Just Breathe
“Well. You've come all the way here. What's your word?” Gerardo Tellez, the Head, looked up at Phesx Caolia and casually asked. Phesx Caolia set his eyes on the man after looking around. The place was a little spacious, but there weren't many decorations. In short, this was built more for receiving guests or the like, and not to be an office to work in, or a place to stay.
“Before I decide that, may I know how many people are there in… Riverlye?” Phesx Caolia asked, making the short man behind him frown hard and look at him. The Head jumped his eyebrows without changing his expression. “Why? Not convinced yet?”
“We have… last year’s recount summed up to 13,392 Artistas. Those are the common ground in Riverlye, for your information.” The Head added, looking up at Phesx Caolia still. Phesx’s eyes widened. Those were… a lot. He opened his lips to comment, “Are these Artistas everywhere around Sargonde?”
“Heh heh, you still need some studying to make. Secret organizations are organizations, not organization, for a reason.” The Head chuckled without much emotion. Phesx Caolia frowned slightly, “Does Riverlye let their not-even member meet the ‘leader’ of their… lagj organization?”
“Oh no, you’re just a special case. Killing 3 well-guarded ‘regimen heads’ isn’t as simple as you made it seem to be. And it only took you 3 weeks to complete it.” The Head shook his palms in the air, speaking to Phesx Caolia in a way that made him feel restless.
“Then, why me?” Phesx Caolia asked, pointing at the chair before him. The Head nodded, so Phesx sat as the former spoke out. “It’s simple. First, we wanted you the moment we confirmed news about you were feasible. Other organizations are afraid of the hoogs, but not even they care about Preut’s pariahs.”
“…” - “…” Phesx Caolia and the Head exchanged glances. Phesx blinked and blinked, while the Head looked at him with wide eyes, never blinking once. Then, Head nodded a few times in a row, “You manage yourself well, even though you don’t notice. You’ll see the anger you held at me at this moment in a few weeks, kid.”
“I’m not patriotic,” Phesx Caolia just answered. The Head shook his head a bit, “No, you’re not.”
“Second,” the Head counted with his left-handed fingers in the air. His eyes straight into Phesx Caolia’s face, he continued, “We didn’t want to wait until someone else found you. You should know, even though we can also search whom you’ve been with, it’s too boring for this org.”
“Like what?” Phesx Caolia frowned and asked, placing his left hand atop the desk. His eyebrows slightly jumped when he touched the surface, ‘Feels nice.’
“Extortion, kidnapping those you ever spoke to, offering you money, blackmailing you, mounting up a huge scheme that would’ve led to managing many people in different positions. It’s all too brainless. Maybe some organized crime groups would have done that in this world.” The Head was reluctant to speak about these things.
Phesx Caolia had the feeling the actions the Head spoke about were looked down by this ‘new world’ of secret organizations.
“Third. Your age. We can teach even an old man how to kill the current you in than 3 years. But if it’s a younger member, we give them more space to be accepted directly. However, you also showed… particular skills. We are sure you’ve never trained before, so we want to train you from scratch. Many others similar to you have become great murderers, counter-assassins, and spies everywhere.”
“Sargonde?” Phesx Caolia simply asked. The Head tilted his head slightly to his left and lifted his left eyebrow. “Hahaha.”
Phesx Caolia looked at the Head, thinking, ‘Could it be its across Lýmoca? More? The Moonblue supercontinent?’
“Please accept me,” Phesx Caolia politely nodded, almost like bowing his head. Gerardo Tellez satisfyingly nodded in a slow motion. The Head looked at the short man behind Phesx and declared, “Since he’s spoken, go and introduce him around. He has 5 months to become an Artista. He’ll be lucky to be given attention alone, but the mental fortitude is still necessary in a group. You know what to do, welcome to your new path in life, what’s your alias? We let anyone choose it, this is no initiation. That’ll come soon.”
“Thank you,” Phesx Caolia felt a little dizzy. Things were going on and on, without any paperwork, no ceremony, and as the Head said, no rite of initiation. Standing up, he faced the Head and asked, feeling the excitement in his throat unable to be contained. “What is expected of me?”
“You’ll come to know that. But you’re a smart kid, you’d know after coming here. Train and learn, kid. Better not think you’re unique, if you don’t want to end as someone’s rag doll.” the Head sparked Phesx Caolia’s interest. He asked again, “What if I don’t learn?”
“Well, you can keep trying year after year when Riverlye recruits Neophytes, but the training is costly. If you cannot pay at the end of the recruitment test, we will just treat you as someone who would have refused us before.” The Head said. Phesx Caolia looked at him for a couple of seconds, twitching his eyebrows, threatening to become a frown, before turning around.
“I like a word. I’d be glad if my alias can be Fox,” Phesx Caolia said without turning back. The short man frowned again, giving the Head a glance, but the Head ignored him. The short man subtly nodded and departed after Phesx Caolia. Meanwhile, the Head looked at Phesx Caolia’s back without blinking, just observing.
His eyes narrowed as the metallic black gates closed down, coming out from the doorstep’s smooth inner sides to the floor. Looking down, he stared at Phesx Caolia’s information framed with gold green borders. He swung his head, mentally sighing in relief before muttering in a low voice, “Vowcs, huh? Felnx, wcslia, voww— vowcs, wecvs, fenlxwsclia, felnkslý… Your name’s already a riddle. Stop playing around, kid…”
Nobody could hear the Head’s words, only himself, and a lonely study.
… Phesx Caolia walked for 20 minutes before the short man slowed his pace. Without the man’s knowledge, Phesx had somewhat understood his steps and pacing, figuring something out that he shouldn’t, at least not yet.
“Here we are,” the short man said. He stopped before a door that led to a particularly large room. Phesx Caolia had to stretch his neck to see the end of the walls belonging to the same room. The man didn’t look at him but berated him before walking towards the closed door. “Stop playing around and play respects. Here is your superior and ‘teacher’.”
The walls seemed made of metal, but also rock. It must be one of the mixes of materials by specialized machinery made from Courusel, which allegedly, only governments have. The door was of the same obscure gray color, with steep rectangular surfaces sticking out from irregular shapes as bricks, but smoother and easy to differentiate.
The door rapidly opened and closed. Phesx Caolia only saw bright lights and steel silver colored walls and white floor before the door immediately shut down. ‘Is this because I’m… late?’
Phesx Caolia slightly frowned before walking forth. He mimicked the short man’s attitude, but the door opened slowly. Looking down, there was no light shining on his shoes. Just as Phesx Caolia thought it would all light up once it opened to half or so, he remembered there’re people inside. Why would it go dark after a person went in, even if it was this place’s functions?
His thoughts were cut short as the door finally opened fully. There was only darkness he couldn’t see through within. He took 3 short breaths into his lungs before stepping forth. However, just as he took his 3rd step into the room, he saw a fist moving towards his forehead.
“!” Phesx Caolia could feel his neck bones twisting and screeching as he jolted it backwards. But in an instant, the lights went up, his body lost balance, and a young woman appeared before him. Rapidly regaining a stable foothold, with his right leg up and folded in the air, Phesx Caolia saw the short man and a light brown man standing beside him.
After stabilizing, Phesx Caolia stared at the young woman before him. Bright pale white skin, big black eyes, pitch-black long hair combed behind her ears, tall, and with long, slender arms.
“Instructor, he’s nothing amazing. Are you sure he’s him?” The beauty looked back at the 2 men at the side. The light brown man, with small angry eyes, regular height, bulky, and essentially stout, nodded at her with crossed arms.
“Well then, good luck.” The young woman looked indifferently disappointed. She faced Phesx Caolia again and said with her chin low, eyes upturned, before walking past him. Meanwhile, Phesx Caolia was still lost in not knowing what the fuck just happened. Wasn’t he being hit?
“Come in,” the Instructor called out to Phesx Caolia. Phesx looked at him and nodded. Walking ahead, he looked back to see the door also slowly closing now that he walked away from it. Phesx stopped 1 meter in front of the Instructor while the latter inspected him.
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“Not much muscle… you stretch a lot?” The Instructor asked. Phesx Caolia nodded, “Since I’m… 12, I think.”
“Think?” The Instructor lifted his left eyebrow. Then, he looked at the short bald man, “Beni, will you stay?”
“Yes, he just needs to know his professors. I’ll bring him to meet everyone.” Beni, the short bald man, unwillingly replied. The Instructor nodded before walking to Phesx Caolia, stopping half a meter before the young boy. “You’re young, but many blood of the young has been wasted here. When you entered, your dark eyes went dark. When you comprehend it, you’d have started your training. I will teach you how to fight, weapons, your body, or bions.”
“Even if I already know?” Phesx Caolia lifted his right eyebrow while frowning. The Instructor shook his head. “No. You don’t know how to fight. You can fire a weapon, and you can kill with it. You can kill with a knife, and punch someone to death, or strangle them.”
The Instructor took a step forward, poking his right index finger at his own chest. “You will learn how to fight with me. Your body is okay, mildly prepared. But you only crouch and swing your limbs. When I start teaching you, you’ll know how to survive a barrage of bullets when being naked.”
“…” To say the least, Phesx was… astonished. The Instructor didn’t give the young boy’s state importance and turned around, nodding at Beni, “I’m Instructor Cala. Now leave.”
“Come,” Beni walked to the exit, speaking as he left without looking at Phesx. The young boy gave Instructor Cala’s back another glance before turning around. Phesx started to feel like he was understanding this place, and who knows… maybe fitting into it.
… Next, after 2 minutes of walking, Beni brought Phesx Caolia to another room of similar size. Like before, Beni entered before him, but this time while Phesx was still heading towards the door.
Phesx went in as soon as possible, but had to wait as the door slowly slid upwards, when that darkness appeared before him again. This time, he waited outside, inspecting it from there, afraid that he’ll be attacked again before he could if he stepped inside.
When he was still looking from the outside, and felt like a layer of the darkness dissipated, letting him see half a step further inside, Phesx heard a quiet voice speak to him from within.
“Are you not coming in?”
It was a female voice. Mature, but somewhat sweet-sounding. Phesx Caolia blinked, stared ahead, but still couldn’t see anything, much less hear something. With one last thought, he stepped in. Darkness surrounded him again, before he felt some barely noticeable sensations of his skin being pierced at his heart, forehead, and apple.
Phesx didn’t move, not knowing if doing so would kill him. He frowned when the darkness wasn’t shoved away by the lights. That’s when he heard the voice again, this time to his left. “Not a bad resilience. Patient and intuitive.”
Clap!
Phesx Caolia blinked his eyes harshly. He opened them after a couple seconds, where he saw the ceiling and part of the wall ahead. His body was leaning backwards about 20 or 30 degrees. ‘How could I have not noticed?’
Phesx Caolia’s frown gradually eased as he straightened his back. He looked to his left, where Beni stood 4 steps behind a white woman with curly black hair. He looked cautious. Phesx lowered his head but still inspected her appearance.
Her eyes were scary and black. She was very tall, middle-aged, and with her hair falling down to her shoulders. When he noticed the length of her hair, Phesx also realized she held 3 needles so thin he couldn’t see them well, immune to the refection from the lights. They had a bit of blood running up and down their bodies as the woman gently flicked her hand holding them.
“He has very good survival skills. Where did you get this?” The woman spoke out loud, but her words were clearly directed to the one behind her. Beni stepped forth once, “From Preut. One of the immediately investigated few. We were first to contact him.”
“Good. We would’ve lost many Artistas before catching him if we didn’t. Remind me to tell José to pick whatever new bion he wants.” The woman voiced without moving her head, or face, only moving her lips, teeth, and tongue.
Having those eyes set on him, as she appeared casual and natural despite the creepiness, Phesx Caolia lowered his eyes at last. Then, he heard the woman speak to him.
“We’ll see how you do later. I’m your Instructor, Mel. Go on. It’s been some years since I had a little bird all for myself.” Instructor Mel said before ushering him off with her needless. Suddenly, Beni rushed out with quick steps. Seeing this, Phesx respectfully nodded at her and left with calm steps. He couldn’t tell, but he could swear he heard her smile behind his back.
Neither said anything after exiting that devilish place. Beni brought Phesx Caolia to another similar room. This time, oxytocin from the previous encounter made them become less… unlikeable to each other. Beni waited for Phesx Caolia this time. Before Beni walked into the door, no longer desiring to check things out, Phesx Caolia asked him. “What was that?”
“She isn’t always like this. Usually, she’s focused on teaching and lecturing the Neophytes. It is when outside the months we teach Neophytes, or in her free time, where she doesn’t bother acting… Remember that… if you don’t want to risk it.” Beni said. He looked truly terrified.
Phesx Caolia gulped. No wonder. He didn’t see any of these Instructors when Beni brought him to the Head, not even the young woman from before. It wasn’t something simple. There were clearly more with the same status of Instructors, but these were different.
“Are you also an Instructor?” Phesx asked Beni. The latter nodded, “But not one to teach the Neophytes, only in the field. These big rooms are all able to hold nearly a thousand Neophytes, and you only stay 4 hours with them a day to study. You’ll know more later, don’t bother me.”
Phesx Caolia pressed his lips together once and made ‘pu, pu, pu’ sounds as he habitually does, but this time willingly doing it to relax a little. Beni walked into the room. Phesx Caolia waited 2 seconds outside before opening the door by just standing in front of it.
Then, as soon as it fully opened, Phesx directly went inside. When darkness clouded everything, except his hearing, Phesx Caolia’s eyes darted left and right, feeling amazed with this strange situation yet again. A soft, elegant male’s voice attempted to carry him through the darkness.
“Very well, come to my voice, so I can see you.”
Phesx Caolia looked in the direction of the voice, or at least though he did, and walked towards it. After 5 seconds, he stopped and tilted his head to the left, furrowing his brows a bit. The voice spoke again, “I am here. You are not lost. Walk.”
Phesx Caolia refused to walk ahead. He stepped backwards, but then stopped. He lowered his presence, or at least thought he did, and slid his soles backwards through the floor.
Click. Suddenly, the lights were turned on. Phesx Caolia felt the darkness leave his eyesight, or rather, it was that they left his eyes. Phesx Caolia was confused, mulling over it, when the same voice spoke to him again. “Now, now. Now that you’ve shown me pleasant responses, don’t become an idiot in front of me.”
Phesx Caolia snapped out of it and looked towards the source of the voice. Beni stood 1 step behind a creamy white blond, with a lifted hairstyle. This time, Beni didn’t stand behind the next Instructor out of fear, but rather… respect?
“I am Instructor José. Beni has told me you went to Mel already. I’m glad. My services can be rewarded now. Come close,” the blond man elegantly beckoned to Phesx. The latter walked forth and stopped when Instructor José gently gestured him to stop 5 meters away.
Instructor José walked towards Phesx. He was elegant and slow. José walked around Phesx, checking him out. “You have many scars, I presume. That’s a good sign. I may not feel too wasteful with someone like you. What did Cala tell you?”
“That I’ll learn… to survive with him.” Phesx Caolia slowly answered. José nodded, “Well, his teachings and mine will teach you how to unleash something hidden to the eyes of any other. Doing so basically gives you the key to form part of any lagj organization. But with me, you’ll comprehend it and hone it. With Cala, you’ll learn how to harness it, once you’re prepared enough.”
“You’re lucky. I believe you’ll be talented in it, mhm. Usually, those like you must wait for their fellow Neophytes to catch up before we teach you ‘it’.” José stopped on Phesx Caolia’s right and grasped the air above his shoulder.
Phesx Caolia frowned at almost being touched, and when he felt nothing in the end and looked up, he saw José look at him with downturned eyes. It was a bit awkward.
“And what is that thing, sir?” Phesx Caolia lifted his eyebrows and asked, not backing down. José studied his face and body movements before speaking with elegance, “No sirs or ma’ams here, except the Head. Instructor for me and your superiors, if you’re an Artista. Since you’ve become a Neophyte, then you’ll address those above you as such, too. Well, I suppose teaching you a little something won’t be harmful.”
“Sit,” José commanded. Phesx looked up, gulped, and sat cross-legged. José walked in front of him, stood 3 meters away, and stared deadly into his face. Phesx closed his eyes, thinking that’s what he wanted, but half a minute later, he opened them, only to see the Instructor look at him in the same way.
“Just— breathe…” José suddenly said, sounding relaxed and peaceful.
Phesx Caolia felt his eyelids heavy down. His sight blurred, as if sleepy. His ear tingled comfortably, and he closed his eyes with his chest filling in to the brim. José looked back at Beni and lifted his eyebrows, with eyes turned condescending.
They both looked at Phesx Caolia, waiting…
Phesx Caolia felt images trying to enter his mind. Just as he does when he becomes hypersensitive, and he can even calculate the enemy’s armor and best angles, distances, and which weapon to penetrate and kill them with.
He refused them any entry until he realized they were familiar. Of his body. That’s when they poured in. His face contorted a little, as if someone was slowly pulling on a nerve of his.
An image remained in his mind in concrete. A red, meaty screen-like layer with a white thing connected with another white things, like smooth, viscous strings knotted in the middle. His focus remained on them before it zoomed in. A most strange sensation. Then, he saw it snap, with the lower half swatted to the right, and the upper half immobile like a pillar.
Spurt. “Aaagh!” Phesx Caolia instantly lifted his left hand, where his right thumb pressed below his palm as blood shot from his nostrils. He knitted his eyebrows, trembling intensely as his wrist was internally flooded with blood.
Step, step, step, step! José hurried forwards as Beni stupidly extended his neck and bent his back, watching in stupefaction. José immediately pressed his right thumb on Phesx Caolia’s wrist, slapping his other hand away.
‘This idiot mutilated his wrist by mistake.’ José thought. Just then, Phesx had suddenly tapped his left wrist with his right thumb. Thus, José thought that was the reason, but when he felt the left wrist with his thumb, he realized there were no signs of physical tapping. His eyes widened, but he didn’t forget his task at hand.
A few minutes later, with the blood in his wrist stopped, Phesx Caolia slowly opened his eyes. Trails of dried blood down his nostrils attracted his attention, but he first looked at Instructor José, “Did I do… well?”
“Oh, shut up. You’ll be passed around by all the Instructors from now on. You brought this upon yourself. Go get that checked with the weapons craftsman’s medic before going to Bael. Go, Beni. I have things to tell the rest,” José rolled his eyes before commanding Beni.
The latter nodded before helping Phesx up his feet. They went out with Phesx’s right arm around Beni’s shoulders. Phesx innocently asked, “What did I do?”
“Mfgh,” Beni replied with a groan and an ugly face.
…