CHAPTER LVI

UNKNOWN TRUTHS

The group of nine kids ventured into another section of the Bubble Fields, where they entered new bubbles and Adriaas followed suit.

"What's happening?" She was unsure if anyone could hear her. "Zeban?"

"Activate your bubble with your mind!" Aestheneas's voice resonated through her kabbalah. "This game is called Collisions—figure out why!"

The answer unfolded before her eyes. From a distance, it resembled a game of marbles. A myriad of trails of colored light illuminated the path of countless bubbles, each containing a child hurtling in unpredictable directions.

"Let's go!" Zeban's voice echoed in her ears as he whizzed by beneath her.

"Will they break?" Adriaas was worried. "I don't want to fall."

"That's the whole point!" Litia's voice crackled through her kabbalah. "Avoid getting popped and be the last one standing to win. If you get blown, get another bubble, the one with less bubbles and most breaks inflicted wins!"

Adriaas observed her friends assembling themselves into a formation that seemed professional. Zeban joined her side, with Oleana and Quilzy trailing behind.

"Less thinking, more doing," Quilzy advised, sensing her hesitation. "No one has died playing Collisions in the last sixty years. Holoproject in the bubbles with your kabbalah’s, they have our strategy.

Zeban disappeared right away, jumping into action.

Adriaas focused her mind, taking control of the pink bubble enveloping her, directing it towards a colorful sphere in their vicinity. With a not-so-gentle collision, she laughed as her bubble rebounded off a stranger’s, starting an impromptu game of tag. She maneuvered through the tumultuous sea of bubbles, evading and engaging her opponents. The ambiance was filled with musical tones and gleeful laughter.

It didn’t take long for her and Zeban to find their rhythm, immersed in the frenetic race to break the opponent’s bubbles while protecting their team. When her bubble burst, Adriaas hurtled into the abyss until she manipulated her gravity with ease, finding a path to another cluster of bubbles in the process, growing out of thin air.

An hour later, the strenuous activity had left them both exhilarated and ravenous. Reunited with their companions, a crucial decision had to be made.

"I’m starving," Aestheneas began, his voice echoing their collective hunger. "Where should we take our new members?"

Adriaas and Zeban exchanged a proud glance, feeling a deep sense of belonging within this group.

"Let’s go for something easy. The food booths are nearby," Oleana’s fatigue was noticeable in her voice.

"Come on! We can do better than automated food," Litia said, pushing for better options. "Let’s go to Zhinanzich."

"We’re nine!" Apolonox got excited out of the blue. "That’s what we need for a full-course meal. We can try Yetramelovas!"

Zeban, intrigued by the mention of this unfamiliar dish, interjected, "What’s a Yetramelovas?

Idunis was the one to explain. "Yetramelovas is more than just a dish. It’s an experience. To appreciate it, you need a group of nine individuals. Each dish represents one of the nine sephirot."

"What about the tenth sephirot?" Adriaas noticed the omission.

"Malkuth is dessert, and it’s always included." Quilzy had a confused expression. "Wait, you don’t know what a Yetramelovas is? Have you been living under a rock?"

Adriaas and Zeban remained silent, aware that their upbringing had kept them sheltered from many experiences. Their father, driven by a strong sense of security, had deprived them of a normal childhood, leaving them isolated within the comforts of their Domus. But now, a fire ignited within Adriaas.

"Why?" she said to her brother, seizing the moment when the group was engrossed in discussing other options for food.

"What?" Zeban lowered his voice. "You think no one will notice?"

Ignoring his remark, Adriaas's resentment built. "Taking this away from us, restricting our lives for so long."

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"For our own safety," Zeban began, repeating the same narrative.

"What he always says," Adriaas seethed with anger. "But look at this place! How unsafe can we be? They told us no one has been injured in decades."

She sensed the conflicting thoughts in her brother’s mind.

"Let's go," he said, using the group's restaurant selection to his advantage. “We can discuss this when we get back home.”

Rolling her eyes, Adriaas followed Zeban, who tried to catch up with Mariposa. A moment later, Oleana and Quilzy fell into step beside her.

“I thought you’d be hungry after all that exercise,” Quilzy remarked as they caught up.

“It’s overwhelming learning about K.C. until now.”

“We heard, sorry,” Quilzy said, being honest with her. “And understand.”

“Our parents are Superior Sephirot with remarkable careers,” Oleana said. “Most of them old, but not as paranoid as your father, for obvious reasons.”

“What do you mean by ‘obvious reasons’?” Adriaas felt out of the loop.

Quilzy was confused, but knew she would not let it slide. “Be cautious, that’s all.”

“Are you sure you want to go there?” Oleana asked, worried.

“Stop talking as if I’m not here!” Adriaas's frustration was mounting. “What is this about? What should I be cautious about? Is this a threat?”

“Shhhh!” Quilzy hushed her. “If Aestheneus finds out we let this slip, he’ll have our permits revoked, he could send us to Ketherin One.”

“You’re hiding information from us?” Adriaas’s exasperation grew. “Each word makes it worse than the last. Spit it out!”

Panic gripped them as her voice escalated.

“Shhh! It’s your dad, calm down!” Quilzy made a gesture with his hands trying to prevent her anger. “Many groups in Malkuth are trying to kill him.”

Adriaas dismissed the idea. “What? My dad is—”

“Respected and revered throughout Malkuth? Yes, just like our parents. But that doesn’t mean they or their families are exempt from death threats,” Oleana interjected, using a somber tone.

Adriaas paused, taking a moment to grasp the weight of those words. "It makes sense."

"Parents protect us by nature," Quilzy said. "We were raised honest. Might as well expand your knowledge with the truth. It's not easy to digest, but it makes sense. Your father, Annevan Ancaris, as iconic as he is, holds the record for assassination attempts in recent times. It's something unheard of compared to a hundred years ago. A loud minority of Malkuthians remain unhappy with the workflow of aequiteism in Malkuth."

Oleana looked conflicted, anxious. "Our parents warned us you might not grasp this," she said. "It is worse than we thought. If we share more with you, we must be discreet. Kabbalah’s should be in deft mode."

Eager to know more, Adriaas deactivated her companion. "Ion, you know what to do."

"Thank you," Quilzy was relieved. "Our conversations could be monitored by our parents."

"As one of the most influential figures in the Third Sephirot and one of the founding members of Sectum, your dad attracts enemies. His ideas have always been radical for certain groups. Some people with connections to exiled extarri find solace in their pain by attempting to kill him, hoping that one day they will succeed," Oleana delved into an unsettling truth.

Those words carried a weight Adriaas had never experienced before. The rest of the group had moved ahead, and she could still see Zeban with Mariposa, lost in their childish love.

Adriaas felt a knot in her stomach, uneasy.

"The last thing you should do is worry," Oleana noticed her insecurities. "Have you ever feared for your life?"

Adriaas shook her head.

"There are systems in place to protect us. As the children of Ancaris, you face the worst of it," Quilzy sympathized with her. "These protections come in many forms. One of them is withholding information from you about the rest of Malkuth, and vice versa."

"Explain." Adriaas was unwilling to let the matter rest.

Quilzy realized they were wading into deeper waters than expected and took a deep breath. "Let's say your existence, if not hidden, is excluded from general knowledge to keep you safe, just like with Zeban, probably many of your siblings. There’s a whole bureaucracy behind it but, by citing safety, your dad can gain access with ease."

"Why am I of interest to others? How could he be one of the founding members of Sectum, he’s not that old. "

"You might not know this, but your illustrious father, Annevan Ancaris, is older than he wants you to believe. He and your uncle are over three centuries old.

Adriaas felt a chill run down her spine, unable to cast any doubt on those revelations.

"You have hundreds of half-siblings, right?" Quilzy asked.

Everything fell into place.

"Is it natural for our kind to lie? Because it feels that way," Adriaas was unsure of her reality. "How many things am I ignorant of?"

"We remain ignorant until we choose to die. That’s why our Kabbalah never leaves our side. This incites the discovery of truths as you grow old. We’re not as perfect as we think we are. Try to understand them. Aequiteism is a system designed to compartmentalize knowledge based on age, achievements, reputation and, in your case, safety."

Adriaas was about to respond when Quilzy stopped her.

"That’s it, activate your Kabbalah," he instructed them both.

Quilzy and Oleana noticed the rest had left.

"Don’t worry, it’s just between us three," Adriaas stepped in front of them, forcing a smile. "So, which dish in Zhinanzich do you prefer?"

Her improvised distraction was enough to ease their tension. The three kids continued on their way, steering the conversation towards other topics. In Adriaas’s mind, however, she was processing every morsel of information shared, analyzing what to do next. Should she keep this secret or share it with Zeban? The mental debate raged on until they reached the restaurant.

Adriaas remained oblivious to her surroundings, lost in a swirl of tastes, colors, and visual splendor. The only thought consuming her mind was the words spoken by Oleana and Quilzy. Zeban noticed the change in her mood and attempted to engage her in conversation, but she held off, waiting until they were back home. She had a plan and he might not like it.

*****

That's it for Chapter LVI!

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