Children of Elisium

When 373 woke up, she found herself wrapped in a warmth that was different from the covers of her bed. A comforting and nostalgic scent surrounded her and filled her senses. As she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a mop of unruly amber hair that looked slightly orange in the lighting of the room.

373 sat upright. The youth beside her stirred at her sudden movement. His multi-colored irises met her gaze.

“You’re awake.” Michael’s voice was slightly raspy.

373 blinked a few times and realized there was something weird with how Michael Caelum slept. The male was sitting on the floor while his upper body was slumped on his bed. She flashed him a confused look. “You’re sleeping on the floor.”

The teenage male stifled a yawn before running a hand through his hair. “It would be improper for me to share the bed with you.”

“Why?” 373 might have been a genius in alchemy and spells, but she had zero experience in relationships between adults. The girl had no idea the question was a psychological attack which was super effective on a teenage boy.

“Because… you know – men and women shouldn’t share a bed if they’re not...-,“Michael Caelum repeatedly coughed and cleared his throat. His face became as red as his hair. “You know what? Forget it. You’ll understand it when you’re older.”

The little female shook her head. Her eyes darted to the lonely clock on the wall and her eyes widened. Her small hands yanked the blanket away from her body and flung it on the bed. She leaped off the mattress, much to Michael Caelum’s surprise, and said, “I need to go back.”

“It’s 6:25. There’s still an hour and thirty-five minutes before your first class,” Michael replied to the girl who looked like she was in a hurry.

“Wake up call is at 6:40. They’ll realize I’m gone.” 373 whined before pointing to the door. “Let’s go.”

“I’ve never been to the children’s bedrooms before and I’m not allowed to go there. I can’t use Adicio to deliver you there,” Michael said helplessly.

373 nodded in agreement. “There are adults there too, so if you do, someone will find out you used a spell.”

Michael Caelum rubbed his face and closed his eyes in thought before taking out a piece of paper and pen from his desk drawer. The male quickly sketched something on the blank sheet as the small female stared at the drawing appreciatively. The lines were crisp and clear. They were different from her attempt at a makeshift map which ended up completely unintelligible. It only took him a few seconds to make a map of Elisium’s hallways which he explained to her as clearly and as concisely as he could.

“There’s a passageway that connects the researchers’ living spaces to the classrooms and students’ areas here in Elisium,” he began.

“I can lead you up to here-,” Michael pointed to a corridor he had sketched on the map and drew a line that extended from one corridor to another, “-but you’ll have to head from this hallway to the hidden door over here by yourself. The senior researchers and teachers usually frequent that door by this hour so you’ll have to keep your presence to a minimum while maintaining celare to keep yourself hidden. Can you do that?”

373 nodded in reply and cast celare on herself while the young male took the white lab-coat he had hung inside his cabinet and smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt. The made their way out of the door and 373 followed the boy as quietly as she could. She took three steps for every step that Michael Caelum took. Rather than walking, she was half-running-half-jogging just to keep with him. But what could she do? 373 couldn’t exactly ask him to carry her, now could she?

373 was busy trying to keep up with Michael Caelum’s pace that when he stopped, she almost bumped into him. She had seen multiple researchers walking about the hallways of Elisium but none of them had the same presence as the woman who stood in front of them. The female looked about the same age as Michael, but she had an air about her that said she was older. The woman had unnatural navy-blue hair and dark blue eyes. The thick red spectacles on her eyes were as eye catching as the woman wearing them. But what made the woman attention grabbing was the energy she was concealing beneath her calm exterior.

373 recognized the girl: it was the crazy lady who went down and kicked the door in Astaroth’s room. The woman had called herself the next Great Apothecary. The child remembered the amount of energy the hysterical female had released because Astaroth had ignored her. There were no traces of the insanity the lady had shown the other day. The woman in front of them just smiled and nodded before heading off.

The little girl looked at her face. For a split second, 373 saw the other female’s lips twisted into a scowl. The child wanted to stop and take another look, but Michael Caelum had already started walking towards their destination. The little girl took a deep breath and hastened her steps. She continued to trudge forward.

If she had looked back, she would have seen the Great Apothecary’s successor staring at Michael Caelum’s back. Asha Claire’s gaze was anything but friendly. It was a gaze that could instantly freeze the heart and contained nothing but burning hatred and an unquenchable blood lust.

By 10 AM, Elisium’s cafeteria was bustling with activity that was more than the usual. A lot of the researchers and staff had gathered in the food hall for two reasons: half of them were there for either a late breakfast or brunch, and the other half had been attracted by the appearance of an odd trio which was currently seated at the farthest table at the corner of the cafeteria.

Silas Fidi, Asha Claire, Jeorge Marcus Grin.

These three names were famous not only in Elisium, but also in the research and alchemy world. It was a start-studded gathering of sorts. One was a powerful Magno Deorum that was lauded for both his research and his skills in Alchemy while the other was his equally talented successor. On the other hand, Jeorge Marcus “Bob” Grin was Luminae Academy’s first and only Cygni – which was the highest honor given to a graduate of the College of Alchemy and Mystics. The three of them were part of the group of high-ranking Spellcasters. They were probably the most powerful, and the most deadly, people currently in Elisium.

However, the three usually unavailable people were seated in a table and were eating. Silas Fidi had moved on from his spaghetti obsession and had decided on a hearty chicken and chorizo omelette paired with toast. Opposite of him, Asha Claire was feasting on a barbecued pork ribs and a potato coleslaw salad. Jeorge Marcus Grin was washing down a box of donuts with a cup of freshly brewed coffee like it was the most normal thing in the world.

The three quirky individuals ate their meals while exchanging a few words here and there. After a while, Silas Fidi took out a pack of tissues, wiped his fingers on three sheets, folded the sheets and placed them on his plate, then proceeded to arrange the spoon and fork on his plate before placing it to the side.

As soon as he was done, a stoic-faced man with a muscular body wearing a gray combat uniform appeared right behind him. He bent down and whispered something in Silas Fidi’s ears. The Great Apothecary acknowledged his message with a nod. “Is that all, Brandish?”

“Yes, sir,” the man called Brandish replied. Without further ado, the man in gray disappeared leaving the three individuals to their respective meals.

Silas Fidi’s piercing orange orbs landed on Jeorge Marcus Grin who stopped shoving a donut in his face. The bulkier male set his donut down and asked, “Yes sir? Anything the matter sir?”

Silas Fidi’s eyes went down to the bare hand that was currently holding on to an uneaten donut. A bothered yet irritated expression flashed on the Great Apothecary’s face. “Did you wash your hands before eating, Marcus?”

“Of course, sir. I made sure to sing the hand washing song while doing it too,” The other man replied and proceeded to stuff his face with the pastry in his hand.

“Ugh, Marcus. Are you seriously eating a box of sweets for breakfast?” Asha Claire muttered.

“Breakfast? Who said this is breakfast? I already ate breakfast. This-” The male researcher took another donut and waved it around. “This is a snack. I need sugar to function. And coffee. Coffee is love.”

Jeorge Marcus proceeded to take a huge gulp of coffee. “…Coffee is life.”

Asha Claire groaned. “Nobody cares, Marcus. But Master-,” the woman faced Silas Fidi, “Do you know who set up the betting pool? The betting pool might cloud the judgment of some researchers and we might end up with certain groups who are bribing the class monitors to either hasten or delay 373′s promotion to the sanctuary.”

The Great Apothecary grunted. “I don’t see the reason why I should expend my energy on something worthless.” His orange orbs turned pointed, piercing. “If anything, shouldn’t you focus your efforts on looking for the bug in our midst?”

The woman adjusted the eyeglasses on her nose and smeared barbecue sauce on the frame. She licked her fingers. “Oh. I’m almost done exterminating the pests. Maria Caelum is dead. All that’s left is that blasted son of hers.”

Beside her, Jeorge Marcus Grin sighed while shaking his head. “I still can’t believe you went out of your way to kill one of our best researchers because of her son.”

“I concur,” Silas Fidi muttered. “Although this is our territory, killing without proof is both pointless and a waste of time.”

“Oh, but Master…I don’t need a reason to kill. No one has the authority to question me,” Asha Claire whined. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Well, I don’t. What kind of evidence could you possibly get from them, anyway? He doesn’t have a phone, cell signals are jammed, and all other electronic devices are confiscated upon arrival in Elisium.” Jeorge Marcus Grin finished another donut and stared at Asha Claire’s unfinished serving of pork ribs. “Are you gonna eat that? If not, give it to me.”

“Shut up, Marcus! I have proof,” The bespectacled woman declared and stabbed her serving of pork ribs with her fork. “I already reviewed the surveillance cameras and studied his habits in the last few weeks. He’s been frequenting the classrooms of the children under the class Aquarius. But when I retraced his steps, I couldn’t find a hint of his energy signature – just remnants of his concealment spell. Aside from that, he used a spell during the last Talent Implantation procedure. The numbers fluctuated during the operation and the source was no other than him.”

“That’s not enough. Everyone else is capable of doing what you just mentioned.” Orange upturned eyes glared at Asha Claire. “So what if he used a spell? A spell won’t affect the procedures. Everybody knows that.”

“Yes, but he’s been in contact with one of the children. He’s not supposed to.” The woman licked her lips as she observed Silas Fidi’s reaction. “I also found trails of his energy around the Aquarius classroom and residual traces of a child’s energy around his body this morning. I couldn’t identify the child that he’s been in contact with, but his energy signature matches the ones that I found around the operating theater.”

“I’m not sure if he’s cooperating with someone else, but if he has a senior researcher like Maria Caelum on his side, it would be easier for him to get in and out of Elisium. And he might take one of your possessions with him,” The female continued after eating a bite of meat and swallowing a gulp of cola. “So, I have proof. I’ve already taken care of his mother and I’ve also come up with a plan to capture him. Aren’t I a good disciple?”

The older man simply grunted and said, “I still don’t see the reason why Maria Caelum needed to die.”

“Seconded.” Joerge Marcus Grin took a table napkin from a nearby dispenser and wiped his fingers on the sheet. “How are you planning on baiting Caelum? Don’t you think he’ll be careful since his mother is missing in action and you’re around and all?”

“Oh, that. He doesn’t know his mother’s dead. Apparently, they don’t communicate that much since his mother’s too busy with her job and he’s too busy trying to steal something from Elisium,” Asha Claire stated flatly. She took a chunk off her serving of ribs and munched on it before continuing. “Remember the cannisters of snake venom and poisons that haven’t been used yet?”

“You’re gonna use them?” Jeorge Marcus Grin asked with one bushy eyebrow raised.

Asha Claire gave him a cute grin which only looked misplaced on her face. “I’m going to do a little experiment right after the lunch-time announcements. Just make sure to make a cure-all antidote for all the poisons available.”

“Hey! I was planning on going back to bed-I mean, the Laboratories! I’m busy!” The beefy man raised his hands and ignored his Freudian slip. He downright refused. “I still have to study something and my deadline’s approaching so I need all the time I can get.”

Silas Fidi glanced at him with a blank stare. “You’re free for the entire day.”

Jeorge Marcus Grin returned the gaze with a dumb look. “Err… I am…?”

“That’s settled then.” Asha Claire stood from her seat and slapped the brawny researcher on the back before he could say anything else. “Do me a favor and make the antidote water-soluble. It should also be able to neutralize any combination of poisons. And when I say ‘any’, I mean ‘all’. I’ll have to use my Talent to figure out the combination I want so make sure it treats all the possible combinations based on the available poisons in the warehouse.”

Silas Fidi stood from his seat and straightened the white laboratory coat he was wearing. He gave Jeorge Marcus Grin a meaningful look and waved at the plates that were scattered on their table. “Segregate the leftovers from the silverware and plates. Make sure to put the dishes on the proper racks. Once you’re done with the plates and Asha Claire’s assignment, make sure to submit a report about the available poisons in stock and their variants by 6pm tonight.”

The Great Apothecary and Asha Claire left the male researcher and went their separate ways. Jeorge Marcus Grin sat alone in the table with a sour expression plastered on his face. He made a mental inventory of the food on the table and finished the plate of pork ribs. He stacked the plates on top of each other, dunked the leftovers into a bin for leftovers, and placed the utensils and plates in their respective bins. He tucked his box of donuts under his arm and held his cup of coffee in his other hand. He checked the clock in the cafeteria while ignoring the eyes that stared at him in pity.

It was 10:30 am. Lunch was at noon and the announcements usually began at approximately 12:30pm. Asha Claire would probably need the antidote a few minutes before the announcements and he could probably come up with the formula for the poisons and take stock of the available poisons in their inventory in less than an hour. He could draft a quick report in thirty minutes. That made a total of one hour and thirty minutes.

If he only needed an hour and thirty minutes, he could just start working by 10:50 and finish everything by 12:20. That meant he still had twenty minutes to enjoy his snack while leaving the rest of his afternoon to his much-needed date with his bed.

Jeorge Marcus Grin felt his lips quirk up in a grin. If his hands weren’t occupied, he would have patted himself on the shoulder. Instead of hurrying off after Silas Fidi and Asha Claire, he did what he did best:

He returned to the lonely table in the corner of the cafeteria, took out a donut, and leisurely sipped his coffee.

While Silas Fidi and Asha Claire were busy with their experiments, 373′s morning had continued as usual. She had managed to tuck herself in her bed without anyone noticing her. And by the time their morning roll-call began, she was already safely in her bed with her eyes closed shut.

When she went inside the classroom that day, 373 noticed that a good number of gazes were on her. The little female didn’t enjoy the attention. The stares of admiration, jealousy and curiosity used to be aimed at Zain Amina. But now, the dark-haired girl was gone. Her chair was empty and was probably going to be filled by someone knew. As the little female’s brown eyes skimmed through the room and fell on Zain Amina’s seat, 373 remembered the brown-eyed girl’s request. The small girl took a deep breath as she replayed Zain Amina’s words in her head.

‘Just let them know. And let them choose by themselves if they want to stay in Elisium, or if they want to risk their lives for a chance to live.’

Doing what Zain Amina asked of her was dangerous. If a single person decided to rat on her and tell the adults in Elisium, 373 was sure that she wasn’t getting out of that situation alive. But what was she supposed to do? She didn’t have full control of her Talent so using her talent was out of the options. Should she just do what Leon suggested and give her class a tour of Elisium’s laboratories? Would she even find the opportunity to do so?

Their teacher for the day came in while 373 was busy thinking. The male instructor looked at her from behind the teacher’s desk and cleared his throat to get the children’s attention. 373 snapped out from her reverie and stared at their teacher. Even before the man had opened his mouth, 373 already figured out what he was going to say with her Talent. Her body tensed as she waited for the adult to make his announcement. When he did, her blood ran cold and her body turned visibly stiffer with every syllable that left his lips.

“373! After much deliberation, all the teachers and staff of Elisium have decided that you are eligible for the Sanctuary!”

The students clapped their hands. Some students stared at her in envy. Others looked at her with joy in their faces. 373 stood up while the adult was still in the middle of his explanation. And with the loudest voice that she could muster, she said, “I decline.”

“I bet you’re actually excited- What?“, their teacher stopped talking mid-sentence. The man’s eyes widened in shock and the entire room fell into silence. The teacher obviously didn’t expect this to happen. Not a single child had refused a chance to go to Elisium Sanctuary. What exactly was 373 doing? Was she doing this to get attention? Or was she doing this as a gimmick, to make people laugh? Well it sure as hell wasn’t funny!

One of the researchers had placed a bet on the betting pool that 373 was going to the Sanctuary today. He had been promised a cut if he helped in making it happen. But this little brat was actually making things difficult for him? The nerve!

The male hid his irritation. He cleared his throat and put on a troubled yet understanding look on his face. “Oh, but why? It’s the greatest achievement for someone in Elisium.”

373′s gaze stayed unenthusiastic. “I decline.”

“Could it be you’re just joking?”

“No, I decline.” The girl repeated.

The man loosened his collar and gave out a nervous laugh. “Can I at least know the reason why you’re declining? Don’t you want to go to the sanctuary?”

“I don’t want to go.” 373 gave him a pointed look which only made the adult man even angrier.

By now, the students around them had started whispering amongst themselves. The adult male took a long breath and flashed the little girl a smile which looked as fake as his hair. “But why?”

“Because…,” 373 mimicked his actions and took a deep breath. Her obsidian orbs turned cold and resolute.

“I don’t want to die.”

The words made the man freeze. He glared at the small female and expected 373 to cower at his gaze. But the girl was unfazed. Her eyes stared at him with equal intensity. Her lips moved and the words that left the girls lips made the adult’s heart hammer in his chest while throwing the entire room into chaos.

“Zain Amina is dead. Everyone who was sent to the Sanctuary is dead. Elisium isn’t heaven and we’re nothing but lab rats they want to experiment on.”

The Students around her panicked. They yelled at her and called her a liar. They called her names and jeered at her. The young girl’s expression didn’t change by much. But what she said next caught plunged their classroom into silence.

She pointed to their teacher. “If I’m lying, then why is his face like that?”

The children all gasped as they stared at their teacher. The adult’s face was ugly and was completely contorted in anger. His gaze was dark. He took long strides towards 373 and pushed away the tables and chairs that stood in his way. “You! Come here!”

Sharp screeching echoed in the room. Metal scrapped against the floor. The man made a move to grab her arm. But the moment his hand landed on her skin, the his body turned limp and slammed into a table as he crashed to floor. The girl tyrannically flipped him over, reinforced the somnum diu spell she had cast on the man, and proceeded to drag him to the desk and set him up on his chair so he looked like he had fallen asleep on his desk.

“You! You’re lying, aren’t you?” Gabriel Fernandez stood, his chair making a screeching sound as it scraped on the tiled floor. “Zain Amina was the strongest person in this room. There’s no way that she’s dead!”

The children voiced their agreement and 373 understood that they didn’t believe her. Her black orbs sought out Gabriel Fernandez and a thought occurred to her. She couldn’t cast adicio and celare on ten people…

… but she could cast it on herself and one other unlucky person.

She made her way to him slowly and grabbed his wrist. A hint of a mischievous smile was on her lips. “If you saw things for yourself, you’d probably believe it, right?”

The round boy couldn’t voice his opinion as 373 suddenly cast a spell and they disappeared from the room. When they returned a few moments later, the color from Gabriel Fernandez’s face had all but disappeared. He looked nauseous and every bit sick. The second they returned, the boy’s knees gave way. He collapsed on the floor, his eyes wide and his shoulders shaking. Their classmates crowded around him and he looked up to meet their gazes. His voice was cracking and trembling like his body.

The only thing he could say was, “It-…. it’s all true.”

The children looked at him, then at 373. A few of their classmates fell on to the floor like Gabriel Fernandez but a good number still looked unconvinced. The small brown-haired girl looked at the time and pointed at one of the children whom she knew was good at spells. She gestured at their teacher who was still knocked out on his desk and told the kid she had picked to keep the man asleep.

373 took a deep breath and gathered her wits. She couldn’t help but think that she should have done this sooner. She met each questioning gaze in the room. Although their eyes were clouded with fear and uncertainty, flames danced beneath the clouds and were ready to set the world on fire.

The girl with brown hair nodded once. With her hands on her hips she asked, “Who’s next?”