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Nova Genesis
Chapter XXIII

Chapter XXIII

About your mother

“Tvardovksy, what are you trying to achieve?” Ezekiel questioned as the chairman once again played the footage showcasing Purgatorio’s fight against Tetra. Or whatever was left of said footage anyway. The moment right before the explosion was missing. The camera focused on the armored half-angel. The armor emanated bright light from all of its cracks. Tvardovsky paused the footage right when the armor was best visible. Frankly speaking, he had enough on his head in the past five days and he didn’t need any of Tvardovsky’s speculations and ramblings added to the mix.

"Ezekiel, don’t you see it? Just like Beatrice described. It happened again; our little Alice seems to be awakening her angelic self.” The chairman said with a grin as his eyes studied the cracked armor. He had to document all of it. This could be—no, it was—a historical event. Not even the Vatican had a single passage about a quarter-angel. And to think they could see one awake, any man of science worth his title would kill for it.

“Let’s assume that your theory is true. How do you even plan to examine it? From what you said, it looks to be a random occurrence that we don’t have any control over.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that it is completely random. While the sample is small, it seems to be caused by stress. An abundance of it, to be precise.” The chairman added, the smile not leaving his face even for a while.

“What are you getting at?” Ezekiel furrowed his brows. When Tvardovsky got excited like that, it was always a bad omen. Despite working with him for so long, he still could never fully grasp him or guess what was going on in his head.

“Don’t you think we should finally unite a daughter with her mother?” Ezekiel blinked a few times, making sure that he heard him right. No, he wasn’t joking. The smile stayed on his face.

“Tvardovsky, just what are you trying to achieve?” What was he thinking? The young half-angel was in no state for such a thing normally, especially after the latest tragedy. Though for the chairman, it was probably the perfect time and condition to test his little theory.

“It is quite simple, really. I simply aim to determine whether stress is indeed the cause. If so, then we might have a way to awaken her. If not, then we will just have to sit and wait.”

“Tvardovsky.” The stern tone of the bishop’s voice made the hair on the scientist’s back stand up. There was a damn good reason as to why he was still in charge after all of those years. Despite his small posture, it still maintained its authority. “I’d prefer if you had not treated our men like mere lab rats.”

“Bishop, you should have known that this wasn’t what I meant. I just want to do what is beneficial to us. The safety of Znena concerns every single one of us, after all.”

“You say that, and yet you plan to expose one of our most valuable members to potential harm.”

“Ezekiel, I assure you, not a single hair will fall off her head. I will take any necessary precautions. And should my examination turn out to be hazardous to Alice, I will cease it immediately. Think about this, Ezekiel; it might be the turning point in all of this.” The older man closed his eyes and massaged his temple. This old fox. Always knew how to give him a headache. However, there was some truth to his words. Having an awakened angel on their side should tip the scale in their favor. Then again, he shouldn’t ignore the half-angel’s current condition. Purgatorio was already at its limit as it was, and there was no need to fatigue any of them further. And yet, the threat that Tetra made and their reveal…blast it all!

“Tvardovsky.” The bishop took a deep sigh before continuing. “I grant you permission to take Purgatorio to the Lesser Key.”

“I am grateful, bishop; I knew you would understand.”

“Keep in mind that should any major harm befall any of its members, I will not keep you safe from Beatrice’s wrath.” In response, he got a laugh from the chairman.

“I am fully aware of that, Ezekiel. Well then, I have to go and prepare. I’ll call you when I’m ready. Should I have the honor of informing them about the trip, or would you prefer to do so?”

“Just go now; I will inform them once you have everything set.”

“Then that’s taken care of. And once again, thank you for understanding, bishop.” Tvardovsky bowed like a performer on stage and left without saying anything more. Ezekiel only hoped that the chairman knew what he was doing. They didn’t need another incident like with Anastasia, especially in the current circumstances.

The morning at Beatrice’s apartment was the quietest it had ever been. The only things breaking the unbearable silence were the ticking of the kitchen’s clock and knocks coming at Alice’s doors. In front of them stood Beatrice, with a worried expression on her face, holding a plate covered by aluminum foil, trying her best to get to the younger girl.

“Alice, sweetie, open the doors, please.” No response. Just like in the past few days. Still, it didn’t stop her from trying. Ever since they came back from the hospital, the half-angel has closed herself in her room and refused to leave it. Perhaps she should have given her some time alone, but the blonde angel’s mind was bringing her hundreds of terrible scenarios, and she couldn’t help but worry about Alice. “Al, please, I brought you breakfast!” Only the silence responded to her.

Lilim was watching it all from the couch. It was almost becoming routine at this point. No matter how many times the older woman would beg, the doors would just stay shut, with the half-angel giving barely any signs of life. It didn’t take a genius to notice that Alice wasn’t coping well with the current situation, and she only now wished to be left alone. A wish that the succubus decided to respect. At least that was her excuse anyway. In reality, she knew there was nothing she could do to make the situation better and decided to back off. That was for the better anyway. Or maybe she should have taken action. Perhaps she should have just burned this whole town…Lilim paled at that thought. She couldn’t tell if this was her own thought or the other her.

It was better for her to back off. There was no way that she could see Alice like that. Considering that she—the other she—could hurt the ginger-haired girl. Especially since she capitalized on her weakened state and became much more aggressive ever since their failure. Pestering the succubus in her dreams and reflections that were no longer her own. Even now, she couldn’t force herself to turn around and look at her reflection on the turned-off TV as the shining blue eyes were drilling into her soul.

“Al I’ll leave the food at the doors; please make sure to eat something, okay sweetie?” With a defeated sigh, Beatrice left the plate and turned around to grab her keys from the small cabinet.

“Going somewhere?”

“Yes, just earlier I got a text from the chairman. Apparently there is something important that he wants to discuss with me.” This was surprising. From what Beatrice told them, Purgatorio was, for an unspecified amount of time, given a “break” until all of them would recover. To be fair, Znena was left without any of its supernatural protectors, so maybe they wanted to get the blonde angel back into action? Well, as long as it didn’t concern her, she shouldn’t bother for now. “Well, I’ll be off now; please make sure that Alice will eat something.”

“I’ll try my best.” The succubus replied half-heartedly. Beatrice left, and the unpleasant silence returned once more. Just when she was about to close her eyes in hopes of dozing off and passing some time, she heard the doors unlock and slowly open with a creak. “Plate. Don’t step into it.” Lilim warned the surprised younger girl, who upon hearing her voice, froze still in the entrance.

“Did Beatrice go yet?” Even despite trying to hide herself from the view, Lilim could very well see her unkempt ginger hair and red, puffy eyes. And while the succubus couldn’t say for sure, Alice did seem to get slightly thinner.

“Yes, the better question is: what are you doing?” While it came slightly harsher than the succubus intended to, the half-angel had it coming. Many times she promised her to stop hiding what’s bothering her and faking that everything was fine. Only to do the same not even a second later.

“I…just wanted to take a shower since…you know…I’ve been doing nothing but rotting in bed for days.” Lilim sighed. This, combined with the condescending tone that the younger girl had towards herself, took all of the succubus’s willpower to stay calm. Why did she try to avoid her? Was she that distrustful?

“Al, you know that’s not what I asked about.”

“I simply didn’t want you to see me like that. I’m enough of a pathetic mess as it is, and I don’t want anyone to pity or worry about me.” The black-haired girl stood up from the couch, approached the half-angel, and enveloped her in a tight embrace.

“You say that, and yet you do everything to make us worry about you.” Alice seemed to melt in her embrace, nuzzling into the succubus’s neck. “Seriously, how many times do we have to remind you that you can rely on us?”

“I know; I just don’t want to bother you.” In response, the half-angel received a light kiss on her forehead.

“Come on Al, you know you would never bother me or Beatrice, or anyone.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be thinking like tha-” Another kiss interrupted her, and the embrace loosened slightly.

“Don’t be sorry. Just remember it for the future.” The younger girl said nothing and allowed the black-haired demon to hold her for some more time.

“Hey, Lilim?” Alice finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity. An eternity that neither of them would mind.

“I’m listening.”

“Can you let me go? I was serious when I was talking about the shower.”

“Don’t worry, you don’t smell that bad.”

“Lilim?!”

“Okay, okay. And in the meantime, do you want me to reheat the food?” Lilim’s glaze wandered towards the foil-covered plate on the floor.

“Would be nice.” Alice replied as she made her way towards the bathroom. While the younger girl was taking her sweet time in the shower, Lilim tasked herself with reheating the plate full of omelets, bacon, and toast. The succubus had her suspicions that Beatrice might not have accidentally made a portion for two people. Not like she complained. Despite not needing to eat, Beatrice’s home cooking wasn’t something she would say no to. When the demon decided that the food was hot enough, she took the small coffee table and put it in front of the couch, with the steaming plate occupying most of it.

“The table has been set. Bon appétit.” The succubus made a deep bow as Alice stepped out of the bathroom, earning herself a small chuckle from the green-eyed girl. “Come now; I don’t want the food to go cold.” Lilim sat down on the couch, and Alice didn’t think long before making herself comfortable right next to her. Due to the half-angel still not having fully recovered her strength, Lilim decided to take the liberty and spoon-feed Alice. Who took joy in getting spoiled by the succubus. After their meal, the half-angel, prompted by the succubus, put her head to rest on the black-haired girl’s thighs.

“Something on your mind?” Lilim asked after a while, noticing the worried expression on the younger girl’s face.

“Nothing really… It’s just that lately I’ve been thinking…” Alice turned around to face the blue-eyed demon, who played with her orange hair, nodding at her to keep talking. “Maybe I am just not cut for it. Perhaps I should just give up. I mean, look at it. I couldn’t keep the town safe from Tetra! And it’s not like I was getting much done to begin with…”

“Al-”

“I know, I know, I shouldn’t be talking like that. But it’s true. People have died because I wasn’t strong enough. Hell, before you joined, I had never fought off a demon just by myself. I was always putting more people at risk. I really should quit. You and Beatrice are more than enough. Znena deserves a better guardian than me. One that isn’t a pathetic coward.”

“And tell me, what am I supposed to do with you?” Lilim sighed as she leaned in and gave Alice a kiss. The half-angle blushed, her eyes widening from shock, but she kept on laying on the succubus. “Al, you don’t have to blame yourself for everything that happened. None of us could foresee something like that. Even then, you gave your best. Not something a coward would do, right?”

“Still, I could have done more... I should have done more.”

“Honey, I love you, but sometimes you are impossible. You gave your all and prevented more deaths from happening. And just how many times do I have to remind you that you don’t, and shouldn’t, have to do everything by yourself?”

“I…eh, maybe there is some truth to it. Sorry for bothering you anyway.”

“Al, you are not bothering me.” Looking up, Alice saw a deep concern in the beautiful sapphire eyes that she so adored. “And I beg you, don’t be so harsh on yourself. You are still only nineteen, and yet you already did so much.” Alice said nothing, but she felt her eyes water slightly. Great, she could do without bawling her eyes out now.

“Lilim.” The half-angel said after a longer period of somewhat comfortable silence, making sure that her voice wouldn’t crack. “Thank you. And I want you to know that back in the hospital, I wasn’t mad at you. I know you too have your own problems on top of what’s happening and me acting like a mess.”

“I know Al, I know. Still, I should know better to keep my nerves under control. Heh, I guess that means we both are a mess.”

“I guess so; at least you are a hot mess.” Lilim snorted, which caused Alice to smirk slightly. If they were able to joke and laugh, then maybe they weren’t doing so badly, right?

“Oi now, flattery won’t get you far.”

“I dunno about that one; it seems to work really well on you.” Before Lilim could reply, her gaze drifted towards the reflection on the TV screen. Here the ice-cold blue eyes were sending her a condescending gaze, filled with such a vivid hatred that she hadn’t seen since ages.

Just what are you doing? Wasting your time on this while you have made us look like fools. We should end this buffoonery! Just once, release my flames, and you will be free from all of this. This shame, this pain. Why are you being so stubborn? You know your wellbeing is also my wellbeing.

Then maybe I should just slit my throat and get rid of you once and for all, huh? Would you like that?

You know I wouldn’t let you. The high and mighty tone in which she spoke made Lilim’s blood boil. If it wasn’t for Alice still resting on her thighs, she probably would have smashed the TV just to get rid of the snarky smile that her reflection bore.

Then piss off! Can’t you see I have much more important things to do than waste my energy on you?

Like what? Licking each other wounds like you do now? Don’t make me laugh. And don’t even think about calling it love. For you, it’s just a distraction.

Fuck. Off. Now. The reflection shook her head before sending her a disapproving look.

If that’s what you want. But I know you will come back crawling to me to borrow my strength. You always do. With that, the reflection vanished, and Lilim could finally take a sigh of relief.

“Lilim, is everything alright?” The concern in Alice’s voice made the succubus realize that she has been staring at the TV for quite some time, which probably looked quite odd from the other perspective. She knew she promised the half-angel to not keep anything from her, but the matter of the other her shouldn’t concern the younger girl. Between the two, Lilim preferred to be the hypocrite. This way, no one gets hurt.

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“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing really; I just-” Lilim never would have thought that the ringtone of Alice’s phone would ever save her. Whoever called just now, she owed them one. Though, despite it making quite the noise even from a room away, the half-angel made no effort to go and answer it; instead, instead kept looking Lilim in the eyes, waiting for her to answer.

“Shouldn’t you pick up? It might be important.”

“Not as important as something that has been bothering you.”

“Nothing’s bothering me, I swear-”

“Lilim, don’t play dumb. I know how succubi and incubi work. And even I can tell that you have some problems with your demonic half.” Lilim blinked. Just when did she…oh, right. Probably when she took control in their fight against Tetra. This both made things easier and complicated them at the same time. “Fine, if you don’t want to talk, then don’t. But just so you know, I’ll always lend an ear.” Alice stood up and went to finally pick up the call. She felt her stomach turn when she saw that chairman Tvardovsky was the one calling. Just what could he want?

While Alice was talking on the phone, Lilim was still sitting on the couch, contemplating whether to open up and confess the truth to the younger girl. She deserved to know that much was clear. But did she need to know? What she didn’t know probably wouldn’t hurt her, and she was in no way worth losing sleep over. So far, she was under control, and if it ever came to the worst, Beatrice could probably deal with her. The half-angel returned to the living room not even a minute later, the succubus shifting her attention towards her worried expression.

“Lilim, could you fly us to the headquarters?”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“I don’t know. The chairman only told me that we have to come and that it’s urgent.”

“Then we should better get going. I hope it isn’t about us going on an early 'retirement’. ” Lilim tried to cheer up the ginger-haired girl, though the corner of her lips had not even twitched; instead, she sent the succubus a rather serious look.

“Don’t even joke about it.” Alice replied as she went to open the balcony. The succubus spread her black wings, scooped up the younger girl, and swiftly took off into the sky. It was some time before she had the opportunity to fly, and while she appreciated any occasion, it would be much more pleasant without worrying about what they were called in for. Lilim hoped that they weren’t planning on sending them into action already. No, that couldn’t be it. Even Beatrice was supposed to stay down for a while to calm down the public, as she was told. Perhaps she was right about the retirement.

Lost in thoughts, the succubus couldn’t even tell when she had approached the Force HQ. Still as grand and eye-catching as ever. And weirdly empty. Usually, there were many more cars and people going by. Though someone had to keep the town safe while they were bound. Lilim landed before the entrance and let Alice go. Both girls made their way towards the office. Neither of them bothered to knock, and they simply entered while holding their breaths, not knowing what to expect.

They were greeted by both the bishop and the chairman, as well as Beatrice, who stood by the window, seemingly refusing to look directly into their eyes. There was tension in the air, and Alice by no means enjoyed any second spent in the room. It was almost suffocating.

“Miss, I’d like you to take a seat.” The younger girl did just as Ezekiel ordered, the unpleasant feeling in her stomach only growing stronger.

“Bishop, chairman, what is the reason for calling us?”

“About that.” Ezekiel paused as if he had second thoughts about what he was about to say. “Miss Alice, what do you know about the Lesser Key?” Alice expected many things. This was not one of them. Why this question? Was this the whole reason as to why they called them in? There had to be more to this.

“It’s our old, closed-down facility. What about it?”

"Well, miss Alice, it’s only officially closed down.” Tvardovsky spoke, taking a seat at the edge of the desk, much to Ezekiel’s dismay. “Now I hope you know what it was used for.” Alice nodded. From what she heard, it was an old containment site. Though it was closed, parts of it moved to the headquarters long before she was born. Still, she didn’t know what any of them were getting at.

“Good, good. You see, I'd like for Purgatorio to venture there. A personal request, if you will. I have already talked about this with Beatrice; however, I still require your consent.”

“Chairman, why? What’s the point of us going to apparently not a closed-down containment site?” Tvardovsky sighed, exchanging glances with Ezekiel before locking his eyes with Beatrice, who slowly nodded, prompting him to continue. Alice nervously fidgeted in the chair. Lilim, seeing that, swiftly approached her and put her hand on the younger girl’s shoulder.

“Miss Alice, I reckon it is about time you should see your mother.” At first, Alice didn’t even register the words that came out of Tvardovsky’s mouth. Subconsciously, she placed her own hand on Lilim's, squeezing it gently as the shocking proposition slowly settled in.

“Chairman, if this is some kind of cruel joke, then it isn’t funny.” The half-angel barely kept her voice from breaking. This was too much. No matter how much she tried to process it, she still couldn’t make sense out of it. Was her mother really at the containment site? But why in the first place? For how long? And if so, why didn't she know anything about it? Could it be that they all lied to her? No, no, she had to calm down. There had to be a reasonable explanation for all of it.

“I reassure you, it is no joke. Now, I know you must have myriads of questions about this, but I’d like to ask you to wait with them until we get on the site. Would that be fine with you?” Frankly, Alice didn’t know how to answer. Could she do anything other than agree to it? It didn’t seem so. She nodded, afraid that if she tried to say yes, the words wouldn’t be stuck in her throat.

“I’m glad to hear that. Now, it’s up to you to decide when we-”

“NOW!” The half-angel stood up, startling the succubus, and slammed her hands against the desk, startling the other three present and causing the small pile of papers to fall onto the floor. Though she quickly apologized, and sat back on the chair.

“Enthusiastic, aren’t we?” Tvardovsky chuckled as he hopped off the table as Ezekiel went to collect the documents from the ground. “Bishop, I would request a convoy. Which unit is available?”

“Lemegeton should return from the mandatory maintenance in about an hour.” The bishop said as he made sure that all of the documents were neatly back on the table. An order had to be kept. “I will contact them about their upcoming task. If that’s all, then you are dismissed.”

Tvardovsky left the room first, saying something about finishing the preparations for their upcoming journey. Visibly shaken, the younger girl held the succubus’s hand as she stood up, her right leg trembling from the anticipation.

“You ain’t coming?” Lilim asked as Beatrice continued to stand by the window, still refusing to look them directly in the eyes. Something was off with her—that much the succubus could tell. Though if she wanted to keep quiet, there wasn’t much she could do. That whole revelation probably shook her as much as Alice.

“Not yet. You girls can go. There’s still one thing I want to talk about with the bishop.” Beatrice replied, giving them a weak smile. Alice looked back at her, as if wanting to question her about everything, but held herself back.

“Beatrice–No, nevermind. We will wait outside.” She gently squeezed the demon’s bicep. “Come Lilim, let's go.” Before the succubus could protest, the younger girl dragged her out of the room. Not even a second passed when shaking Alice let Lilim go and slumped against the wall, pale as a ghost, breathing heavily. The succubus immediately crouched beside her, trying to keep her from hyperventilating.

“Al, hey Al, come on, look at me.” The younger girl did as she was told, her green eyes trying to find a sanctuary in the demon’s own. “Okay, good. Breathe in, breathe out. In, out.” After a longer period of repeated slow and steady breaths, Alice calmed down slightly. Though now her pale skin got covered by sweat, even despite the fact that she was shaking as if she were freezing.

“Al, what’s gotten into you?”

“I don’t know–don’t know if I can do this. See mom, that is.” Of course that was it. She should have known and not asked stupid questions. Lilim bit her tongue to stop mentally berating herself, focusing on what Alice was saying. “What if she won’t be the mom that I remember? What if she heard about what had happened? That I let her down. Disappointed her. I blurted out that I want, but I can’t—I don’t…Lilim, I don’t even know if I want to see her. What do I do?”

“I…eh, I don’t think I’m the right person to ask this question. But if you don’t feel ready now, we can always tell the chairman about this. I’m sure he will understand if you need a day, a week, or even more to prepare yourself. And remember, no matter what you do, I’ll support you.” Alice seemed to calm down, no longer shaking. Lilim took a sigh of relief at that. Exhausted, the half-angel went to let her head rest on the black-haired girl’s shoulder.

“I think…I think I can see her today. I should anyway. Beatrice probably misses her too. Yes, I think I can do that.”

“You sure?” Lilim asked, wanting to make sure that Alice was confident in her response. There was no point in doing it if she felt like she needed to instead of wanting to.

“Yes, yes, I think. Just give me a sec to collect myself.” The younger girl used the succubus as a support, her legs still wobbly, and slowly stood up. Seeing as there was still a good hour to go, both girls decided to go to the open-air break ‘room’ to rest and further calm down. While it wasn’t as occupied as usual, there were a bunch of other workers who were enjoying their break either by smoking, talking to each other, or even taking in the fresh air. Most of them, Lilim more or less recognized from seeing them around. And pretty much all of them were surprised but also visibly glad to see the half-angel return. The hour went by as small talks seemed to never end. While Lilim didn’t enjoy the idea of sharing her time with Alice with others, seeing the younger girl smile, even if lightly, as she talked with other people more than made up for that.

“Ah, there you are.” A man dressed in a white riot police uniform approached the two girls. “The convoy is more than ready to go. So if you are prepared, we can move out at any given moment.” Matt added while waving back at his coworkers.

“If you are ready, then I guess there is no point in waiting.” Alice said, standing up from the bench with Lilim following her soon after.

“Great.” Matthew started leading them towards the garages. “You will go in the first car with me, Chad, chairman and Beatrice.” The rest of the walk was spent in silence as they approached the six humvees, with their engines already roaring. Matt opened the doors of his car, and both girls climbed in, taking the middle set of seats. Matthew took the wheel, and once everyone buckled up, the Lemegeton drove its way towards the Lesser Key. Save for the sounds of the engine, Matt’s car was filled with uncomfortable silence. Trying to break it up, Beatrice spoke.

"So, sweetie, how do you feel about this?”

“Hard to say, really. I guess I still can’t believe that this is happening.”

“Want me to pinch you?” Lilim asked.

“No, thanks. Though, weirdly, I feel more anxious than happy. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I guess it’s natural. And you still took this in better than I would have ever expected.” Beatrice added with a slight smile. The succubus bit her tongue to not say anything inappropriate. If only she had seen how Alice reacted after they left the office. Though there was no point in bringing down the mood so she stayed silent.

“I too surprised myself. Though chairman, why do we need so many people with us?”

“This is just a standard safety procedure. Things can get quite…hectic down there. Even long after its glory days. Ah, but don’t worry, I’m sure there will be no problems.” Tvardovsky added, seeing the worried expression on the younger girl’s face. However, she still needed to keep in mind that it wasn’t a danger-free zone. Quite the opposite, actually. Alice seemed to accept his answer and had not questioned him further.

“Say, is that it?” Lilim asked after two good hours, looking out of a window and seeing a grayish dome standing out like a sore thumb from a nearby forest. Compared to the headquarters, it didn’t fill her with optimism. At least she couldn’t spot rust. For now.

“Yes, that’s our destination. It brings back the memories, doesn't it, Beatrice?” Tvardovsky asked as he too looked out of the window.

“Maybe, but I can’t say I remember it fondly. And the dome is still as ugly as always.” Lilim smirked. So that wasn’t just her opinion. For sure, they could have made it look better. “Well, at least I hope this visit will be pleasant.”

“We will finally get to see mom, so I’m not setting in for anything else than that.”

“Al, quick question. Does this dress look good on me?” Alice was rather taken back by the question that succubus gave her. Especially since it was the standard white dress that she pretty much wore daily.

“It does. Why do you ask?”

“Well, if I get to see the actual future mother-in-law, I think I should at least look decent. First impressions and all of that, you know.” Alice chuckled at that. And it’s not like the succubus was in the wrong. “Now if only you could keep that smile. It’s like you said, we are seeing your mom. So keep that frown away.”

“I know, but-”

“Al, no buts. As your prince, I can assure you that everything will be fine.” Lilim said gallantly, though she quickly froze in place as Beatrice sent her a cold glance upon hearing the word prince. Alice felt as if their usual morning routine had returned.

“Maybe you are right. Maybe I shouldn’t worry about that.” Tvardovsky continued to look out of the window and scratched his neck. He knew that he was doing this for the sake of them all and for the safety of Znena. He also knew that sometimes men of science have to reach for inhumane means. However, he started having doubts about whether that was as good an idea as he originally thought of it. The convoy stopped before the dome, and there was no longer an option to take a step back. He will have to live with his choice. If Beatrice doesn’t get to him first.

Stepping out, they were greeted by four guards dressed in similar attire to other units, the only difference being their color. Black instead of white. They stood in front of massive steel roll-up doors that hid the secrets of the dome from curious eyes.

“Chairman Tvardovsky, the usual visit, I suppose?” One of the guardsmen asked, greeting the older man.

“Not quite the usual. As you can see, I brought new guests.” He gestured toward the two girls. “Of course I take full responsibility for them. That being said, I hope that the safety measures I gave you have been followed to a T.”

“You know we wouldn’t do anything less than that.” The man then reached for the walkie-talkie that rested on his hip. “Gate Guardian 02 to Faust; the chairman has arrived. Unseal the doors.”

“Copy that, 02.” Shortly after, a loud beep startled both girls as the massive doors slowly rolled up and a full black room got illuminated by rather bright lamps that emitted blue light. The most notable part of the whole room was the spacious round glass elevator that led down.

“Ladies, come in first. There is no time to waste.” Tvardovsky stepped out of the way as Purgatorio entered the dome with the chairman. The entirety of Lemegeton entered soon after. Inside, the room was rather empty, save for the elevator. “I know it doesn’t look too promising, but trust me, the below will make quite an impression on you.” The older man added as he saw the rather uncertain looks that both girls were sending each other. He approached the elevator and pressed the brightest button on the control panel. The glass doors opened, and the floor of the elevator lit up with a gentle blue light circle in its middle. Beatrice went in first, then Alice with Lilim, and at last Tvardovsky.

“Gentlemen, while I appreciate your presence, I’d like to ask for some privacy. I hope that you won’t take it as an offense.”

“You are the boss here. But still, that will be three batches.”

"Thankfully, I am not the one to worry about their electricity bills.” Tvardovsky chose the B5 button, and the doors closed. The elevator descended into the darkness, the only light source being the floor. They were descending rather rapidly, as before even Alice knew it, they were already at B3. Soon after, the elevator came to a halt, and doors opened, leading to a small corridor. The said corridor was made of white and thick concrete walls, with the only source of light being LED ceiling lamps. The corridor ended with rather futuristic doors. They occupied most of the wall, seeming to consist of four triangular parts that all connected in the middle. On the right side of them was a rather long console panel with a small screen above it, while on the left was a camera, which was now was focused on the visitors.

Tvardovsky searched his pocket for something. He pulled out a small gray card. As he went to the control panel, the camera was following him. The chairman put the card against the monitor. It flashed green and let out two quick and loud beeps. The doors opened, and Tvardovsky gestured at the women to follow him. The room that he led them to was massive. It was of an octagonal shape, made of black material that made it look endless. The only indication of where each wall was were the spacious monitors that hung on each of them, ranging from three to four per wall. The only wall that wasn’t covered by them and taken by various specialized apparatus and scientists that didn’t seem to notice their arrival was the one opposite to the entrance. Instead, it consisted of a thick glass window currently shielded by metal shutters and doors similar to the ones they just passed, minus the camera. In the middle of the room was a spiral staircase that led below as well as above.

As they entered the room, they were immediately approached by a brown-haired scientist wearing a lab coat. He readjusted his glasses as he shook Tvardovsky’s hand.

“Good to see you, chairman.” The scientist’s glance lingered for a while at Alice before he continued. “I assume they are the guests you have talked about.”

“In the very flesh. Any-”

“Where’s my mom? How is she? Why-”

“I know you must have many questions about this; however, before answering any of them, I’d like for you to see her first.” Alice beamed at his response. Finally, after so many years. That being said, she was worried. Her mom wasn’t anywhere in this room. Maybe somewhere below. From what she read on the little label, the room below them consisted of living quarters and a medical ward, while above was generator number five. She could have been in the quarters. But what if something happened to her and she was hospitalized? When the scientist passed the staircase and went to the metal shutters instead, her confusion only grew. He gestured at her to come hither. Alice grabbed Lilim’s hand, and together they went closer to the window. “I hope you know about what you are about to witness.” The half-angel, by any means, did not feel reassured by his words. Though most important, why did he say what instead of who? Wasn’t that where her mom was supposed to be?

The shutters rolled up, and Alice thought that they had all played a cruel joke on her.

Behind the glass was a room almost as spacious as the one they were in. Though instead of black, it was made of white metal. At the very end of it were sealed-shut doors, probably the only access point. But the room itself wasn’t what shocked her, rather what it contained.

In the very middle of it laid a dragon the size of an 18-wheeler. Parts of its body were probably once covered by pearly white and golden feathers if singular remaining patches were anything to judge it by, now though it was almost entirely protected by dull white and dirty gold scales. Almost as there were some parts, mostly on its side, that had patches of feather cysts. The wings of the dragon were nearly featherless; only a few struggling ones allowed to imagine how grand they once looked. The dragon kept its blue eyes open, staring in their direction, though not exactly looking at them as if it were blind. Beatrice averted her eyes while Alice kept staring at it with wide eyes, not wanting to believe in what was in front of her.

“What is this? Chairman, if you are playing a prank on me then it isn’t funny!” Alice exclaimed, angry tears flowing to her eyes. As cruel as it would be, she wanted to believe that this was it. That the chairman will laugh it off and then actually show her where her mom is. But Tvardovsky did none of that and kept a serious face.

“As much as I would love to say that this is a joke, I cannot do so.”

“You want me to believe that this thing is my mom? Stop fucking playing with me!” Alice barely kept herself from crying. She tried to look at Beatrice for any sort of reassurance, but the blonde angel avoided her stare.

“Alice, no one is playing with you.” Beatrice said with her voice, shaking lightly.

Alice looked back at the dragon that was once Anastasia.