Personality #3: "...Let yourself be used as a tool?"
The two personalities had their own reaction. One was thrown off by her statement; that was Freya. Athena, on her part, was amazed.
"That's right, if you're capable of explaining all this chaos to us and providing us with the necessary knowledge, along with your help, I'll let you use me as a tool for whatever it is you're planning"
Personality #16: "Oh..., so you wish to give yourself in order to be useful? Not for nothing, girl, no matter how much we explained to you, what is it you expect to achieve? Do you even know what the responsibilities or consequences of the truths you speak of are? Is it so urgent for you to be useful?"
Although they were valid questions, they weren't out of concern for her, but her own humor in a few sentences against her presumptuousness. She was mocking Cloe, or this idea of hers amused her greatly.
Personality #3: "As much as this conversation doesn't advance as you expect, I must agree with Athena; it's not knowledge that should be handled carelessly, much less be known by someone... mundane. What do you expect to achieve with corrupted knowledge?"
"I..."
Cloe didn't know what she should say; she understood what she wanted, the good for everyone, only she still didn't understand the limit of comprehending that knowledge and what she would do upon obtaining it. Everything came down to her final decision of being or not being a tool, but she felt those personalities were pointing out her error in thinking and, above all, instilling in her the possible consequences of her decisions.
"What do you mean by mundane?"
The question came from Kalika, who didn't know if they were saying it pejoratively or literally.
She was concerned that the knowledge they spoke of was something that would put the minds of her subordinates and also those accompanying her at risk; after all, there was a certain truth in the legends about blood heirs.
Personality #16 and #3: "..."
Without an answer, they only made a gesture with their eyes, as if she already had a small idea of what they were talking about.
"Please answer"
Cloe insisted on hearing what they had.
Personality #3: ".....Haa, well, everyone is free to assume their own destiny, even if it's determined by the heavens or by your decisions. If you truly want to know it, you must demonstrate it, not only by giving your lives at others' mercy but also through actions"
Personality #16: "As my companion says, no matter how much I want Cloe in my plans, the knowledge I can give her isn't among my objectives. But of course, if you're willing to bet your lives, each one of you, we could tell you"
The decision they spoke of seemed more than a simple confirmation from each of those present; it was as if they wanted a guarantee.
"...What is it you want?"
This time the voice was heard from the back, in the corner of the table; it was Rudolf, maintaining a somewhat disheveled appearance, with a grown beard and eyes with slight dark circles.
It was obvious the weeks he had been there were still tormenting him; the death of a child is not something one forgets.
Personality #16: "Oh, you little lapdog, all to discover your son's grave? You already know, don't you? Peter is dead and the location of the boy was only known by him and those who interacted with him at some point in his past; with Heiss's help you could find his body... however, you seem determined to something more than finding someone who is no longer with you. Tell me, what is it you want? And what would you be willing to pay?"
While at first Alexander, or as Heiss kept calling him, Rudolf, maintained a firm determination when he discovered his son was dead, part of that determination to come out alive was rooted in the rage toward whoever killed and left his son's corpse in who knows where. With the constant pressure of imminent death from District 3, his thoughts led him to take the nearest escape decision. That option was Heiss.
However, now it was different; more than a month and a half had already passed since they escaped from the drug traffickers' base, and his stance could have changed, that plus the inevitable news of a global genocide.
"At first I thought I would go in search of my son and save him from the clutches of Peter and his accomplices; after I found out about his death, I pursued the idea of finding his body and giving him proper burial. The days passed, and although the idea was still in my head, my objectives turned in a different direction. The blame was partly mine for not protecting him and distancing myself as much as possible from problems; despite everything, we would inevitably die at the hands of others or even the district itself"
Personality #3: "Does that mean you want to change something?"
"In the first two weeks here I didn't want to, because without my wife and son there's nothing for me in this world; therefore, all of us just like me could die regardless of what happened. It was in that course of intrusive thoughts and unpleasant feelings that I remembered the words my son told me one day we went to the beach; Yordan is my son's name"
Everyone looked at him with a bittersweet sensation, especially the 3 companions who had accompanied him several weeks since they called him to take care of a special task; that was dealing with Heiss.
"He was smiling and playing with his friends, with a ball where only the fabric underneath could be seen and where its patches had almost completely disappeared. Playing with them, he mentioned he would like to play with his friends forever. I observed him calmly and with a smile; on the contrary, inside I was in an immense conflict and sadness; that was because he had already told me what his friends' conditions were like. The hunger, their life at home, the gang problem that harassed their families, and their recurring escapes into drugs to forget their problems"
Throughout the entire time, nobody intervened, and, to some people's surprise, the two personalities listened to him attentively without making any interruption, respecting his own pain and relief.
Alexander could only recount the words with nostalgia and a slight grave tone; with everything, he didn't shed a single tear, perhaps because he could no longer shed any in front of the ones he had already cried in the nights in his own room.
"No matter how much better our situation was, it wasn't possible to help them, except occasionally sating their hunger. That was confirmed every time I saw them play, how unjust, unequal, how shitty the world was"
Personality #3 and #16: "And what was your answer?"
His answer would define the future result of Alexander himself.
"I found that I didn't want the world to continue in this so disgusting, so inhuman way; if only there were a way to change it, I would. And I know that you know it, or at least have an idea of how to change things... that said, we save humanity first. Hope is the answer, not in others, but in giving hope to the children who wander the world waiting to be fed, cared for, loved, and cherished"
Personality #3: "Then, are you aware that, to achieve it, you'll have to defy everything governed by the world? And that besides, you'll have to make radical decisions so as not to become what you despise?"
"I'm aware, even if that means getting involved in a fight against the largest terrorist organization of all time"
Personality #16: "Good, good, that's what I wanted to hear. Come closer, Ru... Hehe, I mean, Alexander"
Rudolf walks slowly and stands alongside Cloe, who was listening and maintained an even firmer disposition, understanding what the personalities wanted.
"Knowledge has a price"
This time the one to speak was Lucius.
Kalika, on her side, had also understood.
Personality #3: "Exactly, what we want isn't something that can be given, but it can be taken. Your life is the price of this understanding; if you come to spread it or make improper use of what was told, we'll make you pay with your own lives"
Personality #16: "With that in mind, what do the rest of you say? Are you willing to give your lives and put everything on the line in order to achieve what you desire?"
Personality #3: "It's not exclusively your insignificant life; it's doing it with an idea in mind, a proposal, a goal, an ideal with which you must be willing to die. I won't ask you what your ideal, faith, or belief is at this moment; I only tell you that the moment you tell me and your actions don't align with what was proposed..."
Personality #16: "We'll eliminate you"
Tension took over the room.
"Can't we think about it?"
The question came from Jesús, although he felt capable of assimilating whatever was said; it was a very heavy responsibility, and, above all, he still didn't properly know what he wanted.
Personality #16: "That lack of certainty is what can get you killed someday, boy. Only this time we can give you 1 day to decide what to do. Of course you can follow us in our fight and do whatever you wish, whether to escape or if you want to fight for someone in particular. Only if you don't accept, you won't be informed of everything and will simply have to go blindly and trust those who accepted the truth"
Personality #3: "Of course, we also won't accept half-hearted tasks in order to survive; you'll have to make an effort to do it well. It's possible you'll perish faster knowing this, or maybe not; in any case, this fight will push you to your limit"
Suddenly, Heiss stood up; he was no longer trembling. He moved to the front where everyone could see him.
Personality #3 and #16: "We desire a general good; as Rudolf said, we know how to make everything change; only you and the rest of the world will have to be the ones who move to make it possible"
Personality #16: "I need Cloe, but it's also likely I need all of you; seeing you, you remind me of my beginnings in our past with Heiss and Freya, therefore, and in consideration of the attempt of this poor girl who I like..."
She was talking about Cloe; apparently she had changed her mind about taking her by force, at least for the moment.
Personality #16: "...I'll give you the opportunity to show me I'm wrong and that you're not simple tools that will serve a purpose and then be discarded. Just because I like drama and fun doesn't mean I discard Heiss's options, not for now, since we have time"
Finished saying that, she turned toward Kalika, who observed him without any doubt in her eyes, only listening and analyzing what was mentioned, especially about the decision of her subordinates.
Then, as if knowing she was being hinted at, she rose from her chair without having finished the strawberries and cream.
"As much as we must think about it, I reiterate, I'm in this with Heiss and whatever his personalities are; there's no point in trying to build my family if we all die. With my decision in your minds, I want you to take a personal stance, whether or not you want to follow me; I won't force you to enter another war; besides, I also won't force you to obtain the knowledge that he or they want to tell us. I'll communicate this to the other inquisitors; they have to think about it and make their decision by tomorrow when we have the meeting. Does this measure seem alright to you? Athena, Freya, Heiss?"
Personality #3 and #16: "Yes, on our part, Heiss will communicate once he wakes from the mental prison"
It was strange to hear two crossed voices coming from a single mouth, although at this point nobody questioned it anymore; they only felt pressured.
Personality #3 and #16: "With all of this, we can let Heiss tell you at least the general aspects, as well as what you'll face; then you can sleep on it"
Personality #16: "Without further ado, we bid farewell. I look forward to your decisions with enthusiasm, hahahaha"
It concluded when Heiss's eyes returned to their normal color; the blood from his nose had stopped falling and had dried.
Before he fell, Alexander and Cloe held him, leaving him on the floor, against the wall, seated; he was unconscious.
"The mental pressure must have made him fall, as that personality said"
Alexander settled him and then turned to the others; they were now a bit calmer that he hadn't exploded into a crazed butcher or whatever, only this time tranquility hadn't fully returned; now they had something more on their hands.
"Tonight we'll know everything... Miss Kalika, what should we do for the moment?"
Kalika observed her subordinate's sky-colored eyes.
"Nothing, just wait"
"Wait? But it's a pressing situation. What will we do now with all the plans we had?"
Ethan was the one who was euphoric; since Heiss had arrived, everything kept getting complicated. And the answer wasn't to ignore the problem; they couldn't anymore, since they knew too much.
"As I said, you'll communicate to the other inquisitors about the proposal; once everyone has their decision, we'll listen and act, most likely as he says"
Far from improving his tranquility, the complaint continued.
"So he'll be in charge? Just like that?!"
Turning her gaze calmly, Kalika observed him; this time her eyes weren't the beautiful crystal greens; they were black and soulless, empty.
When Ethan realized his mistake, he lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, I overstepped"
"...It's alright; it's understandable how you feel, but it's ignorant to cover your eyes and pretend the problem isn't there"
The atmosphere calmed, and her eyes returned to normal.
"For the moment..."
She sat back down and took the glass that was still in front of her. Without any sign of concern, she continued eating her strawberries and cream.
This is under the attentive gaze of everyone.
Some almost tired words traveled from the back.
"Everyone here is truly crazy"
But to his companions' surprise and that of the other group in the room, he sat down and also began eating the sweet desserts on the table.
His companions looked at him with a "Seriously?" expression.
Jesús, on his part, answered them without bothering to look at them.
"I'm not going to pass up a lemon mousse; you must be out of your minds"
The scene continued without anyone saying anything; they continued eating their desserts until they scraped the glass and the plate clean.
Once they finished, everyone took a break and went to their rooms or group meetings if they wished; the only one who left to take care of other duties was Kalika, who had to make new adjustments after what she had heard today. There was only one person who might better understand Heiss and, although unlikely, could help her see what she didn't understand, whether about her new partner or the general context. It was possible that Ana knew about what Heiss was talking about, and, above all, Kalika believed she would end up being a factor to take into account when they fought against the district; it was intuition, above all. As surprising as it was, she was a person she didn't like much; her name was Ana Avirama.
Heiss's friend and possibly the only person who could truly read and understand her. Only she could give her the piece to understand some of the words Aurelius said to her in their combat.