Chapter XLIX
Light Before Sundown
Corven remembered Adria's address but questioned whether it would be wise to appear unannounced. After a delightful lunch with Saechi, he returned to Negativus. Impatient for Glyn's arrival, he had agreed to come back later.
His journey back was uneventful as he lost himself in fantasies of a life with Saechi. She was charismatic, intelligent, and kind. Reflecting on his circumstances, he realized he wasn't in such bad shape without the alters. Upon reaching a netcore, Corven paused, uncertain of his next move.
Saechi's words had struck a chord, and he knew he needed to inform Adria about Lizanne's plan. Half hour later, he made his way to the RT Section, hoping she would be awake. Arriving at his destination, his nerves were taut—not from fear, but from the nearby cliff less than six feet away. The solitude heightened his sense of vertigo.
The former binah knocked on RT3X19-47, weighed down by guilt, wondering if she was asleep.
No response came.
The scene felt eerily reminiscent of a past experience; the windows remained shut, and silence pervaded. Not even Adria's grandfather was present.
Undeterred, Corven turned and walked away, disregarding the nearby precipice. He decided to head towards Lux de Noctis, suspecting she might have returned there.
In under twenty minutes, he stood before the crystal wall sealing the nightclub. Knocking, he braced himself for disappointment. But quickly, the crystal dissolved and reformed into an entrance, revealing Markus.
"Sorry to interrupt. I'm looking for Adria; she wasn't at her block. It's urgent," Corven said, cutting straight to the point, tempted to divulge his knowledge.
"She's not here, sorry. We're about to head out," Markus replied, dashing his hopes. "We have many people to see. Here, let me write something for you." He scribbled in a notebook and handed Corven the paper. "This is Raxae's address."
"Why?" Corven inquired, puzzled.
"They're best friends. Raxae might know Adria's whereabouts. Just try not to wake them; they can be irritable," Markus advised, betraying a hint of fear.
"Thanks a lot, fren!" Corven expressed his gratitude, impressed.
"It's no problem," Markus said before the entrance sealed shut as he left. Seconds later, he reappeared, peaking like a mole out of his burrow. "Hey, by the way, did you found any dictadurians to join our cause?"
"I'm working on it. There might be two," Corven's thoughts drifted back to Saechi.
“I wish you success. You can bring them tonight; thank you for the hard work!” Markus said.
"Wait!" Corven called out before Markus could disappear again. "I heard a rumor about a woman plotting to unify Sectum countries. Know anything?"
Markus's demeanor shifted to seriousness. "That's concerning. I've heard it mentioned three times this week. It's causing a stir in the underlevels. What times we're in..."
"So, you know nothing about her?" Corven pressed.
"I'd rather not spread rumors. I'll see what I can find out. Let's discuss this tonight. Stay safe!" With that, Markus departed.
Corven made his way to the nearest netcore, searching for Raxae's block, SK4WE27-18. After half an hour of wandering and a couple of missteps, he located the correct path to the surface, emerging into a filthy alley marked by old vomit stains and a large pile of cardboard boxes. Stepping out of the alley, he tried to orient himself in the unfamiliar neighborhood, determined to find Raxae's street, SK4WE27.
*****
Adria and her best friend were less than five minutes away from the passage to Negativus. The streets became busier as they approached; it was close to noon.
"You know, it’s a special place for me. It's where I’ve barfed the most in my life," Raxae said right before they get there, prompting Adria to laugh, reminiscing about night’s partying in the undercity.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The pair arrived to the empty alley and moved a pile of cardboard boxes they knew all too well. Raxae reached the cement-looking hatch, opened it and peeked inside, ready to climb down. Despite all their efforts, they didn't get to do it.
As they knelt on the ground, a whooshing sound stopped them. A strong wind hit their backs, making them turn around, frightened.
The gevurah who had saved both Corven and Adria less than six hours earlier stood before them, accompanied by four other sephirot who landed right behind her. Their beautiful merkabahs sported different colors and patterns.
Adria's heart rate escalated, her gut turning upside down. Did they hear about their plans for an insurrection? Had Markus and Bostan been arrested? Her mind scrambled to understand what had prompted five sephirot to come to that dump in Dictaduria.
"Is this because of the alters?" she asked, tired of surprises.
Zanda approached, her expression calm, maybe even happy. Raxae, for once, was speechless.
"It's been a while," the gevurah said with a sarcastic tone. "You look like you need some rest."
"I can't afford to sleep," Adria replied with a dry tone.
"From today forward, you'll have more than enough," the gevurah said as she reached them. "What you told me earlier piqued my curiosity. My research evolved into a full investigation involving several sephirot branches. I had to share this with you as soon as we got confirmation." She gestured to her companions. "My supervisors, Senior Samelia, leader of Dicterium; Superior Pagreri, head of research and development at Dicterium; Senior Refius, my mentor; and Hykar, assistant to Samelia. They're here as witnesses to validate and protect this moment..."
Raxae turned to Adria, confused about what was happening.
"Our investigation has shed new light on your case previously closed case. We have managed to find proof you are not guilty of the crimes you were charged with years ago. Our group is here to escort you back to Dicterium; there, you'll be given the antidote to your xtracter. After that, we'll porter to Epeculum, the capital of Malkuth, where The a Table of Nine will grant you a pardon," she paused, allowing the information to sink in. "Do you need anything before we leave? You are not returning to Dictaduria or any other country in Sectum. Your belongings are being gathered as we speak."
Was she dreaming? That seemed a possibility. Everything felt surreal to Adria while the sephirah awaited her reaction.
She turned to Raxae, unsure of what to say. Their friend's eyes brimmed with tears.
"You were telling the truth! What the furk?" They beamed, digesting the news far better than she did.
Adria had to take a moment to process her new reality, was it a bad joke as a punishment?.
"We'll take care of everything. You go. How often does this happen in Sectum? A pardon! I didn't know it was possible."
"You're the nineteenth extarri to be absolved since its creation. It's rare, a hundred and forty years since the last one. The sephirot are wracking their brains trying to understand what happened," Zanda shared.
"You'll owe me a drink when I get out. Pick me up in five years, would you?" Raxae said as they embraced. Their friend helped her come to terms with what was happening.
"It’s a promise. I won't forget you," she assured them, holding tight, not wanting to let go in such a rush.
"Liar, you'll stop thinking about us as soon as you get out. Forget Sectum exists; extarri are not worthy of your thoughts. Focus on your present. Go live free, anywhere you want in Malkuth. Recover your kabbalah and continue your path in aequiteism, become a Chesed!" Adria wiped the tears from Raxae's face.
It felt like a goodbye. How was it happening?
"Thank you for everything. You don't know how much I'll miss you. I love you. Stay strong and keep yourself safe. Don't be a hero. Tell the guys I'm sorry," she tried to express all her thoughts in those moments. "Benediximus."
"I love you too, Dri, my sister. Don't worry about them; they will have to understand. Benediximus to you, and Aequitas," It was hard, but the friends separated.
Adria walked towards the gevurah and addressed her. "How is this possible? How did you find evidence of my innocence?"
"By looking in the right places. We'll tell you all about it when we get to Dicterium; for now, relax and allow our kabbalah to take care of you."
A cloud of translucent crystals released from their suits, and flew towards Adria accompanied by a portion of Zanda's kabbalah, covering parts of her body. When the thin envelope was ready, the sephirot prepared to leave.
"Are you ready?" She turned to Raxae one last time, maintaining their smile as tears streamed down their face.
"Ready." Her body was lifted with ingravitas tech as the five sephirah flew around her.
Adria watched Raxae until they were too small to distinguish between the blocks, wondering if they would ever meet again. She felt guilty for leaving Bostan, Drunia, Markus, and even Corven behind, but it was not enough to make her stay. The image of Bitlan, dead in that metallic bed came back to her mind. She could not stay in that place any longer, with the looming reminder of what she had just lost. The soon-to-be-former Dictadurian ignored the sea of gray concrete blocks below them, ready to be freed from the unwanted weight, seven years and ten months too late.
****
That's it for Chapter XLIX!
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