited?” She answered, unsure. “No, girl. You’re here because a top brass came to me directly and said in not unclear term that I was going to take care of you and that, if you happened to die, this whole cell would better commit suicide, because the fate he has in store for us is worst than dead. So here’s what we’ll do: I will take you and test you, teach you what you need to be taught, and you will never left this place, so as to stay safe.” ...no. “But, my family? My friends?” “Discard them, they’re useless.” ...no. “I-I don’t want to live my life trapped, please!” “It’s the safer alternative, kid.” No. “No! I won’t lose my friend because you fear for your life!” Her chair lied where she had pushed it while getting up, the end of her sentence more yield than spoken. When she realized what she did, fear gripped her guts.

“It has been a long time since someone yelled at me like that. I’m happy to see you can bite. Please, sit back.” Lysandre did as said under the cold gaze of Elijah. “So you don’t want to stay here, protected from whatever want you dead?” The master asked, eyebrow raised. “...No. I want to keep seeing my family and friends. And I’ve school to attend, too.” “School? Hahaha, yes, school, of course. Well then, let’s talk a bit. So far as I know, you’re nearly totally clueless about the Second World, right?” The what? “The what?” “Yeah, like that. The Second World is how we call… Well, everything that’s not the normal reality of normal humans. Angels and Demons, for example, magic and the like.” “Copy.” “Good. So, you’re mainly a newbie for everything that pertain to the Second World. You’re also way too young to normally join a cell, since the low age limit is twenty-one years old. You still live with your parents, you've had relatively bad grades schoolwise and never had any jobs. You don’t have many friends, are an introvert and relatively asocial. Despite all of this, you talked directly with a top brass that said to me that, quote ‘She has an enormous potential, if she doesn't die before it blooms’ end of quote. Good so far?” She is doing that on purpose. Realized Lysandre, holding on her temper with all her might.

“Good so far, ma’am.” “Great. So now I’ll tell you what will really happen. Our nurse will heal your arm, then you’ll go back home and feign to be sick so you can rest for the day. Afterward you’ll go to school and, in three day, when the doctor checks your cast, he will realize that you’re fully healed. By then You’ll be taken back here to be tested. Don’t worry, even if you fail the test, I’ll cheat so you can come in. Once that’s done, You will come here every wednesday afternoon and every weekend to be trained as part of this cell. Nobody beside you and me know exactly why you’re here, or who made you enter, only that it’s some top brass. Still good?” She talks a lot. “Yes ma’am!” “Perfect. It’s already late tonight but, if you’ve questions, I’ve got a bit of time to answer them. So?”

Questions-Questions-Questions… “Will I be able to learn magic? Like the man who took me here, he said some strange things and shadows flocked around his car. Or like with your door?” “Magic? Maybe, if you’ve the talent and we have a focus available. Other questions?” Hmm… “ What are the things on the people?” “Which things?” “Well, the parasite-like monstrosity that some people have attached to them?” For the first time, a spark of surprise appeared in the eyes of the Cell Master. “You can see them?” “...Yes? Why? Can’t you?” “No.” She looked intently at Lysandre. “Not without some spells or special eyegears. To answer you, those are parasitic demons. Most demons feed upon the emotions of human beings, but the lowest of demons, the parasites, need to be directly in contact with a providing host. Those infected suffer from a diverse type of mood disorder. Most of the time, the emotion or particular feeling the parasite demon feeds on grows bigger and bigger in the host, ruining them most of the time. Not to diminish their crime, but for exemple, most sexual delinquents make their worst crime because of parasitic demons. Same for serial killers, it’s their hunter instinct that is blown out of proportion, etc… That’s why, most of the time, even us Demonists make a purge campaign to eliminate most of their population. It’s like washing the city of it’s filth. No more questions?”

No no! Quick, another question! “Do you have a library of some kind where I can find information on demons?” “Of course, but you will get access to it when you’re a full member, an Acolyte. However, I should warn you: nothing is free here. If you want access to specific resources, information or otherwise, you’ll need to run errands for me or the Counselors.” She looked at her clock then back at Lysandre. “Alright, Claimant. It’s late, and you should go back home. Phillip will heal you, then Pierre will take you back.” Elijah showed her the door, still covered by shadows, and went back to writing without a look at her. I guess that’s it. She rose and exited the room, exhaustion making her drag her feet.