The wheel of misfortune turned relentlessly and victory had been leaning towards one side. With every unfolding secret, the truth about the Mooncallers became distorted and unbelievably terrifying. Andrew picked the first trail leading to a dark road where he would doubt every breathing soul around him. Carvo's research was paying off, and monitoring Brando showed him how much of a developed specie they became. Ivanka's mission to catch Nelly begun to lead her into the traitors' den, where Abigail found herself comfortably hidden.
All these people, and all of these tied missions were paving the road towards redemption before the fullmoon strikes. Only a day and few hours were left.
I. The trail to the white church.
Ivanka spent an hour digging through the clues Nelly carelessly left behind. Someone as smart as Ivanka was wouldn't simply turn a blind eye to these ciphered symbols. Ivanka pulled the city's map and begun translating Nelly's notes, closely sticking her eyes to each and every dot and number.
"I raised you like my own." Ivanka mourned. "Yet, you betray me." She sighed painfully. Ivanka had a fine image of where she should be headed, but she understood what going down there meant for her.
It was suicide. To go down the pit where she was the villian meant immediate death, yet she knew that staying up here without the chip meant a much slower death and a painful fate. Ivanka kept wondering if only there was a way she could pass as one of them..
And she found her way in.
An old box sealed in the library of Nelly's house, carrying their white uniform. With the wonders of makeup, Nelly could disguise herself as a new recruit they forgot to register, play her mind games on their narrow sight and earn her way into their sanctuary.
Ivanka hastily wore it, selfishly deciding not to share the information with the legions. Ivanka was a proud woman who took pride in achieving everything on her own, which might lead to her demise. If she were to share the information and her discovery, the white church would be apprehended in no time.
"I'll show them, those bastards." Ivanka cursed, spreading the map of the city in front of her. She looked at the stars marked on various parts of the city, portals to underground tunnel maze where she would find her way. Right across the street, she found a marked portal that should lead her, and without hesitation, Ivanka carried her equipment and left the house, on her way to the white church where not only she would find the chip, she would also kill Nelly.
II. Brando.
The one with the thousand names. The one with hundreds of faces, millions of alias and yet no real identity. The books have spoken about him since the dawn of time, all those who knew of his existence declared him as the devil, armed by the science of a world that was yet to exist. How could he obtain all that knowledge? Knowledge that would be enough to erase his humanity bit by bit, and to compensate it by the powerful yet ugly power of advanced machinery.
His alliance with Gabriel was an odd one, one historian recalled Brando as the pillar of Gabriel's research, and that Gabriel had twisted his soul in an attempt to update his powers to fit into today's society, eventually reducing him to nothing but a brain searching for a prey to inhabit. What was strange to be noted is Brando's amusement with Gabriel's work and his satisfaction with the abomination he had become, perhaps this man's sense of humanity was never there to begin with. The erasure of it fulfilled his alien desires.
Yet, how believes these books?
Carvo did. A bit of him doubted, yet, what he saw his eyes over the years confirmed it. These books were a treasure thrown into a spider web were only a handful of people came to visit. As Carvo found himself facing the longtime enemy of not only the city, but presumably hundreds of civilizations, he felt hesitant and scared.
He believed he could strike quickly and kill him, ending his bloody quest once and for all, but that would mean the erasure of knowledge that would not only lift this city out of its coffin, it would lead this entire world into a new era. What would he choose? His sister's demise or perhaps a key into salvation hundreds of poor souls await?
Carvo needed to find a middle ground.
"Sir, we've dug deep enough.. There's nothing!" The exhausted soldier claimed and the rest followed. Carvo then felt that he was running out of time. Brando seemed to fit in well enough, although he did look odd in this woman's body, his comfort assured Carvo that he wouldn't dare to hurt anyone immediately, but it also meant that he might be able to escape as soon as he gets the opportunity.
"Alright, you've earned your break. Ten minutes is all you have." Carvo told the soldiers as he felt his mouth run ahead of his mind, he had no idea what the plan was, but he was going to act on his intuition anyway.
"But you, stay behind." Carvo pointed at Brando who seemed taken back by Carvo's call. Brando nodded, yet, he didn't utter a word as he knew this mouth would out him in seconds.
Carvo slowly approached Brando, the stink of oil and rotten flesh sent everyone in a state of blinding haze but not for Carvo, this man's nose has been stuck deep into the insides of the world's worst abominations. He'd be disgusted by the smell of his former wife's perfume yet he'd never flinch once that death reek swarmed his nose.
Carvo's resilience and composure were admirable. He wrapped his arm around the dead soldier, sunk his mouth deep into her ears, addressing the evil residing in her. "I am thinking of something." Carvo whispered, Brando didn't blink. "See? That inspector right there? It's him. He's been among us all along." Carvo played his cards right, relieving Brando who seemed even more comfortable. "I am telling you this because I've known about your relationship, I'm sorry to be the carrier of the bad news." Carvo coated his coarse voice with a fake layer of sadness that even Brando wouldn't decipher.
"I know, I know. It's a shock!" Carvo patted on his back, pretending to console Brando. Brando definitely wasn't aware of that relationship, assuming there were any. He played along Carvo, feeling the need to break free from Carvo's tight grip and never come back.
"No one should know about this. He won't harm us if we don't harm him." Carvo spoke, Brando nodded. "So, I want to help me trap him. Nobody needs to notice anything, we don't want them to panic." Carvo explained.
Carvo's tricky plan was working. For someone that lived hundreds of years, Brando surely wasn't that smart. Carvo had ordered the hungry beast to lure the inspector into the sidewalk of the street which was currently empty. Brando was eager to prove himself in front of Carvo, and so, he walked blindly through Carvo's plan.
His steps were slow and heavy, towards the inspector, he walked with eyes that glared like a predator awaiting its prey. Carvo had stood by the door where he would have a clear vision of what's to happen. The inspector fell for the trick, standing calmly as Brando put his hand in his pocket, reaching out for a knife as he looked at Carvo for approval.
"Perfect." Carvo smirked, and as soon as Brando lift his blade, Carvo shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Soldiers! Catch her, she's going berserk!" Carvo shouted as Brando retreated in fear, looking at Carvo in denial. How could he fall for such a terrible trick? The soldiers ran, circling around Brando who couldn't speak to cover for himself. All that he knew is that Carvo must have known who he was, and would use that as a card in furthermore situations. Right know, the soldier he tarnished her name is a berserker, soldiers who witness too much blood end up losing their minds, but the inspector was safe meaning that Brando would be imprisoned and tried lightly, but this should help Carvo make sure he's isolated from more vessels, Brando wouldn't out himself in the lion den, and so, he would be Carvo's little toy just to stay alive.
The case of Brando had finally been solved, yet, no one but Carvo was aware.
II. Forward, they go.
Sleep deprivation had turned Andrew's mind into a war zone. His conversation with Henry had sent him into a state of confusion and conflict. He had been given the orders to solve the double Henry situation yet he opposed the idea of leaking his conclusion to anyone. Focusing on the chip, he decided to seek Ivanka and aid her in finding the church. He managed to find her before leaving Nelly's house, but as usual, Ivanka was eager to be on her own, refusing any helping hand. Andrew refused to be intimidated by her sharp tongue, and against her wishes, he stole another uniform stacked in the boxes Nelly kept hidden. On their journey towards the portal, Andrew sensed a strange tingling sensation in his right arm that he chose to ignore, not knowing what it meant, he was blissfully ignorant.
"If you speak, you'll rat us out. They know you!" Ivanka whispered as they walked through the tunnel leading to the church. "And they don't know you?" Andrew scoffed, Ivanka sighed and led the way.
"This is a suicidal mission, why are you so keen on coming?" Ivanka wondered. "Because if you're going to die there someone needs to get the chip and come back. We can't handle the loss of the Twilight Reverie." Andrew explained. "Just so you know, I won't help you when we are there." Ivanka boldly spoke, Andrew sighed in annoyance. "Whatever is going on between you and Dunken doesn't have anything to do with me." He replied, "I suppose you let go of your anger towards me know before you and I end up in a body bag at the other side of the city, if we are lucky!" He continued. Ivanka stayed silent but Andrew knew she wasn't fine with him tagging along.
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The route was long, and by the time the two had reached what seemed to be the end, they were truly shaken and distressed by the thought of infiltrating the white church. If there was one thing the two of them knew it was that this church sheltered Mooncallers, and that those fanatics would most likely know who they are as soon as their hoods are lifted.
"You're Mick, I am Lily." Ivanka handed Andrew a card. "I found them stashed underneath her cupboard, I believe these are identity cards." She explained, Andrew read it thoroughly. "It says here council observer, we have them in the council?" Andrew shrieked. "If they got as far as inside the military weapons, then I believe so." Ivanka replied.
Andrew's arm begun to bother him. That tingling sensation spread slowly across his arm, he didn't think much of it at first but now the pain became annoying. As Ivanka approached the first door, the two nodded to each other. The two of them were professionals, although it was a dangerous situation, they could impersonate their enemies without being caught, the only revealing aspect of this mission was the face hidden underneath the hoods. Ivanka followed the instructions Nelly had written and watched the door open to reveal another passage, the two ran through it as they realized that the red hours were ending and there was a battle to be fought in hours. Using the gloves she had stolen, Ivanka opened the last door where they could sense the church behind it, in a dreaded sense of forbidden excitement, the door opened revealing a strange and unexpected disappointment.
"How come.." Ivanka gulped. "I am sure that's the place!" She whispered as she looked around. Andrew retreated to the wall behind him as his aching arm became unbearable. "Something is wrong." He yelped, Ivanka turned around to see her companion holding his arm in agony with a very sweaty reddish face. "I hope I am wrong." Ivanka starred at the empty alter. "I-I hope so t-too.." Andrew trembled.
That place reeked of blood and death, a scent foreign to a church. It was empty, missing everything inside it. There was no sign of life inside this place, however, the nature of this place had raised the suspicion of its truth inside the two soldiers. "Its one. Or at least, it was." Ivanka smelled the benches as she walked around, seeing through the veil this cemetery had. "A stock prison..Oh lord.." Andrew gulped as they understood what this refined place was. One of many Gabriel's prisons where he abducted people for his research. The shackles were still intact, the architecture was identical to the style Gabriel had adapted in his mansion, his office and everything this man owned.
It seemed that Nelly was smart enough to know Ivanka would follow her, and so, she had planted these false coordinates to lead her into this god-forsaken place.
"What's wrong with you?" Ivanka asked as she observed Andrew's pain. "My arm..Its hurting me badly." Andrew struggled to keep a fixed tone as he got up. "Something is wrong in here, it didn't hurt me this bad until we approached that last door." Andrew explained, Ivanka raised an eyebrow. "Why would your arm react to something? Its not bionic, if I remember correctly." Ivanka wondered as she left him on his own and walked around the place. "Its not." Andrew replied as he took off his coat revealing his arm.
It was bruised, slightly blooded. There was no sign of a wound, but that blood was definitely his own. That tingling sensation was accompanied by pounding. The way Andrew translated his pain affirmed the existence of a foreign object in his arm, there was no injury in that spot prior to coming here.
"Patch yourself up, we gotta leave." Ivanka stood on the alter, she found a book which she hastily ran through its yellow old pages. "Where?" Andrew asked. "The other door." Ivanka said, pointing at a wooden door right behind her. "Is this a game?" He complained. "If that bitch of an assistant you had led us here, then we shouldn't play right in her trap!" Andrew opposed. "Nelly isn't that smart!" Ivanka shouted, "Whoever led us here, they aren't from the white church." Ivanka spoke in a low tone. Andrew approached her in confusion as she waved the book to him.
"This book was taken away from the grand library three years ago during the fullmoon." Ivanka said. "I, myself, counted every single shelf after the fullmoon. The library was in the north of the city, the mooncallers never made it there." She continued. "Two battles later, I found this book back again in the same spot, the only difference is that it had a handwritten note on a certain page." Ivanka shared, Andrew became more intrigued. "The note were only few words, words that later on helped me in creating the very first prototype for the twilight reverie."
"Now, I left the book in the same shelf. Awaiting more notes, but to my surprise, it had been missing for a year now." Ivanka frowned. "This changes everything!" She said. Andrew was very confused. "Were you receiving help from a mooncaller?" He wondered. "Maybe, maybe not." She paused. "But I believe that all along this person, or creature, is truly an ally. If I were to make a full picture of the situation now with a clear mind, Nelly isn't exactly traitor." Ivanka turned around, facing the door. "She is a messenger." Ivanka excitedly said as she was eager to go beyond that door, with no indication or proof of her theories. All she knew is that she had a secret ally that was ready to reveal themself, Andrew felt his mind go clouded, his judgment was not trustworthy, but the pain was real.
"What about my arm? Do you have an explanation for that?" Andrew inquired. "Unfortunately, I don't think so. Unless you'd let me cut through it and see right now." Ivanka suggested. "Ah, fuck! No." Andrew grunted, Ivanka sighed and went on her way.
"You're crazy." Andrew watched her. "Maybe, or maybe I'll come back with not only the chip, but greater knowledge." Ivanka smirked in confidence, firing up Andrew's pain-induced rage. "Something is wicked over there, let me call backup at least." Andrew suggested, he understood that the pain only got worse as he advanced further. "Not in a million years, kid! You should be grateful I took you with me." Ivanka stormed through the door which was unlocked, leaving Andrew in distress behind.
It took him seconds to make a choice. That strange pain is a mystery that must be solved right there and then. He didn't believe in Ivanka's non-sense, but her confidence was dangerously persuasive and comforting. He took shelter in the fact that either way he was dead. Coming back without the chip, or going in blindly, the outcome was never positive on each side yet. The coward label would stain his name if he were to back down after coming this far. Andrew was a man of determination and blind devotion to each mission he took, even if it wasn't right. Perhaps his persistence would carry him a step further in his private investigation, or it would cruelly end the short life of the laudable commander.
Beyond that door lied an entity that turned the game. An answer to a thousand question, a cunning mind that tangled the mysteries together in hope of luring those who sought to unravel it. All signs led everyone to believe this would be the last fullmoon Boneclad would ever witness, but the strongest of hearts lived on the faint hope of victory and in the hardest of pain, they advanced further with the yearning of seeing the real world once again.
III. The climax.
Abigail's tale was reaching its climax. Standing in the face of the twisted angel who dared to utter the numbers she feared, Abigail retreated from the poisoned hand that this woman laid on her face. Even that hardened steel rebelled against her touch, the grace Abigail felt faded away once the words reached her ears. She had finally sobered up from the ill spoken spells Miles had fed her in her weakest moment.
"I need to leave." Abigail's eyes widened once it met the blue gaze of the singing woman. "I am afraid its too late." Miles softly spoke. "No, its not. Get me out!" Abigail escaped the alter, running towards the door. That sudden change of heart was invoked by nothing other than Abigail's humanity that she was starting to believe she had lost it. Once she took a look around the church and lent her ears to the whispers roving between the members, she believed she had been played a fool. "Why did you take me here? and how did you know that number?" Abigail turned her back against the exit and faced the church, breaking the silence and peace they had imposed.
"You are a vital member of our community, Abigail. All your questions shall be answered once you calm down." The lady softly spoke, assuming her calmness would lure Abigail back in. "I don't even know any of you. This place smells like death!" Abigail shouted. "I can sense it, corpses beneath me, hundreds!" Abigail hit the ground. "You..The name, the uniform, the symbols..You're a cult!" She concluded. "That is a very outdated term, Abigail, and please, there are better ways to address your superiors." Miles intervened, speaking in a demanding tone. "Get me out." Abigail demanded.
"Or what?" Miles approached her. "Or I'll fucking kill you, the way I killed your friend! Now I get it, all along, you were all allies, it doesn't matter if you're human or not, you're all blinded by blood." Abigail took more steps behind. "You have misinterpreted your surroundings." The lady said. "The white sect is just as old as this city, long before the attack, we helped cleanse the city of impure outsiders." The lady explained and Abigail connected the dots in horror.
"You..You were the ones that did it!" Abigail concluded in agony that ripped her heart apart. "Yes. And you should be grateful. Your sacrifice not only cleansed your heart, but it gave your family the right to live." The lady uttered her senseless words. In split seconds, a terrifying thunder like electricity ran through the rusty veins of Abigail, that pain wasn't an ally, it was an attack she had not anticipated, one that knocked her down immediately. As the singing suddenly erupted into her fading hearing, Abigail's rage boiled in her veins, pushing her afar from losing consciousness in hope of fighting back, those who stole her life fifty years ago are overpowering her once again. Those who mangled her body, destroyed her sanity and left her with a traumatizing memory circled around her in some sort of a ritual. Abigail self hatred kicked her in the guts as she realized how she let herself be fooled once again.
No matter how painful this attack could have been, the smell of her burning steel awakened her against the odds. Abigail wouldn't go down again without a fight, and as the tables turned, in the speed of light, Miles throat was in her hand.
"You should have been prepared for what comes after getting me here." Abigail's monstrous voice resounded as she lifted Miles off the ground. Miles struggled as she squeezed his throat as if he was a toy, his eyes bulged out as Abigail became blinded by her inhumane rage. The members ran across the church, knowing that whatever they do, their strength was nothing against her. Having retreated to the backroom, only the lady and her bewitching chants remained between the white walls as Abigail squeezed as hard as she could, beheading Miles mercilessly and throwing his head at the white walls, tarnishing its illusive representation and showing what it truly represented.
It was as if that lady felt victorious, announcing her triumph through that unearthly voice. Abigail was no longer there, the sight of blood wouldn't shake a nerve in her. Whatever was left of her was her strong desire for revenge that she acted upon immediately. Marching towards the lady, Abigail failed to sense the presence of a third power approaching her from the side, the one responsible for the attack. Sensing the presence of another mooncaller, Abigail retreated but it was too late, she was knocked down by the sheer force of this mooncaller's steel grip.
On her own, she fought. Abigail had finally snapped back to reality, treasuring the connections she had built over the false illusion of comfort she was offered by the devils in white. In few hours, the battle would begin, but the enemy was already there and bloodshed drained the last strength Boneclad as a whole possessed.