“What is your Imago?” Miriam asked, once again rhetorically. “The body gifted to you... what does it mean?” She paced up and down the classroom, transformed from the neck down, her wings draped behind her like a cape. “So many of you have asked this question before. I hope to answer it today.”

She continued. “Your Imago is the means by which you truly become an Angel. Where your symbiote and you become one, your DNA mixing to form something new and unique and powerful. Know your symbiote well. Your Imago’s abilities are an extension of their own biology and purpose within the organization. You can think of it as a physical manifestation of the contract made between symbiote and host. Every Imago is unique, and precious, and nearly as precious as the end result is the long journey it takes to get there.”

Miriam held up her hand, and her own symbiote flew to land on her fingertip. “In the beginning, your Imago needs to be calibrated to your body: your shape and size and personality are all used to shape the symbiote’s body to fit yours. And built in to the Imago is the muscle memory of it and all of the hosts who used it before you. But as you continue to use your Imago, it becomes moulded to your own shape. It remembers you, and you make your mark on it. Please, class, transform. I want to see your Imagos.”

And everyone did, except Carmen. She didn’t want to. Maybe she just didn’t want to upstage everyone else. But when Miriam passed by, she made no comment of Carmen, and admired the black-and-orange patterns on mine. I was getting better at controlling it, after all, and was starting to see if I could give it particular shapes. At first I’d tried simple circles or squares, but now I was trying to make some pretty elaborate decals, and finding some success.

But up at the front of the class, the three girls from Flight Magister were still whispering and pointing back at us. I knew it was only a matter of time before things boiled over. I just had no idea what that would entail.

***

The next morning, I awoke to find Melody and her friends standing in front of my door. I didn’t really want to deal with them anymore, but they were blocking the way, so I opened the door and peered through.

“Hey,” Melody said. “Let’s talk about Carmen.”

“We think it’s really admirable what you’re doing with her, but...”

“Well, if you need to talk to someone, I’m here, okay?” Joy said.

“What’s all this about?” It was way too early in the morning for me to deal with this.

“Aren’t you concerned?” asked Melody?

“Aren’t you worried?” asked Russula.

“Okay, hold up, hold up,” said Joy. “I think Quinn is just confused. Run off, you two. I’ll talk things through with her.” Talk things through with me? What was that supposed to mean? The other two girls turned to leave, and Joy stepped inside. Today, her makeup wasn’t green, at the very least.

“What’s all this about?” I asked.

“Quinn, you’re being very strong as a friend for Carmen,” she finally said. “Knowing what’s about to happen to her,”

“What do you mean? What’s going to happen to her?”

Joy bit her lip. “How can I put this... she’s... going to disappear soon.”

“She’s going to die?”

“Not... necessarily die? It’s... it’s hard to explain.”

“Well please explain it.”

“Some insects... only can grow from other insects. Many insects, in fact,” she said. “Parasitoids. The eggs are laid on another organism, and the larvae slowly grows inside until it completely replaces what was there before, finally emerging as a fully-grown Imago.”

“Okay...?”

“The same is true of some Angels, Quinn. Those with a symbiote that is a parasitoid... well, they need a host as well. A person to grow up inside. Carmen is harbouring the future host of the symbiote Trogus,” said Joy. “Papilio is the natural host. And so, she is Papilio’s host, for the purpose of growing a new Angel. Her own persona will be... replaced”

“Replaced?”

“The future Angel host of Trogus is growing inside her. It’s hard to explain. But Carmen will be gone soon, and the new Angel will assume control over her body.”

What? What was this? Like... changing our DNA was freaky enough, but this was something else entirely. I felt sick. “So like, an alien parasite is living inside of Carmen? Right now?” I had to tell her.

“What are you doing? Sit down.”

“I’m going to tell her, of course. What, so she’s just going to—”

“She already knows. She’s already known this whole time. It was part of the contract she made with Archangel Viviana to stay here. And don’t call us ‘alien parasites’! We’re human. Really. I mean...”

“Us? Oh no... you’re—”

She sighed. “I wasn’t always Joy,” she said. “Before I was Joy, I was... I was Azura. I was Carmen’s best friend.”

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“Was?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I want to hear it.” I never would have thought that Joy was a... whatever this was. Could such a being even be considered human? She hadn’t even been born, right? She’d just... taken control of what had once been Azura’s body.

“Please, don’t look at me like that. This is the biology of my symbiote. We must exist like this. We can only exist like this. And before I was Joy, when I was Azura, I agreed to this. She agreed to this. To... to allowing myself to grow and to take over her body. Azura and Carmen were both orphans. They grew up on the streets together. But eventually, they found themselves in need, and Viviana gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Safety, room and board for years, so long as they let another Angel grow inside of them. And they agreed. They knew what they were signing up for, very well.”

“Did they really? How old were they? How old was she?”

“They may have been young. But they understood that near-certain death awaited them if they refused. They really were on the verge of total starvation. Still, perhaps Carmen wasn’t prepared. It was Azura whose parasitoid emerged first. And seeing that happen to her best friend shattered Carmen.” Joy put her head into her hands. “And I didn’t know what to do or say anymore. Because Azura was gone. And I was Joy. And I’d always been Joy, but I felt like I knew Carmen. I’d been with her, spent time with her from behind the eyes of Azura She was my friend. But Carmen didn’t see it that way. Not at all. And she... well... she asked me to erase her memory of Azura. And to erase my own memory of her.” Joy pulled out her spear again, gently running her finger along the edge of the point.

“So it was you?”

She nodded. “I’m sorry for being misleading. I realize it probably was me, at the citadel. I must have not wanted to do it. That the one person who knew Azura best would forget her forever? That I’d lose my only friend? But she wanted nothing to do with me, and she didn’t want me to hurt the same way she did. So I... so I...”

“So you did it.”

She nodded. “I did it.”

Hold on. “You erased your own memory of her... but you know this story?”

Joy half-smiled. “I was very cheeky before wiping my memory. I thought I could be an even better friend. So I wrote it down, so that I could follow her wishes and still... and still remember her... and still look out for her. So that someone would remember Azura. And it only partially worked. I don’t really remember Azura, or the things that she did with Carmen, but I... I at least know what happened.” She turned to look me in the eyes. “I’m glad you’ve been a friend to Carmen these past few days, when nobody else had the bravery to do so. But you see where this is going, don’t you? Carmen is going to go. And I don’t know who is going to replace her. But you need to be... you need to be ready for that.”

I didn’t know what to see. I certainly did not feel ready for this. This still felt... not normal. Evil, even.

“I’m always here if you want someone to talk to about it. I know it’s going to sound crazy, but you really are going to need to have empathy for whoever takes over her body. It’ll be hard for her as well.”

“I... I don’t know what to say.”

“That’s okay. You don’t need to say anything.”

“Don’t... don’t you want to be friends with Carmen too, then?”

“I mean... she wanted me to forget, right? I should respect...”

“She forgot all about that, though. If you can handle it, if you can be empathetic, shouldn’t you be there? Shouldn’t you support her?”

“I...” Now Joy was at a loss for words. I took her hand. “Let’s go.”

***

I burst into Carmen’s room. She was lying on the bed, almost motionless. Her symbiote Papilio was flying back and forth across the room, lethargically. Had her condition really worsened to such a degree within just a day?

As it turned out, the answer was no. She just slept like that. Carmen yawned. “Good morning,” she said. “Why is everyone here?”

“You’re going to die?” I asked. “What?”

“Oh. You found out. I didn’t want you to worry about that,” she said, not concerned whatsoever. “And why is Joy here?”

“I’m sorry, Carmen. I didn’t really listen when you asked,” said Joy. “You asked me to forget about you, to erase my memories, but I... I’ll stand by you until the end. Just as you stood by Azura.”

“Azura? Who is that?”

Joy smiled. “Don’t worry about that. You didn’t want to, anyways.”

“Oh, okay, then. I guess... I can have a second friend. If you really want to be my friend. I mean, I don’t deserve any friends... not with how I’m... I’m going soon. But I’m glad nonetheless.” She grinned as best as she could. “I am a bit tired now, though. I think that means my time is running short. I’ve been told to stay in bed now.”

Deep breaths, Quinn. If Carmen had gone through this with Azura, I could go through it with Carmen. It’d be fine. I still had a few days, probably. That was enough time to come to terms with things. Then again, Joy had said that it had... shattered Carmen? Being shattered did not sound like a great state of mind.

As I was pondering, Melody barged into the room. “Joy? What are you doing here? I thought we weren’t supposed to... never mind. Guys, we’ve got a big issue. Ollie is here again.”

“Again? I thought the location had been changed.” Joy said.

“He’s here with a lot of Echoes. And... and something... Miriam is very worried. She wants us all to report in the cafeteria to brief on an urgent update. I have a feeling this class is basically over. We’re being folded into the combat.”

“What? But Carmen—”

“Quinn,” Carmen said, squeezing my hand. “Just go. Don’t worry about me. The Demons are a much bigger threat to everyone. So please go and stop him. Okay?”

“But Carmen—”

“No buts! I’m going to be here when you come back, Quinn. Don’t you fear. I’m certainly not afraid. I’m ready to accept my purpose as an Angel. And you need to do the same.”

“But isn’t this wrong? This is like—”

“It’s not wrong! I made a deal! And you did, too. Now go.”