PETBE

Three years passed and the old ARS GOETIA was the new FOURTH CIRCLE. None even remembered Stolas’ name as they all drank for Mammon’s grace.

The job he gave me was decent as I wanted. Even a few gazes could pierce me through my skin. I learned a few tricks with a knife or two. Sometimes I could find Mara telling fortunes to customers, others serving with me, or even dancing. She was a majestic dancer but every time I saw her moving with the vibrant colors of hers, my mind turned to the night she fought like a wild beast. My mind was turning to the nights she was standing against the door and waking up with screams. My mind turns to the moment she has to hurt someone for Mammon.

‘’Hey’’She placed the arm around my shoulders.

I turned to her with a red face and saw her colorful helm. Years passed and she still found a way to make something hers.

‘’It’s just two more tables’’I pouted and tried to avoid her.

I could smell her apricot scent coming from her braided hair as she looked at me with puppy doll eyes.

‘’It’s my shift’’ I pulled away and my hand found hers, clinging tight. I could see her round ears turning red. She opened her fingers and shoved them even deeper.

‘’Two more tables.’’

Maybe it was a love story at the end.

‘’Excuse me,’’ A voice echoed from behind. There was a greasy woman with a dark cloak covering her face.

Mara was the first one to stay back.

‘’I am looking for Miss Mara?’’ She said,

I stepped in front. ‘’Who is..’’

The woman revealed herself. Her hair was well shaved like a baby with bright amber eyes making a difference against her dark skin. Her slim fingers moved back, exposing something she was hiding in her cloak. A white clay mask.

Mara kept flinching.

‘’My name is not important’’The woman said with a noble accent and words that I nearly forgot existed.

‘’Inka…’’ I said slowly and watched Mara trying to restrain her breathing. My hand found hers once more and longer it tight.

‘’I am here only to talk,’’ She said.

The woman was honest as she said. And kind as she loved the way I made tea, even though it was just left with mold.

Alone in one of the rooms, Mara and the woman were talking in secret as she let me stand next to her.

‘’This is a private matter’’The woman moved closer to her chair.

‘’I have nothing to hide from her.’’She said to the woman.

‘’Nothing?’’

Mara’s posture stiffened. And she looked at me once more. I took a step back, thinking she would tell me to go but instead, she held my hand tight. ‘’What does someone like you want on Diyu?’’ Mara asked.

The woman frowned deeply. ‘’I see that you have settled…’’She said, looking around. ‘’Whispers say that you are the priest’s right hand.’’

‘’Might’’Mara leaned herself against the chair.

‘’And another one says that you run him…’’

‘’ What do you want firebird?’’

The woman’s shoulders relaxed and let out a harsh laugh. ‘’You are good, really good.’’

Mara narrowed.

‘’Alright, I have a job for you.’’

‘’I am not helping Babel’’She said.

Babel?

The amber woman looked at me and went back to Mara. ‘’Babel is broken into two parts.’’She said, making her index fingers close to one another and then separating them from one another

‘’The one that wants peace for all of us and the one…’’She made a long pause.

‘’He is in the first one’’

That drew mine and Mara’s attention. He?

Mara moved her body closer to the woman’s. ‘’He is…’’She looked down with disbelief.

‘’He tried to find you once.’’ The woman scoffed.''Seems that he failed, or...''Mara stood tall and tried to speak. But no words came out.

‘’Wiel.’’She said. ‘’Wiel arrlek here?’’ Her words broke.

The woman took a sip from her tea and smiled again.

‘’If he is on the first one,’’ She took a long pause. ‘’In which one are you?’’

She looked at her dark fingers and her amber eyes almost closed. ‘’At first, I was at the leader’s side. But let’s say, my plans found another light.’’

Mara seemed even more unsure of that conversation.

‘’There is an…an artifact that must get destroyed.’’

Mara arched her brow cockingly.

‘’Or at least disappear’’The woman groaned. ‘’Look, in a few days a girl with lilac eyes will come.’’

Mara halted her. ‘’Why can’t you bring it to me now?’’ She asked curiously. ‘’Or you know destroy it yourself or…’’

She paused and then I saw her looking at me.

I nodded as I got out of the room slowly. I noticed a few of the new workers staring at my white hair as they also tried to eavesdrop on the woman’s and Mara's conversation.

I glared back at them and ran off fast.

‘’You are dying.’’ Mara finally spoke.

‘’Well, it seems that the myth of Phoenix holders seeing that their end is coming is true'' The woman sort of laughed.

I gasped as I remembered a few of my father's stories. A flying bird holding the sun, bringing chaos.

‘’And you cannot prevent it.’’ Mara sighed.

The woman laughed bitterly and returned to the subject. ‘’The girl with the lilac eyes is going to come here no matter what with the artifact.’’

‘’Why aren’t you telling her to destroy it then?’’

I started looking down at the keyhole and saw the woman looking above. ‘’Well, if I said it to her she would probably end up here anyway.’’

‘’Why?’’

‘’I need her to come here so she can find someone. Someone to take her….’’

‘’I see’’Mara said tiredly.''You want her to disappear.''

''I want the world to think that she disappeared.'' The woman corrected her strictly. Mara scoffed.

‘’I have money’’The woman said. ‘’Money that can take you out of here.’’

‘’Is this what you think I want?’’

The woman shrugged ‘’What do you want then, Hecca Hybrid?’’

None of them talked. But those words, that name...Hybrid...what was the woman talking about? Seconds and minutes passed before Mara finally gave up.

‘’How much are you willing to give?’’She asked

‘’Two million’’

‘’Make it four.’’

I held my breath. Four million for an artifact to disappear?

''Diyu makes people greedy''The woman laughed.

Mara didn't reply.

‘’Done’’The woman said.

One more silence.

‘’What is the artifact?’’

‘’Do you really need to know?’’

One silence.

This time the woman gave up but before she even spoke, Mara interrupted her.

‘’No, Babel is not my place to care.’’

‘’But what about him?’’ She asked.''Do you want me to tell him?''

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‘’He made a choice, I will make mine.’’ Mara explained.

‘’So we have a deal?’’

I heard a soft handshake before the chattering started again.

'’You are not like them’’Hestia reminded Mara before stepping outside the door. To me.

‘’You know that correct?’’

‘’What is your point?’’ Mara asked her with a hiss.

‘’You have run before haven’t you?’’

‘’It is different now.’’

‘’And how much different is it?’’

Mara cut her breath.

‘’How many people have walked away? How many people have abandoned you?’’ I could hear the chair being pulled away. She had stood up.

‘’Mara,’’ Hestia took a deep breath. ‘’How many people got hurt, because of you?’’

And then I saw. I saw her eyes, focusing on the keyhole, focusing on me. In my eyes. With hearts darting in confusion.

‘’How many more people you love will die because of you?’’

I could see the pain in her eyes, the shaking of her covered mouth. I could see everything.

‘’What else do you want from me?’’ Mara gave up.

‘’Take the money and leave this place.’’

I gasped and saw Mara facing back. ‘’You are not serious.’’

‘’I gave you what you need to get free and buy a house far from the world.’’

‘’Why?’’

A long pause.

‘’It is better that way,’’

The woman didn’t even walk out from the door or the window. But one thing was for sure. She was gone. And Mara had four million Eke’el in her hands.

She faced me and took her helm out.

‘’I can…’’

I halted her and looked down.

‘’What is..’’I panicked. ‘’What is Babel? Who was that woman?’’I could feel tears falling down my cheeks.''Someone is after you isn't it? A man? Who was...''

My hands started shaking and she caught them fast.

‘’What matters is that all they can fall down, "she said, making my fingers touch her helm, letting out to reveal her scar. ‘’In a few days, we will be free.’’She held her tears as she smiled at me.

Free? The word almost felt like a lie. And then she kissed me on the cheek, resting her head on my shoulder.

''We can be free.''She sighed.

I blinked, finding how tired she was from the conversation. No. How scared she was.

The day came and I could see how bitter she was with me.

‘’He drugs her’’I said with disbelief.

Mara clenched her arms and tried to walk away from me.

‘’Oh, FUCK NO’’ I screamed at her and grabbed her hand.

‘’I have a plan,’’ She said.

‘’Of course you do,’’I rolled my eyes. ‘’A plan that you never tell me.’’

‘’It is better that way’’

‘’Why?’’I cried. ‘’Because you will make me run away with the fourth million?’’

She stopped walking and turned back to me.

‘’You did the same to Ao Bing, to Dolia, Arsu Nezh..’’

‘’I did it for their own good.’’

‘’And they all died.’’ Tears fell to my face.

Mara looked at me bitterly.

‘’I don’t want you to be all here if I die too.’’ I never blamed her for their deaths. It was not Mara’s fault.‘’You will get out.’’She said.

‘’I don’t know if this is a way for you to punish yourself. ‘’I grabbed her hands. ‘’But you will get out with me. I will get out with you.’’

‘’Pet, I…’’She tried to look away. And my lips ended up on her cheek, stroking it softly. I could feel her heat rising. I could feel her heart existing. She was still with me, she was still there.

''That is my vow, my promise''I said, remembering Father's prayers.

‘’I hate you’’She grunted.

‘’I know.’’I blushed back. ‘’So will you tell me your plan?’’

I had already packed whatever I needed for me and Mara to walk away. I could think of those people who came earlier. The one with the white mask, same as the woman’s. The other one, the kind one with the cane was terrifying and yet considerate of everyone all around them. It almost reminded me of Nezha. The way they smiled, the way they talked to the white masked one. And yet, he was a priest. A priest like Mammon. What if he was just like him?

I wondered how they would treat Mara. Maybe the priest would treat her like Mammon did. Maybe the other two wouldn't even dare to speak against him. Maybe Mara wouldn't be free like she was wishing in the end.

They can all fall.

The door knocked and opened with Mammon facing me with a kind smile.

I managed to fix my posture and smiled back. ‘’What’s the matter?’’

I woke up to the smell of thick smoke and the ringing sound of broken glass shattered near me. I could see colors of fire growing outside and almost near me. Where was I? Why couldn't I move my hands? Why I couldn’t stand up.

It seems that you can repay my kindness. Mammon whispered before covering my mouth with a cloak.

The door from his old office opened, entering a short figure with dark long hair and a tall man grabbed her by the braid.

Mara faced me and held her panic.

‘’Did you really think that I did not know?’’Mammon said.

I finally realized that the ropes were tight enough to hold me to the floor. I could speak if only there wasn’t a cloak around my mouth, tight enough to make me breathe less.

Mammon laughed and pushed Mara closer to the room. ‘’That you were planning my end?’’

She turned to him and narrowed deeply.

He moved to her, he conquered her entirely like a beast before taking the collar away from her neck, letting her gasp one more breath of air.

She stood still as he walked away. She stood still as he got on his knees on my side.

He cupped my chin and lifted my head up.

‘’She is a pretty thing.’’Mamon grinned.

‘’Let her go’’She shouted with a rough command of her tone.

‘’Do you remember our deal?’’ he asked her as his fingers kept caressing my neck.

Mara moved back and nodded.

Mammon’s attention fell on me. ‘’She was stealing from me, you see. When I found her.’’He showed me his silver coat. ‘’She was wearing this with blood stained all over her.’’

I did not speak. I couldn’t.

‘’When I saw the beast she was, I could not let her go free. And yet I could still save her.’’

The collar locked around my neck.

‘’Let her’’Mara screamed.

‘’Whatever you were before doesn’t matter. Because you will be nothing more than an asset’’He walked away from me and grabbed Mara by her cheek. Her eyes darted as he pressed his nails deeper.

‘’Do you remember the little lessons? The way you screamed, you cried for me to stop them?’’

Mara did not move.

‘’Do you remember what I said to you when I saw that hideous scar of yours?’’

One long pause.

‘’If you can’t have the beauty I want, use your hands differently. If you can’t use your hands then use your legs, your teeth, your corpse.’’He hissed with hatred with disgust.

‘’Whatever you were before doesn’t matter. You are now my child and you will work for me till I say otherwise.’’

Her hands were shaking, her voice was panting. I tried to scream.

‘’You’’I muffled with rage.’’Are a monster-’’

Mammon laughed like barking.’’Me? A monster’’He turned on Mara.’’When she was nine, she found a dead rat, and she pretended to be her friend, carrying it all around.’’ Mammon started mumbling. ‘’When I sent her to school, she made sure everyone was gone.’’

‘’No’’Mara turned on me.’’It was not, it was not my fault,’’

‘’You were caring for them, protecting them…’’He looked up to the ceiling.’’If you did not care so much, maybe all of them would be alive.’’

‘’Stop’’Mara pleaded.

Mammon arched his brow and let her face down.

‘’Maybe I was too soft on you in the end’’He said, his golden hair sticking on his sweaty forehead. His hand found a remote from his pocket. ‘’Maybe hurting you was not enough’’He looked back at me. ‘’Maybe it was good to keep her here. She grew to you, didn’t she?’’

I kept struggling, trying to escape.

Mammon pressed the button. And I could feel myself dying. I could scream with electricity as it fell off thousands of bullets on my skin with the center growing to my nape. It was cold. It was really cold and I kept screaming till I couldn’t recognize my own voice.

‘’Stop’’Mara tried to jump to me Mammon stopped her by a reply of a slap, taking her close to the fireplace.

‘’Shall I keep her like that?’’Mammon started playing dumb. ‘’Locked in a room till you realize what you are?’’There was a growl. The one that was once a priest, his face was tense, shifting like a hideous creature like the ones from the stories.’’Everyone is going to perish because you exist. Did you really think she would be different?’’There was a slight pleasurable sound coming from him.

‘’Just stop,’’Mara repeated. ‘’I will stay here just leave her.’’

‘’That is not enough’’Mammon now calmed. ‘’You turned everyone against me, you made this Royal to run away. Do you think they will help you get out?’’He narrowed. ‘’After everything you are? You have done?’’

One more his gaze at me and he moved his finger far from the remote.’’Do you think that she won’t get tired of you when she realizes what you truly are?’’

Her eyes looked at me. She looked at me with a darting gaze. And Mammon saw it.

‘’Oh’’A long pause. ‘’You haven’t told her yet’’He laughed. And then Mammon grabbed her pin, fading it away, revealing herself. I once thought I was dreaming. Her circle ears became sharp like glass as her eyes had stained blood inside her whites.

I kept staring at her once again deformed face, her new her old face looked like.

She might be a villain of the stories.

She was one of the monsters of the stories.

I didn’t know what face I made but whatever it was it made Mara crack. And Mammon smiled with triumph.

‘’This time will be different’’Mammon mimicked her voice. ‘’Is this what you think will happen?’’

The blonde beast moved away and returned to me and with a sharp knife, he found the ropes to release me, cutting them, and then he took out my collar. Still from the fear I stood up, tightening my hand to a fist, feeling the glass pinching my skin.

''You can go now'' He whispered in my ear, with the smoke conquering my lungs.

My eyes fell on Mara's different face. I was talking with her, I was hugging her, I was telling every secret to her. I loved Mara. And that girl wasn't her.

I started running away, feeling blood dripping from my hand.

You really thought she would stay? Mammon laughed asking her those words and I stopped running. I could see the window, I could feel the sun, I could smell the cold wind, I could taste my freedom. And yet, that girl wasn't with me.

THIS IS FOR..

The sound of a drawing pistol rang in my ears.

Mara shouted.''Petbe watch out''

I looked back and saw Mammon aiming his pistol at me. Bang. Mara lifted his hand up, moving the bullet to shoot the ceiling. Her hand was still clenching his arm while her other was deep into his throat. And then I saw it. How he was gasping, how his eyes were darting while ice, cold unkind ice was growing on him. And how Mara was grinning every minute of her torturing him. Of how easily her eyes were burning by taking a life.Slowly and slowly until there was nothing less than his voice.

But he was laughing.

‘’Oh, finally’’He shouted with joy.’’There you are…there it is, what I was waiting for.’’

Mara’s face became less tense as she backed all so slightly away but she was still holding his life in her own hand.

‘’Ma-’’I tried to speak.

‘’You are wrong’’She gasped.’’I am not, I am not I am not I am not’’She muttered.’’You failed you.’’

‘’My sweet daughter, you grown’’He mumbled.’’Do you really want me dead?’’

Mara’s teeth gritted.’’You-’’Her voice broke.’’ You-’’Her hand became rougher against his skin.

‘’I do not hate you’’He whispered with the flames growing.

‘’Shut up’’Mara barked and pushed her strength deeper to him.

''It won't be different. You can't run away.''And then, he fell down on the floor, breaking to pieces.

The girl let out a shaking breath and with her bloody eyes stared at me back. I was expecting her to scream, to cry, to say anything with regret. But the girl was smiling. Her smile looked so much like Mara's. But my hand showed the glass, to aim at her, shakily. The fire grew. Her eyes broke and her breath started trembling.

''Who are you?''I asked, feeling tears falling on my face.

''Pet, I can...''She said my name as if she knew me years ago.''I can explain everything.''

''Then do it.'' The ceiling of the previous room collapsed and thick smoke-filled my nose and lungs. Her red eyes fell to the ground with her curled hideous scar resting on her face.

‘’Say the truth just this once, please, tell me you are not-’’

The girl did not speak. She would not speak. She had a sad pathetic excuse of a frown with tears falling from her face. Like she was giving up.

''Ha,'' I grinned with my twitched brow.''I can't...I can't do this anymore.''

I never blamed her. I never did. But after everything. She was a brutal force. She was rage incarnated. I would die if I was nowhere near her.

I let the glass down, stained in red, and instead of walking out from the window, I took the staircase. And she did not stop me.

I had no money in my pocket but I was walking out from the smoke. I had nothing. I had the girl that I...Her scent was still on my nose. Fresh apricots. But her bloody eyes were still haunting me. Just like everyone on Diyu. She was a monster of the stories. And I couldn't become one. I mustn't.

And when I opened the door, smelling more and more light, the army found me. I shouted and I screamed. And I heard Mara calling my name before the Iron men hit me on my head.