A New Age, of old strength and allies (ONC 2023)

3. Anywhere but here

Bringing me back were the lift doors opening. As always, at night the floor to ceiling windows allowed the flood of vibrancy from the city, to cast its sin upon the interior walls. The tranquil silence of the space was a welcome relief, as I slowly began to relax. Only then did I realise that we weren’t alone.

“I see that you’ve finally found a friend.” Her tone was unsurprisingly mocking.

Turning, I kept my little shadow behind me, as I took in her shimmering waist-length hair, its pale pink hue perfectly coiffed. “Who would’ve thought, now I’m at least one up on you.”

She stared at me with her dark brown eyes, reminiscent of black voids. Yet I watched in amusement as her left eye twitched, betraying her anger, as her light olive complexion flushed.

If her colour deepens any more, she’ll pass for a sun-baked salamander.

“You’re late. I know the missions are difficult for someone of your calibre, but being below standard isn’t an excuse.” She rolled her eyes in apparent disgust.

“True, if it was, imagine how much you’d have got away with.”

Almost everything.

“Sarcasm is a sure sign of the lowest form of wit, Lilith.”

“Maybe, but it’s also the highest form of intelligence, something that you’ve still failed to grasp.”

As a bright spark would say, only the dim need to glow.

The bored expression I had wasn’t at all put on, as I walked away from her dulcet tones.

I’d love to simply tell her to fuck off, but the extra sessions of counselling with Casimir just weren’t worth it. For a councillor, he was notoriously cruel at times. He was the only councillor I knew that was himself in desperate need of counselling.

Stopping, I turned back to the little shadow still dutifully following me.

“I need to leave...” I stopped, realising that I didn’t know his name.

“Aquilo,” he said softly. “And I know, the computer told me.”

I raised an eyebrow, vaguely remembering that I’d heard somewhere before of him being cyber-kinetic. The ability to manipulate technology. With that in mind, Lavender should leave him alone. Although the thought of him fucking up her day, filled me with a dark kind of amusement.

I looked back at him. “I'll see you later.”

He nodded, turning around to head back to the lift with the flicker of a smile. He must only be about eight. Seeing him brought back the hours of isolation and anger controlled telekinesis, from when I was also his age. Once the lift doors closed, and he disappeared from sight, I turned, heading for the chambers of origin Alder, which was the better part of the debriefing to come.

Time was slowly passing as the sky gradually paled, a moodiness setting in as a threatening grey became the prevailing colour. A sign of a possible lightening storm brewing. Passing through into the serene wing of the priests and origins, the deep reds and burgundys accented by gold fittings leant a warm grandeur to the place – which made me feel both welcome and uncomfortable. That about summed up my entire relationship with the hierarchy.

Reaching Origin Alder’s private chambers, I didn’t knock, and unsurprisingly the doors opened, folding inwards. Standing there was an acolyte. They were the direct assistants of the origins. Their speciality, research and recovering information. I nodded in thanks, passing through into the chambers ahead which were welcoming in their richly inviting hues.