Emil

Classes for the day finally came to an end. Like clockwork, Emil immediately snuck out of campus once night descended. As he reached the Second Sector, he climbed towards the top of the multistoried buildings like normal, using the narrow corridors of an alleyway as footholds to ascend.

With some difficulty, he reached the rooftops, wincing as his body protested with painful backlash. It was his punishment for attempting his usual routine while his injuries hadn’t fully healed.

Petra is going to chew me out for this.

Objectively speaking, he probably shouldn’t have been moving. But Emil felt restless. The inside of his campus dorm felt cramped, especially after he had been confined to a bed under Petra’s watchful eyes over the weekend. Unable to take action, his head spiraled with anxious thoughts. The experience was immensely torturous.

The contents of Petra’s intel also gnawed at the back of his mind. The Hidden Laboratories. A codename for a set of secret labs built by the Council of Mana littered throughout the vast Third Sector. Their purpose wasn’t officially known, but it wasn’t difficult to guess given the context. Likely, they were the sites of amoral experiments that produced the grotesque survivor under the witch's custody. The temple in the sacred grove that he and Anna destroyed was apparently one of seven in existence. It was labeled the “Fifth” in Petra’s intel.

Emil let out a gulp of air, watching the condensation of his breath under the frosty night as he contemplated his next moves. What he needed now was to find evidence of human experimentation amongst the remaining six labs.

He closed his eyes, visualizing the map of Azure City and the six marked spots in Petra’s intel. He was currently in the northern side of the Second Sector. Somewhere west of his current spot was the location of another Hidden Laboratory.

With his path clear, he sprung into action. As he neared the edge of the building top, he jumped. Mana flickered at the soles of his feet for a fraction of a second, granting him a slight boost in strength. The breeze of cold air caressed his body before he silently landed onto an adjacent building. Bit by bit, Emil inched towards his destination.

***

He eventually reached the outer edge of the Second Sector. He stopped, taking a moment to gather his bearings and steady his breaths. His hands traced the edges of his limbs and torso. Damp.

Ugh, I’ll have to replace the bandages when I get back to the dorm.

He walked towards the ledge of the building rooftop. As usual, only the moon offered its ominous radiance in this part of the city. Emil peered down as his noise caught a faint whiff of mud and rot permeating the area.

The Hidden Laboratory closest here was labelled the “Second.” The geography of the northwestern region of the Third Sector was apparently mired in wetlands and swamps. The stench lingering in the vicinity seemed to align with this fact.

To his shock, the entrance to the Third Sector appeared occupied. Sporadic wisps of torchlight flickered in the darkness past the last line of buildings. Emil squinted. The moonlight was too dim, however, to get a clear view of what was going on.

I need to get closer.

He descended from his perch, climbing down at a moderate pace to mask the sound of his movements and not to aggravate his wounds. He landed in the alleyway between the last lines of buildings in the Second Sector.

Immediately, his ears picked up footsteps rustling behind him.

Shit!

Emil spun around. The alleyway was narrow, barely wide enough for four men to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.

There was nowhere to hide. The footsteps got louder. In a panic, he tucked into one of the small corners along the walls of the buildings.

How the hell did I miss them?!

Luckily for him, the footsteps loomed closer with no sense of urgency. Emil clung against the corner, trying to make himself as small as possible. His night disguise blended well into the darkness. The dim moonlight was blocked by the flaps of the rooftop. As long as the interlopers looked straight and didn’t turn their heads, he should remain unseen.

The sounds of conversation reached his ears.

“Any ideas why they suddenly moved our patrols here?”

“No damn clue. The higher-ups made the call. I’m just following orders.”

“Apparently, there was an incident in the western quarter of the Third Sector a few days ago. Maybe it’s related to that?”

Three male voices. Emil winced as the darkness beside him suddenly lit up from torchlight. The footsteps were just around the corner.

"Maybe. It's pretty damn sudden though. Whatever happened must got the higher-ups spooked."

“If I knew we were going to be ordered around like dogs, I would have signed my life away to a noble house instead!”

“Eric, we all know that none of the nobles were interested in you. You were damn near the bottom of your class. Just be glad that the Sentinels took pity on someone of your caliber.”

Two rambunctious laughter and an exasperated complaint followed. Emil’s heart was about to explode as he saw the glowing outlines of three men. The sound pounding in his head was so loud that he could have sworn that his heartbeat was audible.

Fortunately, they passed by him without noticing, too engaged in their merry banter.

Emil saw their backs slowly fade as the Sentinels moved further down the alleyway. Suddenly, their torches stopped.

“Eric?”

“Ahhh, one second. I think I drank too much earlier. Let me take care of business first.”

“You want some light?”

“No thank you! And don’t any of you dare look back!”

“Whatever man, I bet it’s small like anyways!”

Grotesque laughter echoed from up the alleyway. A set of footsteps quickly shuffled towards Emil.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

In his periphery, the faint silhouette of the person named Eric quickly approached, oblivious that there was someone who had been listening in on their conversation. Please pick the other side at least, Emil begged.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Unfortunately, his pleads remained unheard. He watched as Eric’s torso turned towards his corner.

Their eyes met.

Horror flashed across Eric’s face. Emil lunged. He mercilessly shoved his hand into the man’s mouth to silence any attempts to warn the others. The poor man had no chance—his hands were stuck on his trousers, mid-way through removing his belt.

Emil immediately delivered a knee into his guts. Eric reeled over, gagging as he struggled to make a noise. Emil followed up with a vicious chop on the back of his head.

Eric’s body went limp. The man fell forward. Emil was ready to catch his body, but the man was heavier than he looked. The weight of his unconscious body caught Emil off guard as his limp legs grazed a pile of trash close by.

The sound of the pile collapsing resounded across the quiet alleyway.

“Eric?” His two companions called out.

Emil’s blood went cold. His mind blanked, unsure what to do.

“Eric? You alright?”

The torchlight began to move. The rest of Eric's companions were coming. Emil did the only thing he could think of.

“Y-Yeah!” he said after he pressed down on the bottom of his throat, trying to mimic Eric’s intonation from the little bits of conversation that he overheard.

“Something wrong?”

“Just, uhhhh, wet myself. I might have to get a new pair of trousers,” Emil replied. He grimaced, fearing that he was prattling too much.

“You sure you don’t want some light?” The torches continued to loom closer. Emil was dangerously close to the light.

“No! I got my cock out, dammit!” he cursed, unable to hide his panic and desperation. The lights suddenly stopped.

The silence was agonizing. Each second felt like an eternity. Emil’s heart pounded with uncertainty. Did they realize something is wrong? He debated whether or not he should say something—anything to kill the suffocating silence.

Finally, he caught a faint snicker. Then a pair of boisterous laughter erupted from beyond the alleyway.

“Alright, alright! My bad, Eric! I’m sorry for not knowing just how badly you want to hide that secret weapon of yours!”

“Gahahahaha!”

Their vulgar guffawing continued. Emil took the chance to gently lean Eric’s unconscious body against the wall. Under the cover of the boisterous laughter, he ran away from the alleyway.

***

He finally stopped once his lungs burned.

Emil tucked himself into the shadows of a narrow passageway in the western quarter. He was about ten minutes away from the entrance of the woods that led to the sacred temple.

Those were Sentinels. He realized as he tried to calm his ragged breathing. From what he could deduce from their conversation, the Council of Mana had ordered the Sentinels to relocate by the sites of the Hidden Laboratories.

Based on that assumption, this area should be relatively safe.

The Fifth Laboratory no longer existed thanks to him and Anna’s efforts, and as such, there should have been no reason to station Sentinels in this area.

Emil leaned against the wall. The frigid surface bit into his back, offering much needed relief for his throbbing injuries.

What do I do now?

He didn’t expect the Council of Mana to react this fast in response to the destruction of the temple. Investigating the remaining Hidden Laboratories suddenly became impossible with the Sentinel’s increased presence.

Emil immediately thought of two alternatives. One, he could try to get invited as a research associate into one of the projects managed by the Hidden Laboratories. Two, he could cause some sort of incident that would demand the Sentinel’s attention and weaken their presence around the sites.

Neither of the two options were particularly attractive. The first had too much uncertainties. He would need to somehow identify professors and staff members that were affiliated with the Hidden Laboratories and then build up his reputation as a trusted and competent researcher. The time investment was enormous.

The second option posed too much risks and required more personnel. There was Petra, but Emil was reluctant to get her involved in something this dangerous. Her participation indirectly implicated Anna and Raz, and Emil did not want them to be suspects in case things went awry.

He clicked his tongue in frustration. The witch really gave me a nasty mission this time.

He was brooding other possibilities when his ears picked on a series of footsteps grating against the coarse road. Am I being followed? He clung onto the wall, making himself as thin as possible. There was only a single set of steps this time. Gradually, they came closer—the gait slow and wary. Suddenly, a figure turned into his alleyway.

Emil was about to attack—until he caught a glimpse of the figure’s hair peeking out of their hood. Scarlet red. Their outfit and petite stature were strikingly familiar.

“Anna? He asked, perplexed.

The question earned him a startled shriek and a blast of lightning.

***

Emil rubbed the elbow of his right arm. His hand was still shaking—a symptom of the electric shock that connected with his limbs. The culprit was seated across from him on the ground, wearing a difficult expression.

“…You can’t blame me for that.”

“What? Nearly blasting my arms off?” he retorted, wincing from the pain.

“You came out of nowhere and scared me! Of course I was going to attack!” Anna protested, “And this isn’t the first time you ambushed me either! I still remember what you did the first night when we—”

Emil held up his working left hand. “Stop. You don’t know who might be listening,” he warned.

Anna promptly closed her mouth and looked away. It seemed the awkwardness from their spat at lunch still lingered. “What are you doing here anyways?” he eventually asked, tired of the suffocating silence.

“…That should be my question. You, of all people, should be in bed nursing your injuries.”

“I’m taking a midnight scroll.”

“Oh? What a coincidence. I happen to be doing the same.”

Emil stared at Anna’s belligerent face in disbelief. The girl had her arms folded—visibly irate with this absurd situation. Neither of them thought they would run into each other tonight.

“Anna, I’m serious. What the fuck are you doing here?”

“And who do you think you are, speaking to me like that?”

Emil saw red, feeling an inexplicable rage climb his throat. “We did everything you wanted! We destroyed that despicable place, got out alive without any major consequences, and even avenged Ellen’s death! What more could you possibly want to be roaming near the Third Sector?!”

“…It’s none of your damn business. Someone who's injured and still roaming about has no right to lecture me!” Anna fired back, noticeably less energetic than before. Still, the fiery glint in her eyes suggested that she wasn’t about to relent anytime soon.

Emil groaned. The girl before him was incessantly stubborn. She probably won’t give in unless he revealed his reasons first. Petra’s words echoed in his head.

“Stay away from that Anna girl…she has no sense of self-preservation.”

He hated to admit it but she was right. From the perspective of his undercover mission, his relationship with Anna was quickly becoming a liability and a detriment. She was too reckless and she knew too much. Once Emil revealed his unique nature of having two Gifts, he should have severed their ties and silenced her. It was the proper procedure to ensure that his cover would remain safe.

This is why I hate going undercover.

He hated hiding behind masks and facades. He hated the lies, the smokes and mirrors, and the fragile trust that he seized from those around him. He hated forming these relationships built on false pretenses—only to heartlessly discard them later once his objectives were complete.

Steiger’s shackles demanded cold rationality—the mission must be prioritized above all else. Completing his assignments gave him value. It turned him from an orphaned miscreant into someone who was useful. And being useful allowed him to keep Mia and Raz off the streets.

But nonetheless, Emil couldn’t help but rebel against these heartless rules that allowed him to live. Even if it placed his mission at stake.

“…I’m looking for something in Azure City,” he finally said after brooding over his options. He was already overstepping his bounds. Anna didn’t need to know more than she already did. Still, he kept his words vague to give her plausible deniability. “It’s something important to me, enough that I’m willing to risk my life to find it.”

“What are you looking for?” Anna asked.

He shook his head. “It’s a secret. All you need to know is that this is the reason for my enrolment at the Academy,” he declared. None of what he said was technically false. Just a bunch of half-truths. “Now you know why I’m sneaking out at night despite my injuries. So, what’s your reason, Anna?”

She shrank. The edge of her teeth sank into her lips. Her posture grew stiff—the folds of her sleeves creased as her hands’ grip tightened. It was obvious she felt cornered.

Emil decided to bail her out. “You’re the daughter of a successful merchant family. The Seibert Company is famed in Ardair. And yet, here you are, attending Exalted Academy. You must have a compelling reason for being here.”

“…I do,” she replied.

“Does it involve sneaking out of the campus at night? Does it involve taking revenge for a classmate who you barely knew?” Emil asked. His voice suddenly grew loud. His heart raged. The incessant thumps pounded wildly in his ears. A strange despair welled up to his throat. “Does it require you to endanger your life and reputation?”

“...No. No, it doesn't, but what do you—”

“Then abandon it.”

Azure City wasn’t a safe place. It was ripe with corruption and malicious agents. The Sentinels were in cahoots with the reigning authorities. Anna knew this—they witnessed it together firsthand. And yet, despite being aware of these risks, she continued to thread dangerous waters.

Emil couldn’t bear to see someone throw their life away. Not when they had a choice to walk away.

“Don’t get distracted with things that don’t matter, Anna. Focus on what you’re trying to achieve here,” he hissed, his voice trembling with emotion.

…Or else die with regrets.