Emi shuddered, trying to shake off the dream from last night.

Really, those two and their talk of not-human or whatever. It really messed with her head.

She scribbled out a doodle in her notebook, one that kind of looked like a bunch of triangles in a vaguely wing shape, and continued to take notes for the class.

Professor Shelley looked odd when she had come in that morning for homeroom, asking if she was quite alright after what happened yesterday, she seemed awfully ill. Emi had to search back in her memory, vaguely remembered puking, and maybe fainting at one point. She felt—not fine, she was never fine. Perhaps a bit more unsettled than usual, from her dream. She couldn’t quite remember it, other than fear and panic and the word “monster.”

She didn’t feel ill though.

So now she was in her chemistry class, taking notes as her mind refused to focus on anything. Her hands trembled, but it didn’t quite feel like fear. It felt more like adrenaline, like a weaker version of the rush she got looking down from the fire escape.

Oh, she missed an explanation for an equation. She scribbled out a note to check it out later on the internet and why was the wind suddenly blowing?

She turned to the side to look out the window, her row being the closest to the wall with windows.

She blinked. Once. Twice.

There was a guy crouching on the ledge of the window.

Said guy was Seth.

This classroom was on the third floor.

What?

“Is there something you need, Mister Gargouille?” Professor Shelley asked.

Emi’s head snapped to the professor, back to Seth, then back to Shelley and stayed there. Were they just going to not... acknowledge the guy squatting on the wrong side of the windowsill? And weren’t there bars? How did he get up here? And couldn’t you only open the windows from the inside?!

“Yup,” said Seth, “this is a kidnapping.”

“Wha--” Emi started to say, before she was yanked by the collar and out the window.

“Big G says this is an excused absence, by the way!” Seth hollered as Emi screamed. “Ordered by the council!” His arm was wrapped around her waist suddenly and then they were in the air, free falling.

Emi clawed at his arm and shrieked even louder as the ground hurtled towards them. She screwed her eyes shut, bringing her hands up to her head to try and protect it.

Her organs seemed to swoop in her body and suddenly the direction the wind was moving changed. She opened her eyes, only a sliver because the wind was stinging them.

The grey and muted reddish-brown of Cognito raced away beneath them, occasionally cut through a streak of lightning white as they zipped past lights.

Terror and awe fought for control, leaving her mouth open, half in shock and half in a silent scream.

She didn’t have much time to decide what emotion, however, as suddenly her body jostled painfully when Seth landed on a platform on a building that just had random platforms jutting out of it.

He dropped her like a sack of potatoes, her palms and knees scraping on the rough concrete.

“You really are rude, you know that?” Azriel stepped forwards, attempting to step on Seth’s foot, who promptly dodged.

Emi pushed herself up.

“What,” she gasped, “in the ever-loving fuck.”

“Emiko Satsujin-Yavuz, you are currently under suspicion due to...” Azriel pulled out a sheet of paper, eyebrows slowly rising as they read down the page “unannounced entry to Cognito, failure to complete entry paperwork, failure to declare your lineage, biological or otherwise, being a minor unaccompanied by an adult while entering Cognito, failure of obtaining a sponsor or guardian during your stay in Cognito, and also parkouring outside of designated areas.” Azriel folded up the paper and put it into his pocket. “They say under suspicion, but it’s pretty much confirmed at this point. The only thing you’re actually under suspicion for is fraud, though they don’t know what kind of fraud yet. The Council just voted to not immediately execute you or throw you in the cells, due to your age and what appears to be an altered state of mind. Usually, this rule is used for young vampires who were illegally changed and seek asylum in Cognito, but the law actually doesn’t say what species you have to be.”

“Also, because he vouched for you and threatened to strike if they didn’t at least give you a chance,” Seth piped up.

“So... I’m under arrest?” Emi squeaked out, taking a step back. The ledge of the platform was looking rather enticing at the moment.

“No.”

“Yes.”

The two spoke at the same time.

“Uh...” She took a step back.

Azriel waved a hand as if to dismiss that entire line of questioning, which Emi both wanted to get back to for peace of mind and didn’t because she didn’t want to be arrested. Or in this situation at all.

“Anyways,” Azriel coughed. “Honestly, I’m not terribly sure where to start this, so I guess we’ll go the vampire route and then adjust once we figure out what you are.” He placed his hands on his hips. “First off, though, I’d like to make a deal with you, for honesty’s sake.” He looked her up and down. “I truly don’t mean any offense by this, but you seem like a liar. So, for every question I ask, you can ask one as well. I promise to tell the truth, unless it’s classified information, in which I’ll tell you so and you can ask another question. Please note that I will know you’re lying, because I can smell it.”

What in the hell was that supposed to mean?

“First question: do you know what Cognito is?”

Emi blinked slowly, stared at Azriel, then Seth, who shrugged. “A… city.” This felt like a trick question.

“…I mean, yes. Let me rephrase—”

“I get to ask a question now, right?” She cut in quickly.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

“—sure.”

“Can I save questions until I actually have them?”

It was Azriel’s turn to blink at her.

“…no. Sorry.”

Dammit. She opened her mouth to ask her question when she was cut off.

“I really wouldn’t,” Seth drawled, “you just asked two questions. You’re already in debt.”

What? She thought back on the conversation.

I get to ask a question now, right?

“That doesn’t count!”

“Everything counts, especially in Cognito.” Seth shook his head. “You can rule out the Sidhe, Az. They would never miss that kind of loophole.”

“Never considered her one, she smells like a liar.” Rude.

Azriel turned back to smile apologetically at her, as if that made anything better. “Unfortunately, Seth is right. I’m afraid I get to ask two questions this round.”

Emi frowned, crossing her arms to try and hide the shaking. She didn’t think it worked.

“This question is a rephrase of question 1: do you know the purpose of Cognito?”

Emi opened her mouth, and Seth cut in “it’s not to be a city, by the way.”

She glared at him. “I could figure that out, thanks.” She turned back to Azriel. “No, apparently, I don’t know the purpose of Cognito. I didn’t realize a city needed a purpose other than to be a city.”

“I suppose it doesn’t, but Cognito’s purpose is to be a city for a very specific type of people: Monsters.”

“What?” It slipped out before she could control it, and she snapped her jaw shut. Seth laughed, and Azriel sighed again.

“I’m going to send you away if you keep antagonizing her,” he warned Seth.

“Sorry for wanting an emotion other than anxious-to-the-point-of-looking-to-swan-dive-out-of-this-conversation.” Emi blanched, and Seth raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re not subtle. I’ve got a question of my own, it’ll make you even. How many times have you played around on roofs and wanted to slip and snap your neck, Emi?”

“Seth!” Emi could swear that the air got several degrees colder. “Last warning.”

Seth held up his hands in surrender.

“You don’t have to answer that,” Azriel told her, and she nodded shakily. “I won’t answer that question and I won’t count it towards the count.”

“Alright.” She whispered.

“Good. What color is your blood?”

Emi almost asked ‘what’ again, but stopped herself just in time. “…Red.” She tried her best not to make it sound like a question.

Azriel took a notebook and pen out of seemingly nowhere, she desperately wondered how he kept doing that, and scribbled something down. “You can ask your question now.”

Should she ask about the blood question? What didn’t have red blood? What were these ‘Monsters?’ Surely they weren’t literal monsters…

She glanced at Seth, who decided to lie down at the very edge of the platform with his tacky pink sunglasses, and remembered—

Remembered—

“Why is it called Cognito?” Her mouth was moving on its own volition.

Azriel blinked and smiled, surprised, as Seth huffed out a laugh. “Let me answer, Azzy.”

“Sure.”

“It’s a dad joke. You might have noticed that it’s hard to think about Cognito when you’re outside of it.”

It was difficult to think about it while inside, she was always fighting the urge to leave, even though she knew it was a bad idea for her. She nodded anyways.

“Cognito is the hub in the States for us Monsters. Considering the human’s constant need for witch hunts, for whatever reason, we like to keep ourselves hush-hush. When you’re in Cognito, you’re InCognito.”

“That’s… really bad.” That wasn’t even a dad joke, it was a grandpa joke.

“I know.”

“Next question,” Azriel announced, “have you noticed any strange properties of your blood?”

“What is it with the fascination with my blood?!”

“Ehhh!” Seth made a buzzer noise. “You did it again.”

…She did do it again.

“Another two questions for me I’m afraid. To answer yours, blood tells a lot about a person’s species. Also, this was originally made for vampires. Please expect a lot of blood questions.”

“I’m human.” She spoke the words slowly. “I. Am. Human.”

“I don’t doubt you think you’re human. However, you would not be comfortable in Cognito if you were.

She wasn’t comfortable though. She kept feeling like she had to leave.

Azriel’s eyes narrowed. “Your blood pressure rose. Do you not feel comfortable in Cognito?”

“How can you tell my blood pressure rose?!”

“Stop! Talking!” Seth groaned.

“I can hear it, answer my question.”

Emi shrugged. “I feel like I have to leave. All the time. It’s just as hard to think about Cognito inside as it is outside. I can’t remember street names or landmarks or anything. I go home, I count how many steps I’m taking before I have to turn. When I first got here, the only reason I walked in was because I was afraid of—” her jaw clicked shut against her will.

“Afraid of what?” Azriel pressed, taking a step forwards. She took a step back.

“I don’t remember.” The words were mechanical and blank. Panic was rising into her throat, making her words sound like a croak.

Azriel’s brows furrowed. “You’re not lying. How are you not lying?”

“I don’t remember.” Her heart was going to fly out of her chest. “I’m human. I am human. I am human.”

Seth slowly sat up, sunglasses falling off his face. “Emi? Getting real close to the edge there.”

The edge. Right the edge. She needed—she needed to feel human again. She needed to be alive again.

She spun, nearly toppling over with a sudden rush of vertigo. She was close to the edge. Mere inches.

She bent forwards, bracing herself on her knees, staring down at the streets below.

“Emi—” she heard Azriel say, and she shook her head.

“It’s my turn. I think it’s my turn. It has to be my turn.” She had no idea if it was her turn. Her head was spinning and she lost track.

“I told you she was nuts,” she heard Seth say, and she gritted her teeth.

“Ok. Yes, it’s your turn.” It kind of sounded like it wasn’t her turn and that Azriel was humoring her. Whatever, she couldn’t talk.

She’s human.

Tendons fraying/muscles rotting/organs gushing/nerves snapping

“Why—” she gulped down a sudden bout of nausea, dropping to her knees by the edge, heard Seth click his tongue, “why is this building like this? With the—the platforms.”

“It’s my family headquarters.” Seth said. “We’re Gargoyles, we like flying, and it makes it easier to land.”

Gargoyles.

Right.

No. No, what the fuck?!

“You’re not a gargoyle.” She gasped. “No one is a gargoyle, or a monster, we’re human. I’m human. I’m alive.”

She heard Azriel inhale deeply. “Oh, no.”

“What? What is oh no?” Seth hissed. “You know something, you’re tapping, what do you know?”

“Emi?” Azriel seemed to ignore him, “I need you to get away from the ledge.”

Slowly, Emi shook her head.

“No. If it scares me, I’m alive.”

“I don’t think it really scares you, though.” Azriel chided.

It had to. That was why she was always pressed against her window, leaning out the fire escape, imagining her falling, how it would feel like flying—

Oh.

“I don’t like the ground.” She whispered. “The ground will kill me.” Her fingers dug into the edge. “I’m going to rot in the ground—” she was starting to get tunnel vision. “No. I’m going to go splat on the ground. I’m going to die.” Which means that she’s alive right now. She had to prove that she was alive right. Now.

She tipped forwards, felt her organs flip inside of her.

“No!” One of the boys shouted, but then she was falling, and the ground was hurtling towards her. She hated the view, her past, she wanted to see the sky.

And through it all, the feeling of familiarity rang through her, like the moment when you took out your keys to go into your home.

She managed to flip over to see the gray, overcast sky as the lights flew up above her, like neon shooting stars.

And to see Seth hurtling towards her, one arm outstretched, a clawed hand reaching for her.

“No!” She shouted, though the wind blew the sound away. She tucked her arms to her chest.

He seemed to be gaining on her, skin rapidly turning gray and stony because he was not. Not. Human.

He was shouting something, he was only a few yards from her.

When would she hit the gro—