Major rested on the table next to her plate. He tried to assure her. “Bear with it. You’ll live, even if only because they mean to use you. That’s what matters to me.”

“Right now, am I really living?” She grumbled back.

Eventually, Sasha finished her plate, but it was only because Al Yara had left his seat and disappeared out of sight. He reentered the room with something in his hand and approached her. A black iron owl’s mask laid in front of her on the table.

“From now on, you’re one of us. You’re no longer a hawk,” he began as Sasha stared at the gift with a twitchy lip. “As long as you don’t try to run away, you can walk around and get a grasp for the sanctum yourself as an owl. You’ll be guarded closely of course, and it won’t be for long either since we’ll be setting out for Convergence soon.”

She looked up at him blankly. Why would he trust her with such freedoms?

Al Yara tilted his head to the side. “I’m not as worried about you as I am about those who are willful like Lloyd. It’s because I know you’ve resigned to your fate. You’ve got nowhere to go, nobody looking or waiting for you, and no fight left in you. You understand your place in the world. You understand that you are nothing. I wish all women were like you.” He brushed his fingers against her cheek.

With disgust, Sasha avoided his condescending look. Major burst at Al Yara with enough intensity to rattle the wine glasses set up across the table. “Don’t touch her!” His voice resembled Ley more than the elk phantom.

Al Yara yanked his hand back to his side, surprised by the machina’s wrath. He did a slight bow. “I apologize, my god. Please forgive me. I got caught in her eyes.”

He strolled away toward his private quarters, looking back one last time. “Later today, the most trusted few of The Circle will be reconvening to discuss pursuing Convergence. We’ll create a map of the other great machina. We’ll plan how we’ll go about stealing them from their current wielders or crevices.” Al Yara looked at Major as he spoke, ignoring Sasha’s existence. “You can sense them, right, God? Like the legends state?”

“I can. I can feel their presences.”

He let a wry grin show before disappearing into his personal quarters. “Then enjoy your stay. Oh, what shall I wish for? Immortality? Wealth? An eight-foot shlong?!” His laughter sent shivers up Sasha’s spine. How could such a filthy man exist?

The two avian knights approached her, stopping at her sides. They towered in height and held spears. She looked between them. “Your names?”

“Alphonse,” one responded.

“Wilhelm. Pleasure to meet you,” the other uttered, bowing.

Alphonse smacked him on the back of the helmet. He replied with a short, “Sorry.”

With hesitation, Sasha donned the mask of the owl and left. She walked the labyrinthian halls of Rath Ghul’s sanctum in dread but also a hint of wonder, checking out whatever rooms and chambers weren’t locked. When she wore that mask, she became invisible to the owls she hated and feared. They went from glaring and spitting at her to not even noticing.

The place may as well have been an underground city equipped with everything needed to run one. Bathrooms, bedrooms, and bathhouses dominated the second floor along with a giant kitchen, mess hall, and training chamber.

The logistics of how it all worked without smoking up confused Sasha until she saw small tunneling vents leading upwards to what seemed to be the surface. Kids aged from eight to twelve bumbled around working their asses off. Adult supervisors micromanaged them aggressively, dishing out insults and beatings to the children who fell behind.

Wilhelm noticed Sasha’s apprehension toward the bleak child labor force and pitched in. “They’re our owlets. Orphans taken in by Rath Ghul. While training to someday become owls, they earn their keep and repay the guild’s kindness.”

Alphonse raised his hand to smack Wilhelm again, but this time the attack got anticipated and swatted away. Willhelm told him off. “Bug off, Al. She’s one of us now. You heard the Master Owl.”

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Alphonse shook his head. “No matter what, a hawk will always be a hawk. I won’t forgive so easy.”

Her brow scrunching up in frustration, Sasha shoved Alphonse in the chest, sending him backwards into a wall. “Fuck you. I don’t want your forgiveness, and I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.”

“The feeling’s mutual then. Hmm. Looks like the Master Owl was wrong about you. You do have some fight in you.”

Wilhelm rested his hand on his partner’s shoulder to ease him as he assured Sasha. “Don’t worry about people like Al here! This is your home now.”

Both Sasha and Al glared at him and bounced back at the same time. “Like hell it is!”

They went onwards until meeting a dead end. Sasha stared at the stone wall holding a torch in slight disbelief. “So, this place doesn’t go on forever?”

Al sighed. “Obviously, dumbass.” Then he turned to face someone not too far behind them. “Can I help you, high owl?” He asked the figure.

Sasha faced The Doctor. He stood there with no weapon or reason, watching her through the unblinking raven’s mask. Her stomach dropped. The avian knights stepped forward to protect her from him.

“Has he been following me?” She questioned, looking all around.

Major worsened her worries. “Perhaps Al Yara didn’t entertain the thought that there’d be those who rejected his judgement. I doubt that though.”

He beckoned Sasha from within. Hold me close and trust me. Put faith in your ancestors.

“What does that mean?”

We’re about to be attacked. It’s time for you to taste your power.

There behind the avian knights, Sasha brought out Major and watched the dagger come to life with blue spectral light. The hilt twisted and contorted, reminding her of horns. Whatever energy emanated from the blade crept onto her body and coated it in bluish electric glow. It sent surges through her blood and muscles while flowing her hair like the wind’s breeze. Her green eyes reflected the Elk god’s ethereal realm. What was this feeling? This power?

Somehow, she knew. “Ghost in the Shell. I embody the spirts of everyone who fell before me.”

Major squinted. “That’s right. You’ve inherited the understanding. It speaks much on our compatibility.”

A flood of somber, grey images crashed through Sasha’s mind. There were countless: Battlefields, casualties, clashing swords, clouds of smoke, promises, and hours upon hours training. This entire, dragging life lived in an instance ended in a noose hung from a balcony. With a splitting headache, she recoiled back. “I— AUGH, who is this? That’s… NO?!”

What horrible sadness…

Tranquility washed over Sasha. With it came great clarity. “Leo the Great, this dagger’s first wielder, is with me.”

The Doctor snapped his fingers and disappeared into a nearby room. Three owls popped out from the closest doorways, steel crossbows in hand, and fired at Sasha’s group. Her body jolted itself to the left so quick that it jumbled her brain. A crossbow bolt bounced and snapped off the wall where she moved from. A perfect dodge.

Next, her eyes locked onto a round object incoming through the air. She caught and returned it to its sender. The bomb exploded on impact, sending toxic purple fumes to spew among the attackers. They coughed and wheezed, hidden by the fogging gas.

A second bolt smacked Al straight in the chest and buckled his knees. He held himself up with his spear. The bolt punched through his chest plate and lodged superficially in his sternum. He groaned. “Me, risking my life for her?!”

The third and final bolt missed completely, leaving Wilhelm untouched. He braced for combat in a wide stance with his spear, dividing his attention between protecting Sasha and his downed avian partner. “Damned spineless rebels!” He called.

Two owls still coughing burst out toward Sasha from the fog. She fell back into her own combat stance but felt a wave of panic after realizing how stubby a weapon Major was. She was used to longswords. Then the small dagger expanded in her hand. A greater blade of light sprouted until finishing its metamorphosis into a luminescent claymore shining in the low-lit halls.

This was Leo the Great’s weapon.

Sasha dashed forward to fight the owls head on as Wilhelm charged in with the spear. She cut down her foe in a moment, chopping his dominant hand off and beheading him with grace. Before she could reach the next tall brute of an owl, Wilhelm impaled and drove him into the wall.

Readied for a further fight, they fell back and waited. Nobody else came though. As the fog faded, another battle was revealed right under their noses. She heard whimpering and begging. An owl limped toward them wheezing. His ally followed him only to stab him in the back with un unhinged growl. The traitor of traitors sliced him seven more excruciating times. Blood spattered everywhere. It was ruthless overkill.

Sasha and Wilhelm raised their weapons, bewildered, until he lifted his mask. “Never expect Jericho? Where did the damn doctor go?”

Sasha’s mouth dropped as she felt Leo’s presence fade along with her spectral energy. Major's blade of light dematerialized to leave a plain dagger. “I’ve got no idea what’s going on.”

“Your machina sure looked great.”

“Did I just do all that?” Perplexed, she ogled the dagger. “Really?”

Major responded within her head. Such is the power of Ghost in the Shell. You are the convergence point of an era’s accumulated experience.

Wilhelm helped Al up and called out Jericho. “You saw this whole thing and only stepped in now?”

“That’s right, exactly as planned.” He dead stared at Sasha. “You were used to draw out rats. You think we’d leave you unleashed?”

She was dumbstruck. “Bait? Me? Bait?”

Major spoke out. “Just as I expected. My presence has split this guild into two. Shall I bow?”

Jericho shook his head. “Do it and I’ll shatter you.”