"This is it?" I asked as I stared up at the old, rusted clock.
"You seem disappointed," Mick mentioned as he paused to look up at the building. Black, metal beams ran up along the sides, providing a frame. The same material was also bent to create the face, hands and numbers of the clock. Old and crumbling bricks formed the walls. It must have been centuries old.
While it was a beautiful structure, I found it hard to believe it'd be an appropriate place to house the center of the great "Creed" I'd been hearing so much about. Perhaps the Creed was a smaller organization than I'd originally expected?
"Home sweet home," Ayden mumbled sarcastically from behind me. He threw a casual glance over his shoulder. Shadows shifted on the far end of the street. "Well, we might as well get it over with."
Moving past me, he pushed open the small door on the side of the tower. Behind it was darkness that Ayden ignored. He swiftly moved in and disappeared. Mick moved to follow, pausing only to send me a questioning look.
"So, are you planning on spending the next few days out here?" Mick asked, raising a brow. "Considering Ayden's only here to make sure you're protected, I don't think it's that great of an idea."
I shook my head, quickly moving towards the door. I was still trying to fully comprehend how the Creed could possibly operate from inside a clock tower. There would barely be enough room for fifty people to comfortably fit inside, depending on the amount of floors. This organization was responsible for defending the world against both thousands of angels and thousands of demons… They needed more than fifty members.
"Why's it so dark?" I asked as I cautiously moved inside the door before Mick.
A hand clasped around mind and tugged me to the side. With a light gasp, I turned towards it to find half of Ayden's face illuminated by the light seeping in through the door. Turning, I saw he'd pulled me away from walking directly into a wall. Inside the door wasn't an open room, but a tiny hall. Leading me by my hand, Ayden tugged me along behind him down the dark corridor.
"No one really goes this way unless they have to," he answered. "Since we have you, we're going this way."
Mick stepped in behind us, shutting the door and leaving us in darkness. Surrounded by a sudden vulnerability, I subconsciously squeezed Ayden's hand a little tighter and quickened my pace so I was directly behind him. I could almost hear him smiling in front of me as he squeezed my hand back.
"I almost forgot why we stopped going this way," Mick mumbled from behind. "I can't see shit."
The passage was tight and cramped. With only enough room for one person at a time, we moved in a line. I couldn't see it but the few times my skin brushed against the wall, I felt the course surface. I could guess it was made of the same bricks as the outside of the building.
"You're the angel, you know. Don't you know some little trick to help us out?" Ayden questioned as he lead us deeper into the darkness. Mick chuckled.
"I haven't used that in years…" he remarked.
"Well, now seems like a good time to make it happen."
"Alright," Mick agreed uneasily. "I really haven't tried this in a while."
"Come on, glow worm. I believe in you," Ayden teased.
Ayden stopped moving. I gently bumped against his back and Mick followed soon after. He grunted softly as I was sandwiched between him and Ayden before quickly backing away.
"A little warning would have been nice."
"I don't know where to go next. That light would be really helpful right now," Ayden retorted. I noticed that his voice sounded closer. He'd shifted to face me and Mick despite the darkness. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in closer. "I never would have guessed you'd be so afraid of the dark," he whispered teasingly.
I shoved my way out of his arms.
"I'm not afraid of the dark," I declared. It was a lie. I hugged my arms close to my body and pressed myself against the wall. The dark, in addition to the cramped space, made me feel slightly claustrophobic and suffocated. Standing completely alone now only worsened the feeling. "So what's this light?"
"Give me a moment," Mick responded.
The tunnel fell silent as we waited for Mick. Suddenly, a strange buzzing came from his direction. It was a low hum like the sound an old TV makes when you first turn it on. Next, a series of short snapping sounds followed. Tiny specks of light stabbed through the darkness. It was like a shower of silver glitter suspended in the air.
After a moment, each fleck of light began to float. Twisting and swirling in a curved design, they each left a light trail of white behind them. Once they finished moving, the dim design of glowing wings could be seen protruding from Mick's back. With a final sigh, they lit up completely providing us with a small, but decent, circle of light.
Squinting as my eyes adjusted, I pushed myself off the wall. Stepping towards Mick, I examined the bright glow behind him and their unique arced shape.
"Are those…"
"Wings," Ayden finished for me.
"I thought they were more feathery and… tangible," I remarked as I looked at the translucent light. Remembering our trip to Heaven, I thought of those angels' wings. Before being blown off by something Mick managed to do, they'd been full of white fluffy feathers. I never did ask him exactly what happened up there…
"It depends on what kind of angel you are," Ayden began. "There are different kinds of purities and levels in a way and Mick…"
"I'm a really pure breed."
Ayden laughed and rolled his eyes.
"Well that's an understatement, but that's the main idea I guess," Ayden agreed. "Anyway, shall we?" he asked, hiking a thumb over his shoulder.
"You're one to talk. Let's get moving."
Ayden paused to send Mick an icy glare before turning and continuing down the passageway. After a few minutes, it opened up into a small circular room. Dark dusty curtains covered the walls while various pieces of pottery littered the floor.
"Since when did the gate become such a dump?" Ayden remarked, kicking away a few pieces of clutter.
"Well, it has been a while…" Mick added as he looked around.
Ayden scanned the room before releasing an irritated sigh. Walking over to the one wall, he whipped back the curtain to reveal a mirror stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Leaning in closer, he tapped the shiny surface with the back of his knuckles.
"Well this is new," Ayden remarked before gripping the curtain and yanking on it. The entire curtain fell to the floor at once, revealing mirrors lining each of the walls.
"Indeed, it is," Mick agreed. "How do we enter?"
We all looked at each of the mirrors for anything of interest. They created a strange illusion, casting reflections upon reflections. There were ten different mirrors total, yet the all seemed identical.
"Maybe if we break them all," Ayden started.
"You really are a dip shit, you know that?" Mick interrupted, rolling his eyes. "One of the mirrors is the gate. Shattering it would just close the gate completely until they created a new one."
"How do we know which one?" I questioned.
"Clearly, that's what we need to figure out," Ayden replied while pressing against one of the mirrors. "There are only ten. It shouldn't be too hard to find it."
Mick followed Ayden, walking up to one of the mirrors and pushing against it. He then tried tapping it and searching the edges for any signs. Choosing the one closest to me, I did the same. As I did, I wondered why they would choose mirrors. Why not just leave the walls plain if there's a hidden door?
"These goddamn reflections are giving me a headache. Hurry up and find it," Ayden complained from the other side of the room.
"The purpose of them is to disorient you. I suppose it's a security procedure," Mick shrugged.
"Reflections," I murmured to myself. The main purpose of a mirror was to reflect what it sees. Stepping back, I turned to examine each of the mirrors again. "There!"
Shocked by my sudden outburst, Mick and Ayden both turned towards me with wide eyes.
"There?"
"Where? What?"
I gestured to the mirror on the far left near Mick.
"That's the only mirror that's catching the reflection of Mick's wings," I explained. "That must be the one we're looking for."
We all moved in to focus on the mirror I'd pointed out. Leaning in closer, Mick reached out to brush a finger against the surface.
"So what now?" Mick asked. "How do we pass through?"
"Well, this is the only one reflecting your wings, which is an angel's trait. Do you have anymore?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Well, a mirrors purpose is to reflect your image back at you. Mirrors are supposed to hold the truth of what you are. If you have a "true form" or whatever, maybe you need to expose it to unlock the door," I explained.
A different expression danced across Ayden's face as I spoke. He seemed to step back slightly, away from the mirror.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Well, it's worth a try," Mick shrugged, closing his eyes. He inhaled deeply and slowly released it. As he did, the glow he was emitting gradually got brighter. His green eyes turned to a clear blue as white leaked across his hair. I was expecting him to change but not so drastically.
Once he was finished, he brought his fingers to the mirror again. This time, they passed through the surface as if it were water.
"Bright girl," Mick remarked with a grin. "I'm assuming you don't have to do anything since you're a mortal."
I hadn't thought about me. Reaching out, I touched the mirror. My fingers didn't pass through.
"I don't understand," I murmured.
"She needs to be escorted," Ayden chimed. "Because she's a mortal, she needs to be escorted through the gate."
"Oh, I'm assuming you'll be handling that then," Mick said before turning to step through the mirror.
"No!" Ayden exclaimed, startling both of us. "You take her… That way, if it doesn't work, she's not stuck up here by herself."
"Oh, okay," Mick agreed slowly. "Oh! Right, let's go Melinda."
"But-"
"I'll catch up," Ayden interrupted.
"But, wait-" before I could finish, Mick clamped his hand around my wrist and pulled me through the mirror. As soon as we passed through, it was as if a huge gust of wind shoved us from behind. We were both forced forward and, loosing our balance, on the floor.
"Well that was graceful," Mick remarked. He'd instantly turned back to the way I was used to seeing him. Slowly pushing myself off the floor, I glanced around. We were in a room similar to the last. It had the same circular perimeter only much cleaner and brighter. We also weren't alone.
"State your names and ranks," ordered a slender woman.
The room was empty other than a large wooden desk behind her. There, three guys around the same age as Ayden and Mick casually lounged. Ayden stumbled in behind us before we could answer. Catching himself, he slowly straightened up and looked around. The woman who'd questioned us stepped back with wide eyes.
"Daier," she whispered.
Ayden placed his hands in his pockets. Rolling his eyes, he let out a relaxed laugh.
"Oh please, you're flattering me. I don't believe we've ever even been formally introduced."
The guys on the desk straightened up and walked towards us with weapons drawn. One held a shiny silver gun aimed directly at Ayden's chest while the other two chose more close combat instruments. The one with the gun tilted his head and smiled.
"Don't move, Daier," he ordered. "I won't miss."
"Are you sure about that?" Ayden asked with a teasing tone.
"Positive. I've waited a long time for your return and this bullet's got your name on it."
"Listen, I'm really not in the mood to deal with your-"
"Sh!" the guy ordered. Ayden raised a brow at that before snickering to himself. His eyes darkened.
"My, someone gives a little snot a gun and a post and suddenly he's a badass," Ayden mocked.
"Hey, I said shut the hell up!" the guy exclaimed, his calm exterior falling apart instantly.
"Or what?" Ayden pushed.
"I'll shoot," he declared firmly.
"Will you? Or is it all a bluff. Even if you do, what makes you so sure you won't miss?"
"I've trained – relentlessly at that. I'm one of the top shots here."
"One of? Second to whom might I ask?" Ayden sneered.
Silence.
"What control do you think you have over me?" Ayden continued. "I'm not quite sure what I've done to deserve such a privilege that you'd dedicate a bullet to me, but you better hope it was worth it."
With that, Ayden stepped forward and the boy, now shaking with anger, pulled back on the trigger.
"Ayden!" I shrieked, fighting the urge to look away. Him and his goddamn pride!
He had is arms crossed as he stood one step closer to the boy. Ayden's eyes remained locked to boy's throughout the entire action. The boy's eyes grew wide as mine did the same. He'd fired the gun but managed to completely miss Ayden. The bullet cracked against the wall just behind him.
"T-that's impossible…" the boy stuttered. "It was aimed just above your heart. I know it was…"
"Maybe you're not as great of a shot as you originally thought. I'd say try again, but as I was saying, I'm not much in the mood," Ayden calmly taunted.
Trembling, the boy raised the gun anyway, quickly firing off three shots. Ayden had just enough time to sigh before maneuvering around most of the attacks and advancing towards the helpless boy. One bullet managed to graze the cloth of his jacket once he finally reached him.
With quick, swift movements, Ayden twisted the gun from the boys hand and had him flat on his back in seconds. Standing upright again, he placed his hands back over his chest and sighed.
"I told you I wasn't in the mood," Ayden spat at the terrified child.
Mick had pushed himself off the ground by now and was holding out a hand to help me up. I grabbed it and stood next to him, brushing dirt and dust from my knees and palms. Ayden tilted his head towards us.
"You ready to go?"
The other guy and the woman had stepped back. Still gripping a small knife tightly, the woman hung her head in shame as she left the path clear for us to pass. Ayden led the way, uninterestedly pushing forward.
"Don't think I won't report your presence…" she whispered.
Ayden paused as she spoke. He turned with a warm but counterfeit grin towards her. She gasped as their gazes locked, unsure of what to do and raising her weapon slightly.
"Please do. I love a good introduction so you better make me sound like a badass," he agreed with a sarcastic wink before pushing forward. Mick and I quickly moved to follow behind.
"Melinda Aven," Mick murmured to the girl as we passed. "Put her down as a guest of mine."
Still struck, she nodded hesitantly before moving towards the desk and jotting down the information. And that's where we left them. With a hand on my shoulder, Mick led me in the same direction as Ayden.
We went down a short hallway decorated similar to the last. While completely bare of furniture, the golden walls were lined with candle sticks that filled the passageway with a warm glow. At the end appeared a door with golden fixtures and a knob to match. Ayden pushed through it without hesitation.
"What the hell is this now," he grumbled with an exasperated sigh. "I just want to get out of these clothes."
"Someone's a little edgy," I whispered to Mick as we followed through the door.
Just inside was a darker room. Unlike the first room and the hallway, this room had a colder feel. The walls seemed unfinished made of basic bricks and cement much like the room with all the mirrors. As before, it's completely vacant except for a white marble water fountain on the back wall.
"It's just because we're back at the Creed," Mick replied.
"I'm getting a little sick of these puzzles," Ayden growled as he marched up to the fountain. "What are we supposed to do now?"
"Well maybe the people back there would have helped us if you weren't such an ass to them," shrugged Mick.
"Hey, they started it," Ayden justified. "If that idiot just let me go about my business…"
Mick stepped forward to examine the fountain. It was beautiful. Crystal clear water flowed out of the top, glazing the ivory stone. It pooled down and into a bowl at the base.
"He was doing his job," Mick defended absently as he began feeling around the fountain.
"Obnoxiously," Ayden amended, crossing his arms across his chest.
Mick rolled his eyes but dipped his finger in the water. Examining it closely, he brought it to his nose and inhaled.
"This smells a lot like…"
Trailing off, he brought his finger to his lips and licked the substance.
"Drink some," he ordered me and Ayden. "We have to drink some."
We both threw him skeptical looks before stepping closer to the fountain and taking handfuls of the clear substance. I originally assumed it was water, but after tasting it, I realized it was far too sweet to simply be water. It had a crisp and almost fruity taste. Mick also drank a handful.
"It's the nectar of a flower found only in the angels' land. Drinking it gives the person certain abilities. Depending on which color flowers this was taken from, it could vary exactly what that ability is. It could be anything from-" Mick paused suddenly.
Judging from the look on his face, he was feeling the same strange tingling feeling I suddenly got. It was hard to explain but something felt strange and off. I suddenly felt more flexible.
"Hey, do you guys feel funny?" I asked quietly, struggling to stay on my feet.
Neither of them had time to answer before we each collapsed to the ground. Instead of hitting it though, it was as if the ground turned to liquid as we hit it, wrapping itself around us and joining us in our downfall. Reaching out, it felt as if a thin film had wrapped around me, clinging to my fingertips and preventing me from grasping anything. While I was aware I was falling, I didn't feel as scared as I usually did. Maybe I was just getting used to it.
Landing still hurt. As if we'd just gotten spit out of a whirlwind, we were tossed onto a hard stone floor. Tumbling into a heap, we all let out groans of pain. This wasn't exactly the most comfortable entering of a building I'd ever done. Were we still in that cramped clock tower?
"Finally!" exclaimed Ayden as he stood up, adjusting his suit jacket and tie.
Looking down at me, he held a hand out and tugged me up. Once I was steady on my feet, I glanced around. It was very similar to being on a city street except indoors. People of different ages, races and more all bustled around together. They seemed to all have their own agenda and weren't worried about everyone else's. Only a few people paused to look in our direction.
Sighing, Ayden dipped his head slightly as if he were ducking or trying to avoid someone.
"Come on, let's get going," he murmured, leading the way yet again.
He moved down the first hallway that came up, strategically avoiding people's attention and gazes as we trotted down the corridor.
"Where are we anyway?" I asked.
He sent me a gaze as if to ask why I was being so loud, but instead remained silent.
"We're at the base of the Creed," Mick answered instead.
"So we're still in the clock tower?"
"Below it," Ayden corrected, slowing down once we'd reached a quieter hall.
"Below it?" I echoed. "What do you mean?"
"We've gradually been going deeper and deeper underground through each gate. Now we're finally all the way to the main base," Mick explained briefly.
I looked up at the ceiling. The idea of having this structure exist underground was astounding. I couldn't help but wonder exactly how deep under we were. It looked just like any other building. Glancing at Mick and Ayden, they appeared to have other things on their mind so I decided to ask them more about this place later.
"This way," Ayden stated, turning down another hall.
His pace slowed as we passed each door so he could check the numbers written on them until finally he'd found the one he wanted. Grasping the knob and swinging it open without hesitation, we all stepped inside.
"Took you long enough," remarked a calm voice as we entered.