LONG shadows criss-crossed the walls and floors of the Manor. The moon had started to rise and the stars had started to twinkle in the depths of the inky sky by the time Ellen had been cleared by the Guardian.
Despite being painless, she hoped that she didn't have to go through the rigmarole again for a while. They had run a battery of tests, one after another after another. It seemed never-ending and the constant prodding of her mind had zapped her clean of almost all of her energy. She had never felt so relieved hearing the words you are free to go.
With her mouth opening into a large circle, she rubbed at her eyes and started to wander down the plush carpets of the hallways. Her legs carried her around corner after corner as she wound her way to the residential wing of the giant building. The halls reminded her of a rabbit warren, twisting and turning in a series of tunnels as they linked one wing to the other. The only difference was the abundance of light which usually filtered through giant windows which spanned from the floor to the cornices.
It was one of her favourite places.
Whilst many of their kind lived harmoniously amongst the humans and preferred to keep that connection to the mortal world, many had decided to take up residency within the Manor for a myriad of reasons. For some, it was to resist the temptations that the other world posed and reduce the risk of being identified.
For others, it was because they had no other place to go. Like Ellen, they had their worlds thrown into chaos as Lucien tainted their lives with tendrils of chaos and death. And its because of those ill-fated events that a large number of resident Tempusmancers had elected to undertake journeys to become Guardians or fighters, peacekeepers and intelligence gatherers. If you had asked any of them about their motivations, there was a solid chance that Lucien had taken someone dear and loved from them and destroyed their lives, one way or another.
Caught in her own thoughts, Ellen's ears prickled and her legs froze as she heard her name drift from the other side of the wall. She held her breath and stepped closer until her shoulder almost brushed the wooden panels.
"...could be a curse in which case, who knows what he has done to her. If it's not a curse, there is every possibility that a part of 'im exists inside of her. And if tha' is the case, then...Well, he could be watchin' us right this very minute. There is no knowin' of exactly what Ellen has become and I like the girl. But there is no denying that she is dangerous to us righ' now until we know more..."
There was no mistaking Dvorak's voice. Her spine tingled and her body shuddered at the heaviness that burdened his voice. But it was the words that were unsaid that tore at her already bruised heart. They speared her like sharp swords.
"But like you said before, there is no way of knowing. This is all just theory. I trust out Head of Guardians and he confirmed that they hadn't been able to find anything that would indicate that he lives inside of her or has touched in her some way or another. Everyone in this room knows that he has seen some things in his time. That is not to undermine your experiences either, Dvorak."
A small smile etched onto Ellen's lips as Claudia's words echoed in her mind.
"I concur. And there is no point in banishing her unless we know for certain. And we seem to be forgetting... She didn't ask for any of this. Remember, she didn't ask to be put into this position and to be the prophetic one. We can't abandon her right now. She's one of us. We ought to see it to the end."
"Hans is right. We need to look into it more before we can come to a conclusion. No doubt, there may be something amiss. But we can't cast someone away purely based on suspicion. That goes entirely against what we stand for as a people. Dvorak-"
Ellen found herself hovering ever so closer to the door, hanging onto every single one of their words. The pause and ensuing silence played on her mind and she found herself stepping from leg to leg in feverish anticipation.
"Dvorak, how do you feel about undertaking some tutoring with her once more? It may be beneficial to us. Not only to discover if something is amiss but also to have someone else with that knowledge. Which brings me onto other matters. Have you finished with investigation?" Claudia asked.
"I have. Like I suspe'ted, she's been touched by the darkness. There's bee' some really deep forces at play and only one person comes to mind."
"Are you implying that Lucien is back?" Hans asked in a hushed voice. Ellen could barely make out the words.
"Certainl' looks that way. He's the only that I know of that is capable of such atrocities. And on that note, I think we should invite our visitor into the room, don' you? Bit rude making her hang aroun' outside like that."
"Come in Ellen, please. You may join us."
With shaking hands, Ellen clenched the doorhandle and let it swing open slowly on its hinges.
The boardroom was a handsome place with its dark wooden panelling and sense of grandiose that permeated the air. But the familiarity and warmth of the room didn't do much to alleviate the anxiety which pulsed through her body.
Claudia, Dvorak and Hans were nestled around the head of the table, half-full glasses in front of them. They gazed at her as she stepped into the room and settled for a chair at the other end of the long setting.
"No, no. Come closer," waved Claudia, beckoning with a hand. She gripped the chair next to her and pulled it slightly out from beneath the table. Her eyes sparkled as she peered at Ellen. "And no need to be afraid. You're not in trouble. It's only natural to be curious with matters that concern you."
"You may have heard us talking just before. I apologise if it may have come across as rather callous. We haven't really come across this type of situation before," Hans began. He took a glass into his fingers and took a small swig. She knew that he was a man of the whiskey. "We need to balance the safety of our kind but also support them where support is needed. And right now, you need our support, and we will continue to do so. We are very proud of you and who you are becoming. You are almost getting to the point where you should consider a specialisation..."
"Which brings us to our next point," Claudia interjected. "We want you to consider being Dvorak's pupil for a little while. You won't be removed from being part of Hans' group. But it will mean you will be spending more time with Dvorak and absorbing his teachings. He has our expressed permission to impart the darkest knowledge on you. That is, if you are interested in that. With your history, I feel like this would be beneficial to you and it would also be beneficial to us."
Ellen bit her lip as she contemplated the proposal put before her. Though she knew it wasn't the case, the words were heavy, almost as if she had the weight of the world placed on her shoulders.
A minute trickled by, followed by another.
The silence grew and the silence lingered. Still, the three of them sat in the chairs, sipping their drinks without a word as they waited for her to come to her own decision.
Her own mind ferreted through the labyrinth of tunnels.
On one hand, she thought that having that knowledge would help if she ever had to come face-to-face with Lucien once more. On the other hand, she knew that fellow Tempusmancers frowned upon the possession of such wisdom and there was every potential that she would be ousted from friendship circles.
She mulled the thoughts over and over.
It would cause a lot of controversy, there was no doubt about that. But was the controversy worth it if it meant that it bettered their chances?
"I...," she began. Her mentors raised their eyes and looked at her with placid faces. "I would love to learn more from Dvorak. That is, if he's happy to take me on and teach me."
"Are yo' sure?" Dvorak settled his glass and intertwined his fingers. "It's not an easy path at all. Helpful, yes. But terrible and it has its price. I don' want to talk you out of it by any means. I just want to be upfron' and truthful."
Ellen swallowed as the words started to sink in.
She was doing this.
This was real.
The fear seemed to melt away, replaced by a seed of curious excitement. It seemed that her life was destined to be full of twists and turns, a journey of voyaging into the unknown. This was just another chapter which remained unwritten.
"I'm sure," she confirmed.
The words hung in the air between them, and the room remained quiet as the small group pondered the words and let the full weight of them fall on their shoulders.
Was it fear?
Was it doubt?
Ellen pushed herself further back in the chair as Hans slid out from his own. With a few long steps, he reached a nearby buffet and removed the stopper from a crystal bottle. He poured the liquid – the same, amber-coloured whiskey that she knew he was particularly fond of – and placed it gently on the table in front of her.
Claudia raised her glass into the air as the others quickly followed. Ellen hastily raised her glass, the whiskey turbulent as it threatened to spill.
"To new beginnings."