Two male silhuettes emerged from the fog, which once again has taken all of London. The older, balding male looked around himself and looked at the watch to check the hour. The younger one was glaring nervously at the suitcase he was carrying.
"They're supposed to be here already."
"You sure this is the place?" Asked the younger, red haired man.
"Yes! I don't understand! They should be here! This is the place!".
"Chip Donald?" a young woman in black coat suddenly appeared out of the fog, followed by another male, simirarly dressed in black, which also was carrying a suitcase.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiBToxiM6h
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"I'd rather be called Malva." the balding male said nervously.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3lb6cu0hs
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"Understood. Do you have the package?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdljxfIOTEy
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"Do you have the you-know-what?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGZLWoDKqh
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The woman turned her head towards her companion, who nodded understandingly and opened the suitcase616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqNTIGgZ4Z
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"One million pounds. Cash."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86AdCCA6Zs
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"Only one million!?" The young, ginger male seemed irritated. "Do you even know how hard we have worked to get this thing for you?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20fzd2itYB
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"Our offer is final."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgqt7JHNP2
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"Fine, Fine!" hissed Malva. "Just give us the money."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7el7cAH5M
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"Let us see the inside of the suitcase first."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DwysH4gQz
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The younger male who came with Malva seemed irritated, but the older one hushed him with one look. 616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANfHOP7dwR
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Malva kneeled down and opened the case.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqTmfTNed6
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"Pure Tepraparatapranium." He said, pointing at what looked like green-yellowish jelly inside the case. "Fresh from the Mines of Ora Ora. Didn't even touch it. Happy now?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxDPgG7JFC
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"Thank you." The woman replied. "Please close the suitcase and hand it over to us."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJ3oryUL7D
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"First you hand yours!" The younger male shouted.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Q3l0rBDUi
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"As you wish." 616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6fStuccVg
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The man in the black coat stepped forward and handed the case to Malva, who, in turn, handed him the one he was holding.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGoH5CFaNX
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"Thank you for your cooperation." The woman said.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoIsIBWoTd
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"Likewise." Malva took a bow.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT9apN9djD
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The balding male patted the younger man's shoulder and they both turned around to leave, talking with each other happily.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGxFfwUTqV
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The woman in the black coat nodded at her partner. The male slowly has slowly reached into his pocket and picked up a small device that looked like a bigger pen or stencil. He pointed and pressed the top of the device two times.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HGCtwTkB0
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Both of the other men instantly fell to the ground, unconcious.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11SMwkTNb8
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The woman calmly walked towards the bodies. She picked up the suitcase with money and kicked the younger male, so he was now laying on his back. She examined his body until she noticed a small difference on his face.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2IgHZP9Y3
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"Shapeshifters." The female said with disgust, looking at the man's black pupils.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhZkR49cUF
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The woman corrected the position she was holding her briefcase, returned to her partner and they both walked away from the scene,slowly and silently.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzXjVQjZEO
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****616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGIdJ16XQZ
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"I swear, the food keeps getting worse and worse with every day." Jamon complained, as he, together with Aleksander, left the Cafeteria located on floor I and were slowly walking through the department towards their common room. 616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkndf9VTP0o
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"Oh, come on, it was not that bad." the blonde boy replied, although silently he agreed with his friend. The quality of the food definitely was not the departments' strongest aspect.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡir1VRztmib
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"No, really. It was even worse than when I ate Kaszanka without knowing what it is."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9TBEotEJG
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"Hey!" The other boy laughed for a bit "I like kaszanka! That's one of the most popular sausages where my father comes from!"
"Dude!" The middle eastern boy looked at him horrified "But it is all blood!
"Not all of it."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZE2eFRQ7MR
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"Well, of course not all of it. There is also fat, skin, some poor animal's lungs and liver.."
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"Hey..."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7j9T1bnpVg
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"...kidneys, maybe brain even."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKjuHo1Auf
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"Hey!" Aleksander grabbed him by the shirt and pointed at the staircase leading downstairs "Is this not your father?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBc5mPygON
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Hussein Abedi was indeed going down to the basement, for reasons only he potentially knew, and he did it rather in hurry, as he ran downstairs quickly.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUejDY7407A
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"I don't care." The middle eastern boy lost all of his usual joyful spirit.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceOW3tnbqk
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"Wait... but here it says <<RESTRICTED, ONLY APPROVED PERSONEL>>."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNq7QmwFBX
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"Maybe he has approval." The other boy muttered. "Come on, let's go, I don't want to bum into him when he will be coming back."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsx2nVJDEh
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The boys made only a few steps,however, before they heard somebody shouting.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBIXUPEKQW
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"Aleks! HEY, ALEKS!"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwTKj1iXCt
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They turned around and saw the Italian girl, Bianka running towards them.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mVS6ah78d
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"Oh, hey." Aleksander smiled "What's up?"
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"I've been looking all over the department for you." she panted "Where have you been?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemH3IAv8kG
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"In the cafeteria... what happened?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKylQtfCe5
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"Probably eating another sausage made from pig's blood?" The girl winced "Look,the Head Officer wants to talk to you. She said it's urgent."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahyUPWapZU
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"Okay, let's go."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvw6WoYAXy
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"I think she only wants to see you this time." The girl replied and Aleksander raised his eyebrows. "I'll be going to the cafeteria."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OXOB6MEna
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"Well,okay then."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt5YUifv4P
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The girl ran towards where the cafeteria was located, and the blonde boy moved forward, wondering why Head Officer Ayumi Aruta would summon only him to her office , and not anybody else.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsD5Wopi1jQ
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"I wonder what she wants. Did I do something wrong?" The boy looked around and realized there is nobody to answer. He turned around. "Jamon?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2IEPHn6Dn
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The middle eastern boy was standing still in the same place, pale as a rock.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlk7Azz58wJ
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"Jamon, you okay?" Aleksander asked slowly.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKtSsNpp5z
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"Kaszanka... is made... out of a Pig?" 616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2bz15d8fW
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The other teenager looked terrified and Aleks suddenly understood. He closed his eyes and carefully responded.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Qj91TBMRN
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"...Yes?..."
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"Oh my God!" Jamon paled even further. "But I... I did not... oh my God. OH MY GOD!"
The middle eastern boy turned around and ran away.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5q6v0hEYB
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"Jamon, I'm sorry!" Aleksander shouted after him "I did not know, honestly!"
He was about to run off after his friend, but remembered Ayumi Aruta wanted to speak with him. Hesitantly, he turned around and headed through to her office. He was familiar with the department's corridor now.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbIMKr3YRM
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The boy reached the door, and extended his hand to knock, but before he managed too, somebody shouted hysterically from the woman's room. The scream was short, but it seemed like someone was being torn apart inside the office. Aleks raised his eyebrows, but decided to knock anyway. Nothing could surprise him about those people anymore.
"Yes, come in!" Aruta responded cheerfully from the other side.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vMetLojkB
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Aleks opened the door, and understood he was wrong once again.
Inside, Ayumi Aruta was pulling the tail of something that looked like a half-rabbit, half chicken with no fur. The creature turned his little face towards him and squeaked again.
"I'll come back later then." The boy turned around.
"Oh, no, no, no!" Ayumi shouted "Please, don't be scared of Sonia!"
"Sonia." The boy muttered.
"I got her as a gift from Robert last week." The old woman smiled "Well, more as an apology for what happened."
"What... is she?" Aleks' eyes were still wide.
"What? Umm.... that's a good question actually. We never found out. Robert ter Maan found her during his first investigation, her egg burried under the surface. Since then, we can't understand what she is. Every test came back empty or with errors. It's like she herself did not wish to be experimented on. But she seemed friendly, so we stopped. Robert kept her since then."
"Okay." The boy simply nodded his head.
"Now, Aleksander, you might be wondering why I summoned you here, alone." Aruta lost her optimism "It's just that the matter is quite...personal." The woman sighed "You surely remember Lord Lanthra?"
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The blonde felt his blood freeze.
"What about him?" he asked, clenching his fist.
"His right-hand man has been found unconcious on the streets of London. He was found with over one million British Pounds which were confirmed to be stolen. We have arrested him and brought him here." Aruta shook her head "Had that be it, I wouldn't summon you here. But he claims he has lost a suitcase full of Tepraparatapranium - one of Lanthra's most valued possessions."
"What's so special about that Tepra-thing?"
"It's one of the most rare and expensive materials in the whole omniverse. It can be used to cure all known sicknesses, stop aging, and what's most important to us: bring organisms back to life. I don't know how on earth Lanthra got at least one suitcase of this material, but I am sure that with this amount of Tepraparatapranium, you could resurect a dead human."
Aleksander looked at her pale, her words sinking into him.
"Wait, you mean, that using this, I... I could..."
"Not quite. In order for it to actually work, you need to use it with some other ingredients. They, however are not as hard to find, so... it's not impossible."
"Why are you helping me?" The boy asked "I mean, if I were to succeed, I will have..."
"Yes, we will have to erase your mind." Ayumi nodded "You would not remember me, your new friends, or anything that happened here. But you will have your mother back. The choice is yours."
Aleksander blinked. Choice? Sure he came to like Jamon, and Bianka, and Dagmar, and... but his mother would always be the most important person to him. And if that's the only chance he had...
"What do you want me to do?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbej56GYhI
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The old woman nodded. She stood up and activated a large monitor, showing the pictures of two people.
"The situation is not good. The material was apparently sold to some of the members of Pearl's Haven."
"Of what?"
"Pearl's Heaven. Long story short - it's a cult. A very dangerous one. Once you're in, you can never get out, they make pretty damn sure of it." Aruta was digusted "One can only wonder how they would use the Tepraparatapranium. But, the best guess is that they want to use somebody as a host."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TMHM4dM2D
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"A host for what?"
She sighed.
"They believe that a person that they kill and then resurrect can be used as a vessel for a creature they refer to as Master. Said Master will apparently lead them on a quest to purge the world, leaving anyone but them dead, and then he'll bring them to some sort of heaven."
"It's just a cult, though..." The boy muttered "That Master can't exist, can he?"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkJbWpULak
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Ayumi looked at him.
"You've seen Shapeshifters, aliens and unicorns, and yet you still say that? Of course he does exist! He just can't manifest himself yet." The woman sighed again "This is a very dangerous operation, Aleks. I'm starting to regret that I am telling you all this. Just... forget about it. I'll send someone more experienced..."616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweAMgRDciz
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"NO!" Aleksander yelled "I'll do this! Just... tell me what do I have to do!"616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZd76ijoVdF
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Ayumi looked at him carefully and sighed again.616Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eOj9QZRka
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"O, brothers and sisters!" A young, brown-clothed woman walked to the center of the stage "Let us celebrate, for the Promised Day is upon us! Let us pray that the world sees the power and the truth of the Prophecy!" A few dozens people kneeled down, their heads lowered. "And tonight, we welcome a new Selected! Please, greet Aleksander Jennsen! Son, you may remove your hood now!"
The blonde slowly walked on stage. He was not feeling too comfortable in the thin, brown clothing.
"Aleksander!" The woman yelled "How come you've seen the light!?"
"I..." The teenager was starting to regret his decission quite heavily. He remembered Aruta's words: once you're in, you can never get out. They make pretty damn sure of that. Shit. "I came upon an article about you. I just got interested."
The boy turned to face the woman
" BEHOLD!" She yelled. The look in her eyes was insane. "Even through the Lies of the Fallen, the Truth will shine!"
"That's her!" Aleksander heard a voice in his left ear "That's the woman that's attacked me and my boy! I recognize her voice"
The mic and camera were placed, Aruta assured him, in such a way that it was undetectable. Still, those people were crazy. One false move, and...
Suddenly, a bell rung. Aleksander just now noticed another, old male sitting in an decorated chair on the left side of the stage.
"Brothers and Sisters!" The woman yelled "The Great One wishes to speak! Let's feed our souls on his words!"
The man stood up and everyone got quiet.
"Welcome, my children!" Despite his age, his voice was strong and clear "Welcome! It is such a joy to see the numbers of the people desiring the Truth grow so rapidly! There is not many of us yet. but soon, he world will hear the Prophecy!" Everyone raised their heads again. "The Master speaks into me! He says..." the man lowered his voice into a whisper , and his eyes became hateful. "He says there is a Snake in the Garden of Truth! ." Everyone gasped once againe. "One of us shouldn't be here.... One of us is rotten!" His smile returned again "Don't worry though! The Snake's fate will b e over by this time tommorow! And then, when the bell announces the Twelfth Hour, noone will be able to stop him! Noone!" The man started laughing maniacally, and soon was joined by dozens of throats.
Aleksander felt like he was going to pass out.
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