Alice entered a classroom and immediately felt an intense pressure emanating from the inside, but felt brave enough to take a bold stance.
"Kids, please pick up your books page fifty-four, and..."
While stretching her arms, her gaze fell on Ismael, Ashnael and Amphelise sitting at a round table, all looking back at her. She quickly tried to escape until Anaïs slammed her hands on the door, and on the glass she saw her white eyes piercing into her soul.
"Three cardinals and one witch. You gotta be kidding me."
The Cardinals all raised one hand and tapped the table, as to tell her to sit. After a few hesitations, she obliged and sat with them, breathing abnormally.
"I remember you talking shit. I remember you telling me at Cressenie that I was so far off reality, that killing my friends was an act of cruelty, especially since I was so blinded by my own pride and ego. Now talk. Tell me how you feel about me."
"Your friends, whether they died or not, felt immense despair simply because you existed. During the collective connection of Efalis I could feel the extreme confusion they had when they were suddenly reminded of who they were."
"Nobody cared about the sins they committed, the trafficking and the deaths they caused. It was all about saying the name of Ismael, and how much of a lunatic he was. I'm glad I'm passed that, now."
"I can tell you are."
"Speaking of murder", Ashnael continued. "The easiness that I possessed felt great, killing was the only thing I had to do to feed the Sin. But now, ironically so, I am bound to avoid killing, otherwise the Sin will begin to be painful, like keeping a dying person alive for the sake of it."
"You were always so disrespectful and devoid of honor, yet you clang on to that, claiming you were the best Cardinal and had the most amount of success as one. But reality set, and at some point you realized what you really were, an insecure young man, ready to slaughter any form of life that went your way. In the end, you're right. That Sin that was so easy to feed will be your demise for you can no longer kill. The subject of your extreme pride will be the tool of your downfall, Ashnael."
"Don't take this the wrong way, Amphelise, but the only reason you were a Cardinal in the first place was to fill the quota of women in the group."
"Don't make me do this. I don't have to enslave you to kill you. One quick move and it's over for you."
"The fact of the matter is, Anaïs wants us to design one person to keep moving forward in Perseus, and that could be any of us. I'm not sure of the criteria, but..."
"Thanks for the intel, Ismael. You're the Lord of Sacrifice aren't you? Why don't you commit suicide so we can pass?"
"Because that's not the way it works, Ashnael. That's the opposite actually. I sacrifice people to get what I want. And that could be you."
"Try?"
"If you ask so nicely."
Ismael jumped from his chair on Ashnael and gave a few punches, as he was receiving some himself. Amphelise turns to Alice.
"Anyway, as the men fight, let's talk. I think Anaïs needs us to fight something unbelievably inhuman. Otherwise why go through all this process."
"Sure, but one thing I've noticed is that not everyone is here. Awane isn't in the school and that's what's bothering me the most. Wherever she is, she seems to be extremeky resourceful."
"So you're worried about her."
"I'm sure by now you've felt it, since Cardinals have a higher sensitivity to natural things."
"Something is lurking beyond the school, there seems to be a structure and whatever is out there is beyond messed up. If you were smart you'd play it smart and stay. This is a bit too much, don't you think?"
"Yeah. At Cressenie we were just a bunch of gun maniacs. Now there's witches and Cardinals and whatever it might be behind all this. It's tiring. So are you staying?"
"I don't want anything. But I really do want Ashnael to die so I can live peacefully."
"That I understand."
"You know, it would...it would be nice for a change, you know, to have someone to protect instead of torturing. So I'll follow you. Wherever you go, I'll go."
"Thank you, Amphelise."
Ismael held the body of Ashnael and threw it across the room, screaming "I won!"
"Look at these two idiots."
"Suddenly I don't even feel scared anymore. Thank you. I appreciate that."
"But seriously though, what do we do, now?" Ashnael asked, unsure.
"Well...we can't just all pass, someone has to go. How about this, we tell Anaïs we decided on one person to stay, and when she comes in, we tell her we'll all be useful to her in the future."
"Wrong. Horrible theory, Ashnael", Amphelise judged.
"Why not?"
"Because Anaïs is a witch, she has almost total control over this process, so right now, she heard you saying this and won't proceed into it. Moreover, she recognizes true emotions such as diligence and altruism from ego and you being a lying cheater. Besides, we don't know what's out there, so to say we're prepared for it is insanity. And I have a feeling she hates insanity from others, I think she loves for her victims to be sane so she can use them, break them. We need to come up with a plan as fast as possible, because I think she also isn't very patient."
"I'll stay."
"Ashnael, I-"
"It's fine. I'd love to show what I'm capable of but if it is in those conditions, I'd rather stay and decompose."
"Alice, I thought your speech was perfect. I'd rather say it now than never."
"Right. Just when I was being mature." Ashnael and Ismael sit back and catch their breath.
"I didn't want to be like this, Amphelise. I wanted to have something tangible, to rely on. But I didn't even know how to be a Cardinal so asking me to be human is too much."
"So that's it? Just because of that you'll stay?"
"I heard you earlier. I know it's out there. Waiting for us. But I trust you'll make the right decisions with Alice and Ismael. I'm too stubborn and egoist to follow orderd anyway."
Anaïs slided the door and entered.
"Looks like you guys managed to find one person to stay."
"We did. It's me. I'm staying", Ashnael said, raising his hand and then standing up, taking his hood off to reveal purple eyes and thin face traits.