14. A Lull

A Class VI. A Calamity. Those words briefly reminded Lucas of Argus and St. John.

He gulped. "This is getting serious... I know we're dealing with the Order, but a Grade VI operation? Just what the hell is happening?"

“We’ll just have to wait. Mrs. Livia will provide us the full details later tonight.”

“Of course… And do you know many agents are involved? I know it’s huge,” Lucas asked.

“No idea. But I’m working with a dozen other handlers. So–– a lot. We also have the Ghost Unit and Black Spear Unit involved.”

There are 20 Units in SPECTRA, and Hummingbird ranks somewhere in the bottom. The Ghost and the Black Spear units are ranked at the top, with the Ghost Unit being at the very top of the hierarchy. Each of those units is composed of all Class IIIs.

And putting that into perspective, Lucas is slowly beginning to realize the gravity of the overall operation. "That's insane. Our mission is to go undercover," Lucas said. "But it's still classified as a Grade VI?" He already knew the answer, but he deliberately made his question very specific to ensure he wasn't hallucinating.

Also, how could Cale remain so calm anyway? May the world come to an end, but it probably would just be another Tuesday for him.

"Don't be too impatient. Don't forget we're still in the very early phases of the operation. So, intel-gathering, and finding who our enemies are," said Cale. "And that applies not only to us, but all the other moving parts, as well."

Lucas was about to respond when the door leading inside the dropship suddenly slid open.

“Found you guys.” It was Chloe.

“Met new friends?” Lucas replied.

“Yep! You guys catching up?"

Cale bid them farewell before Lucas could respond, leaving them on their own.

After Cale disappeared, Chloe made a sad expression. “Does he hate me?”

“What? No. It’s not like that. He’s a Mexurian. They’re, uh…, reserved people,” Lucas said.

“…If you say so.”

“Trust me, you’re fine. And come. Look at this.”

Chloe leaned against the metal railing, eyes widening below. “Wow… It’s so pretty,” she whispered. “And look at those houses. I kind of want to live at the Sky Bridge one day.”

From the sky, Noah seemed to shrink – spread out. The view was akin to some of the city-builder simulator games he played when he was little.

But what those games could not even begin to simulate was what appeared to be Noah’s beauty.

As Chloe dictated, immediately noticeable were some wide spiralling bridges that twisted through the sky at the centre of Noah. On those bridges, the houses of the affluent stood – exemplar to human vanity and opulence – so unlike the underbelly of the city, of its shadowed alleys and crowded streets; unceasing with its struggle.

He remembered what Muriel said, of how millions of people cut each others’ necks just for something to eat. Killing for something like a sliver of a bread to feed their youngs. Like pigeons but without the freedom to break free and fly.

Noah. It’s beautiful indeed. But it’s beautiful as it was ruthless.

Beyond the great walls around the gigantic metropolitan city-state where two million people live, Lucas saw the farmlands and the other means of agriculture to feed the city.

The city and the agricultural regions about it is called the Greater Region of Noah. Just like the other Dominions, this region is protected by mountain ranges that acts as shield, and the rear protected by the seas.

A perfect placement to survive the onslaught of the Ashen.

Because further beyond those mountain ranges are the endless greenery and patches of blue – forests and big lakes – where beneath lies ruins of the past, and Ashens idling, waiting for their prey.

“Yeah. It’s beautiful.” Lucas smiled as they continued to fly. They were headed toward a very big island with a very long bridge connecting to Noah – the Island of Greendale. He'd never been there before, but according to the mission files, it's the home of a town of the same name, as well as the home of the Noah Awakened Academy.

He could make out some ships descending to its port. There’s also a bridge connecting to the nearby Isle of Mexur, which is about a quarter the size of Greendale Island.

And from up high, the bridges looked like thin lines.

Chloe looked at him. “What are you thinking?”

“Have you seen pictures of the past, Chloe?”

“Yeah.”

“What did you think?”

“Pretty… But apparently, we were destroying the planet. And some people say the Ashens are the universe’s wrath, the consequences of our own making. A punishment,” said Chloe with pursed lips.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Yeah… Looking at all those greenery from up here. I can’t help but feel a little bit of the same way. If there’s an upside to all of this. It’s that nature is regaining its vitality.”

Chloe's lips curled into a light smile, her raven locks tousling with the wind. “You sound like my Dad,” she said as she fixed her hair. “He was with the Defense and he hated the Ashens. But he said something similar. That maybe we deserve what happened to us.”

“Who knows…,” Lucas said and paused. “…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to be this deep.”

“No. You’re good. I like talking, learning, and thinking. About anything, really,” she said, flashing a smile.

Lucas frowned but managed to immediately hide it with a smile back. For some reason, those words seemed sad. Desperate even. “I see,” he said.

And talk they did. It was mostly Chloe though. She tried living a normal life even after losing her parents – her tale similar to his own. A tale similar to so many others.

She also has hopes and dreams. And now she’s excited to becoming an Awakened.

“By the way, why do you want to become an Awakened?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. But like…,” she said with a hum, as one would do when they are considering their words. “It’s just. When you see all this stuff happening, right? And you know that you could do something to help?”

Lucas tilted his head.

“I mean. It’s sort of like back in St. John, right? I wish I could have done something. But I just ran. Then people, like you did, risked your life to help me escape.”

Lucas furrowed his eyebrow. “Run? You protected those kids, Chloe.”

“No, I mean. Like… not being able to do anything? That’s like the worst feeling,” she said. “And I just don’t want to ever feel like that again, you know?”

“Guilt?”

“Not really guilt. But like, sorta, I guess? I don’t know. It’s just really hard to explain.”

“No. I think I get it. You just want to do it.”

“Yeah, exactly!” she said with a grin before elbowing Lucas. “And hey, what about you? I mean. You’re a Prime and all. But I’d like to think you chose it?”

Lucas contemplated hard for a moment before responding.

“I mean, like, yeah. I’d rather do other stuff, you know? But it’s just like. What am I gonna do, right? I unlocked my soul core when I was born, and growing up, all I wanted to do was protect my family. So, I felt like it was the only option for me, you know? So, yeah, it’s not like I was forced or anything like that, unlike what most people might think of Primes. I just wanted to do it. You know?”

“No, yeah, you’re right. It’s just that you want to do it, no matter how scary it may be. And I think that’s admirable. Like in the long run, I think our reasons doesn’t really matter, right? Like, I mean. I’m not saying our motivations don’t matter. They do. I just think what’s really important is that we’re doing something for the better, right? It’s like that quote. Something about words and action?”

Lucas bit the side of his lower lip in thought. “Words speak louder than actions?”

Chloe laughed. “No, no, silly. Like the opposite. Action speak louder than words or something. And, I think that’s more noble. But for me, I’m not saying I’m doing it because I’m… being noble? If that makes sense?”

“Yeah, no, totally.”

“I mean, like, this is totally going to sound cheesy? But, for me, I guess I just want to at least be a part of something big, you know?” Chloe seemed to trail off for a moment. “Be a part of something special… before I go,” she said with a whisper.

Lucas’ lips parted as he locked gazes with Chloe, yet words refused to escape.

She just smiled, before looking back to the city below.

He smiled back and followed her eyes as he also leaned against the railing. For some reason, despite the silence, it didn’t feel awkward.

He felt at ease. Peaceful. A feeling he didn’t think he’d feel again. Is it because it has been so long since he was able to talk to somebody like this, without worrying if he’s going to die tomorrow?

But, nothing good lasts forever. Suddenly, they heard a voice over their dropship’s PA system.

[Whoo! Professor Zoren here calling at the Island of Greendale! You guys are descending in ten, so meet at the cabin! Can’t wait to welcome everyone! Zoren OUT!]

“Loud…,” said Lucas.

Lucas worked with Professor Zoren before as Avernus. He surely hoped the professor wouldn’t be one of those working with the Order.

All professors, both old and new, are suspected. If the 10th Ranker of the League is a member of the Order, I doubt even I and Cale combined can take him on, he thought. The Prince of Ice is no joke. Thankfully (or sadly?), Professor Zoren is not part of the Defense, so he doesn’t have an access to an Archframe.

A Class IV Awakened can fight a Class V to a standstill for some time if they have an Archframe.

And apparently, Professor Zoren’s not that interested with taking on the Trial of Godframe Ares as well, despite being its best candidate. Something about growing powerful by his own strength and merit. But maybe that’s a good indicator that he’s not with the Order of Lewisia.

“Professor Zoren?! THE Professor Zoren?! He’s welcoming us?!” Chloe said.

“Okay, chill. Yes, he’s THE Professor Zoren,” Lucas said with a click of his tongue. Oddly, he hated the fact that Chloe was swooning over the professor. “But I think Avernus is cooler,” he muttered, but at the slip of his tongue, he paled. Fuck…

“Avernus, huh…?” Chloe said, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. “Hm,” she said and opened her phone, flashing her camera at Lucas.

“Hey… what are––”

She smiled and pushed her palm at him. “Halt!” she said before tilting her phone horizontally and typing something on it. Her fingers then moved with such precision, that Lucas had no idea what she was doing. “…and we just put the photos together, and TADAH!”

Chloe turned her screen at Lucas, showing a photo of him as Avernus, alongside the photo of his current appearance. She smirked proudly to herself. “You should really cut your hair," she said before deleting the photo.

“Yeah…,” he sighed. “You won’t tell?”

Chloe repeatedly shook her head. “Nope! But you’ve got to do a mission for me,” she said, suddenly sounding very serious.

“That is…?”

Chloe cleared her throat. “We’ll call it Operation Steak.”

“…What?”

“Shush. There’s a steak house in downtown,” she said before clicking her tongue. “But I can’t access my late parents’ bank accounts until I turn 18. SO! You will bring me there and pay for it. You’re a Prime, so it should be no problem for you. I will pay you in the future, of course!”

“Ah… so be your piggybank.”

“What? No! It’s not like that! I’ll even give you something for insur––”

“Calm down. I’m just messing with you,” he laughed. “But steak? I mean, it’s not a problem. But it’s not like it’s too expensive. You should have some allowan––”

“God! Stop being so logical all the time! I used up all my savings to buy my own personal tal, OK? I don’t wanna use an Academy-issued one,” she said. “So?”

Lucas blinked and after a long while, asked, “What’s a tal?”

“A talus? Short for talus?”

Tal? Lucas thought. Seriously? But he seriously nodded. “Okay. Whatever. Deal.”

Chloe let out a sigh of relief. “Good! Now, hurry up! I want to see him!” Chloe said as she grabbed his forearm and dragged him away.

“Hey! It’s not like you’re not going to be seeing him everyday!” he said.

“Jealous?”

“You wish… I am Avernus. Flame of the Underworld.”

“…Flame of the Underworld,” Chloe mimicked his voice. “Psh… That's so extra.”

"What? It isn't!"

"It is!"

***

Cale leaned against the wall as he eavesdropped on Lucas and Chloe.

When he heard Zoren's voice over the PA system, he pushed himself against the wall and began to walk to the cabin to join the rest of the students.

You may not know it, Lucas. But if the Consortium fails, you may as well be her last hope, thought Cale. But this will come with such a great cost that if ever that time comes–– I wonder, if you and her will be willing to pay the price.