PETBE

The communication center on Aztlan was made with pure iron, Cars from Olympus, and cars of the army were guarding it like dogs. On the inside, I imagined the people with the well-tailored suits doing their tricks, pressing buttons, and with a snap of their fingers they would make every phone and every device work.

The center of Diyu was different. A rusty old building with trembling lights and only two men guarding it with masks shaping an owl. Around their collars there were brown feathers, hiding their heavy skin.

Nezha said now that they could, collect their calls, and keep them in check. And yet they were only two guards.

‘’Because none dares to make a move against Stolas.’’ He explained to me calmly as we and Azizos were hiding behind wooden boxes.

‘’But why?’’ I asked confused now Azizos trying to move his giant figure in the darkness.

Nezha tapped his fingers to the box.’’So, you know how the rest of Akhet's rules’’He sounded almost nervous. ‘’A Great Ruler from the Royal family and their line goes on and on.’’

I nodded. He said a few other words that I could not understand, maybe he wasn’t loud enough but I can imagine he said something like this.

‘’Here we had seven members of the council. Seven powerful men who were strong businessmen. Each territory was on its own and if they had to they would make…’’

A deep breath and Azizos walked further and further.’’The point was there was less violence. Trouble. Minerva’s father was one of them. Mana trades…’’

He stopped talking looking with his dark eyes down at me.’’The point is that everything was in one piece. Then, Stolas, a scientist from Aztlan appeared at their doors. He was not alone as he had two men with owl masks on his side.’’

His tone went deeper like he shouldn’t be talking. My father did that tone when the stories started becoming brutal.

I held his wrist and he flinched. His gaze pinched and he took one more breath as Azzizos whistled.

Moving closer to the darkness, Nezha continued the story.

‘’He demanded the seat for his knowledge. Money for his inventions. Everyone laughed. Everyone except from Mammon.’’

I looked at him with a frown.’’Mammon was in part of it?’’

Nezha rolled his eyes. ‘’He was yes’’ There was a quick smile curling on his lips before vanishing again.’’ When the laughing stopped Stolas walked outside with two men of his still inside the room. Only Mammon got out alive.

My heart slowly sunk after those words, waiting for him to say ‘ HAHA Just joking.’

‘’He tried to fight against him though’’He continued as we kept moving to the halls but now his voice lowered. ‘’Make new ways of trade, try to find his own inventors even but’’

But what?

‘’Then, supplies started to go missing, people started vanishing, the school burnt down, and Mammon understood that he could not play his game. The only man who knows his face is hiding.’’

‘’His face?’’ I asked with a frown

We were a few feet away from Azizos who was now showing an open door for the building. No guards as it was crooked, really not for any person to get inside like the men that were guarding the door. Or Nezha or Azizos.

He looked at me with an evil smile.

‘’None except his people have seen his face and got out alive’’His voice echoed like a ghost.

I moved back and held my laugh but maybe it wasn’t supposed to be a joke.

Azizos chuckled heartily and jerked his head to show me the crooked door.

Nezha crossed his arms and moved to his side.’’Want to be a Ghost? Here’s your ticket. Get in and’’His finger pointed up, showing a window. Then, he gave me a piece of long thick rope.

‘’Find a way for us to get in too.’’

My heart was pumping like crazy. At the end, I just nodded and held my smile.

The crooked door was rough, tight even for me to get in. My hat fell to the floor three times before I finally got inside the darkness and the smell of filth. Heavy, thick smell, even worse than outside. Father always talked about the area of forsaken. Criminals second life. Was Mom a criminal? Was I?

I shook my head. Come on Petbe. It’s just a dark hallway. Which I am breaking through. So other people will break in. And to steal information. Which is for the greater good. I am no criminal.

My head started spinning around as I kept bound against dark objects until I found stairs leading to the light. Cranky old chairs made a loud noise until I got to the last stairs and found the window and a really old cold heater. I wrapped the rope to one side of the heater and I threw the other side down to the window, watching Azizos and Nezha starting to climb on it.

It was just a simple job I thought. To find my mother. My mother who loved me got missing.

And then a voice echoed from the other side of the room. A man with an owl mask barking at me.

‘’What are you doing here boy?’’

Panic showered my body, taking a few steps cowardly back.’’I am sorry I quivered as the man drew a gun at my face.’’ His eyes behind the mask did not seem to exist but he did not stop his pistol aiming on my chest.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

His head moved left and right.’’Cut the rope.’’

I let out my lips parted and he sniffed.’’Now brat.’’

I took a few steps back again and the man, furious as he was, moved on my side and drew a pocket knife from his leather belt. His body is close to the heater. To the rope. A sudden panic grew on my stomach, on my heart, on my spine, making my arm hair rise.

I am just a kid, why are you aiming at me?

‘’No stop’’I screamed, jumping fast on him, pushing him to the ground.

‘’Let go, boy.’’He shouted back, his pistol touching my stomach as I was right above him.

The man panted. And I felt tears dripping to my face.

‘’Cut the rope kid or your boss will have your bullet body on a cask-’’

A hand fell on my eyes as I got pulled away fast. Then, there was a big bang.

‘’I got you.’’Nezha whispered.

Father’s stories gave me nightmares. Most of the time at least. When they were becoming violent. Brutal, roughrider closer to reality. Mom was waiting for me in the kitchen with warm milk and honey inside as there was a tray with sugar cookies and frosting.

Her thumb always caressed my left cheek where frosting was remaining from the cookies.

‘’I got you.’’She laughed.’’Don’t forget that.’’

The rest of the walk I had Nezha’s fingers on my eyes as he and Azizos were talking.

‘’Why do you have him like that?’’

‘’He is not ready for it’’Nezha whispered.

‘’You were the same age as him when…’’

Nezha’s steps stopped moving and looked on Azizos.’’ I grew up like this. He has not.’’

‘’And pampering him will help?’’

‘’I am telling you, he is not ready.’’He sounded determined. What were they talking about?

I decided to change the subject and almost raised my voice.

‘’You said something about a school before?’’ My gaze fell on Nezha. His eyes found light.

I remember my own days when I was at school. Well, the years I could stay at least. The noisy teachers, the uncomfortable blue uniforms, my father’s complaints of how expensive my education was, the snarky comments of classmates, and how boring the lessons were. Every day praying for the Spirits and the Great Ruler…everything was painfully boring.

But Nezha’s face said otherwise for the school. His small honest smile, his eyes flickering. As if he was missing it.

Just like that she said so simply so honestly.’’Nothing good lasts here.’’

Finally, there was the sound of an open door and Nezha let his hand free from my face. And now I could see vivid buttons. Bright buttons, levers beeping sounds with a card saying LUNCH BREAK. Azizos walked in front, took a seat from a wooden chair and took a set of headphones. The board of buttons and ringing right in front of us.

‘’Is this it?’’I asked Nezha. He nodded and moved to the board and other chairs too. I decided to take the headphones near it and Nezha pressed a button with the letter and number B4. At first, there was nothing. And then, there was moaning. Tired and yet multiple moanings as I felt my face turning red. Nezha laughed and pressed another while Azizos found a book that collected every phone number that belonged to each of the houses. And then down below from the board, it was a drawer with rolled tapes and another small drawer for it to record it.

He started with the tapes with the name GARDEN. Azizos started playing it and let out the headphones and the voice started playing

Two buttons lit up.

ARE THEY READY? A voice echoed. Harshed, deranged.

‘’Who is that?’’I asked Nezha. He shrugged.

THEY ARE FILLED. Another voice, harsher, deeper echoed. WENDIGO WILL COME AND TAKE THEM ALL.

Wendigo?

‘’When was this?’’Nezha asked. Azizos took a look at the tape. ‘’Two weeks ago’’

HAS ANYONE NOTICE ANYTHING?

1. NONE WILL FIND OUT BEFORE IT IS TOO…

BANG.

A bullet fell on the tape and a scream came out from my mouth.

Four men with owl masks aimed their guns at us and both Nezha and Azzzos stood up, clenching their bags tight. I stood up too.

‘’Who are you?’’One of them asked.

Nezha took the first step with a smile. ‘’We mean no harm.’’

‘’You killed the one out?’’Another one asked, panicked. Nezha looked at Azizos.

‘’What did you hear? ‘’Another One asked.

Nezha grinned and made the men even more stiff.

‘’Take Pete out’’He reassured Azizos.

‘’Take your belongings out’’The fourth one said.

Nezha clenched his bag one more time and threw it to the ground; so did Azzizos.

My heart started racing when I heard a ticking sound. The men looked down and one of them moved to the bag and lifted it.

Then, when he opened there was a light of an explosion,

Suddenly, I was deaf. Azizos grabbed me by the waist and we started running while Nezha was right behind us with a pistol in his hand. Where did he find it? I couldn't listen to the steps, I could not listen to Azizos and Nezha’s lips. But I could see the previous man's fallen body down to the floor, blood spilled to the wooden cranked floor.

I could not hear the next gunshot. And the other. Azizos set me free as he drew his pistol at the owl men with now blood falling from their hands. One of them found me. And Azizos.

I could not listen to the bullet that found my thigh. Azizos jumped once more as he shot the other man and Nezha the next. And the next.

My mind went in a rush as we fell from the window with my legs dripping with blood and breaking in pain.

Nezha faced me with his hands cupping my face. How beautiful his eyes were on danger. despair? His eyes were darting fast as Azizos slowly moved at us too. Both of them looked at my leg which was now in pain. My head started spinning and I didn’t listen to the next bullet.

The bullet that took Azizos' life, as his body fell on mine. It was oily, sulky flesh, blood from his mouth dripping on my face. His lips muttered a phrase as he panted heavily the cough dry existence. Spectres do not have tales.

His flesh still slipped on mine and then I realized that I didn’t know if I was screaming. If I could scream from all of the pain. Or I couldn’t recognize my voice. I couldn’t listen, I could not feel my own heartbeat.But I still could hear that ringing noise from the center.

Mom always stopped Father to say that part of the story. Now I know why.