Children of Elisium

The bags under Michael Caelum’s eyes only grew heavier as the hours ticked on. He drank energy drink to help him through the day, but the thing didn’t make him feel energized – it only made him feel jittery and sluggish. If he knew Aria didn’t mind sleeping next to him, he would have lied down on the bed right beside her. Then, he could wrap his hands around the small female and sleep soundly while savoring her warmth..

Michael blinked and felt his face heat up.

On second thought, it was probably best that he didn’t sleep beside her.

The young intern grabbed a sandwich from the cafeteria made his way towards the small auditorium they had in Elisium. The person in-charge of the internships had told them that the administration had an important announcement during their lunch break that required the attendance of all interns. He arrived at the wide room at 12:25pm. The announcements began on the dot. At exactly 12:30pm, one of the senior researcher’s went up on the elevated platform and began reading through her list.

The youth listened to the announcements as they were being read one after the other. As soon as the researcher mentioned Luminae Academy’s founding anniversary, Michael Caelum’s ears perked up. The city of Myron usually declared it a nation-wide non-working holiday because of the amount of activities during the day and the sheer amount human traffic that was generated due to the foundation day events. Could it be that Silas Fidi was giving all the researchers in Elisium a break during the Luminae Academy’s founding anniversary? Was this his chance to sneak 373 out of Elisium’s facilities?

’In three days, Luminae Academy will once again be celebrating its founding anniversary. Since a vast majority of our researchers are alumni of the prestigious academy and have been invited to the celebration, the administration has decided to call work off during that day,’ the researcher announced.

’Excluding the regular class monitors, all senior researchers and interns may take their leaves on the day. Those who wish to stay in Elisium must register beforehand for monitoring purposes. That’s all.’

Michael clenched his fists. In his mind, he began hatching a plan on how he was going to get Aria out of her class and into the first vehicle heading out of Elisium. He blindly followed the crowd as they made their way out of the auditorium. A sharp ear-grating voice made him stop in his tracks.

In front of him, the sea of researchers and staff parted like a tide. A blue-haired woman wearing red eyeglasses approached Michael Caelum while dragging a certain grown man behind her. Bob looked like a dog who didn’t enjoy being tugged along by his overly enthusiastic female owner.

“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Asha Claire gave the teenager boy a hundred watt smile. Beside him, Jeorge Marcus Grin looked like he was about to puke.

“What the hell, lady boss. If you want to go, go by yourself. You’re an adult. You don’t need me for introductions,” Bob grumbled under his breath as he wrenched his hand away from the Great Apothecary’s successor.

“Michael Caelum, Asha Claire. Asha Claire, Michael Caelum,” the brawny man said after clearing his throat and gesturing to and from Michael and the girl wearing spectacles. Bob straightened up but kept the sullen look on his face. He huffed. “Can I go now?”

Asha Claire ignored him and firmly grasped Michael Caelum’s hand in a handshake. The female’s eyes were slightly wide. Her hands were warm and slightly moist. Michael stiffened but didn’t make a comment at her sweaty palms. A lot of researchers in Elisium had it way worse than her.

“We saw each other this morning but I think this is the first time we’ve been formally introduced,” the woman prattled with her high-pitched voice and shook his hand about six times before letting it go. “I just met your mother a few hours ago! You really do have the same hair color. She really wasn’t joking, huh? Genetics really is a weird thing!”

Asha Claire took his hand again and shook it a few more times in her sweaty hand before leaving both him and Jeorge Marcus Grin staring at her back in silence. The crowd around them had disappeared after Asha Claire’s departure. The older researcher stared at the amber-haired male and sighed.

“She’s really eccentric,” Bob muttered. The male stared at the youth’s hands and sighed again. “And you should really wash your hands. Only God knows what she’s been handling with her bare hands.”

The adult male cringed. “Even I don’t want to know why she’s been holding on to in these last few hours. Maybe a cure-all antidote or a disinfectant that kills 99.9 percent germs and neutralizes harmful substances would work.”

Michael couldn’t help but chuckle. He didn’t know why, but he felt comfortable around Jeorge Marcus Grin. “I’ll wash my hands, Bob. I’ll even use soap and alcohol. Don’t worry.”

He waved at the burly male and went on his way. He failed to catch the grave look on the senior researcher’s face and the heavy sigh that accompanied Bob as the youth left. Michael was too absorbed with his escape plans. Even though he still had to render five hours of duty before he could go and see Aria at her classroom, Michael Caelum’s mind was already wandering off and he could barely concentrate on anything for the rest of the day.

As soon as his shift ended, the young male took a roundabout way and headed towards the Aquarius classroom. The little girl was reading another thick book she had secretly taken out from the library’s restricted section when he arrived. Michael sighed in relief when he saw Aria looking at him in welcome. He quickly closed the door behind him, took the seat in front of hers and began explaining the plan he had thought up after mulling over it for the entire day.

He told her about Luminae Academy’s founding anniversary and how Elisium was allowing its researchers to take a day off on the day. “Since there will be less people in Elisium, the security and number of Spellcasters will also decrease,” he explained. “It’s the best time for us to get out of here. So all I have to do is figure out a way to take you out of your class in three days time.”

The small female opened her mouth before closing it again as her eyebrows knit. She stared at him in silence, as if choosing her words. After a while, she said, “The teacher told me awhile ago I was qualified for the Sanctuary.”

“You didn’t agree, did you?” Michael was stumped. He didn’t think the teacher assigned to the Aquarius class would make a move too soon.

The youth was preparing to change his plans when the little girl replied with a flat, “I said no.”

His brain slowly processed what Aria had said. “You said… no?”

She nodded. He felt his jaw drop and he reminded himself to keep his mouth shut. This girl… really had a way with surprising him and catching him off guard. He had a weird feeling that she had done more than just saying no and had probably gotten involved in a more interesting situation. He didn’t entertain the idea any further and went back to the topic they were talking about.

“Did your teacher say anything after that?”

A small smirk made a way to her adorable face. “Nope. I made sure he couldn’t.”

Now he was really curious about what she had done when their class monitor had told her she was qualified for Elisium’s Sanctuary. He took a long drag of air and exhaled through his mouth. Depending on what she did, it was possible that the researchers might invite her to Elisium’s Sanctuary on a later date, or they might take her away while she was asleep.

“I can just setup a barrier around my bed.” She spoke suddenly and broke Michael Caelum’s train of thought. The male gave her an uncomprehending look because he couldn’t imagine how a barrier could stop any of the ranked Spellcasters from abducting her in the middle of the night.

“I can setup a modified barrier around me that’ll disrupt the energy flow inside the room when forcibly broken,” she explained. “That way, everyone inside the sleeping quarters will wake up if someone tries to break my barrier.”

He nodded slowly as he listened the the girl’s explanation. It was possible in theory. The fact that she used her Talent to read his mind just flew over his head. He didn’t realize that his thoughts were as clear to her as glass, and that the little female was answering his doubts as soon as they popped up in his head.

“I’ll count on you for that,” He said. The girl nodded and fell silent. Michael took her silence as a sign to continue telling her his plan. “Your classes are going to continue during that day. And if I’m right, you’re going to be taught how to modify basic spells – which is actually quite easy to mess up.”

Her expression turned blank. “I won’t mess up.”

“Yes, but you’re an exception to the rule.” He grinned at her and attempted to ruffle her hair. Before he could touch her brown locks, she lightly swatted his wrist away and dodged.

“I’ll sit in your class as an observer and secretly mess up one of the student’s energy flow during the exercise to cause a little accident. Then, I’ll volunteer to escort you to the clinic.” His expression turned serious as he continued. “Once we’re out of sight, we’ll make a run to the kitchen and hide in one of the food containers. If we’re lucky, we’ll make it out of Ara desert and into Myron.”

“Desert?” The girl asked. “Like a wasteland?”

The amber-haired boy nodded. “It’s a place that nobody wants to go to and is the best place to hide secrets, dead bodies, and a laboratory like this.”

The girl with black orbs tilted her head to the side. “What do we do after?”

“After? We’ll cross the bridge once we get there. But we’ll probably be hunted by Silas Fidi so we should try seeking the help of another Magno Deorum.” Michael crossed his arms around his chest and stared at the ceiling. He muttered under his breath, “Although that’s easier said than done.”

“Magno Deorum?” The brown-eyed girl had interest written all over her face.

Michael told her about the six Great Gods of Alchemy and Magic. When he finished, her gaze contained a mix of amazement and admiration. “Can a Magno Deorum save everyone in Elisium?”

The male sighed as he thought about the Great Gods. Meeting at least one of them with the help of Luminae Academy was already considered impossible. He didn’t want to tell her the truth, but the light in Aria’s eyes dimmed as she continued to watch Michael Caelum. A small hand patted him on the shoulder. Her small voice echoed in the otherwise quiet room.

“It’s fine. I’ll become stronger than a Magno Deorum,” she stated with confidence. “I’ll come back and save everyone.”

Michael Caleum pursed his lips. Unfortunately, it couldn’t stop his muted chuckles. He laughed at her. A small eight-year-old was going to surpass a Magno Deorum? It was absurd. Yet he wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that the girl in front of him could become an existence that was beyond that of a Magno Deorum.

The small hand smacked his arm and a pair of adorable eyebrows scrunched together. A cute pout made its way to Aria’s lips. Michael had to resist the urge to laugh even louder. He cleared his throat and settled down. “That’s the plan. Any questions?”

Hesitation flashed in her eyes. “Is my name… really Aria?”

“Yes. Yes, it is.” He felt the corners of his lips curve up into a smile. “I never met your parents before, but I knew your last name was Asterope. Your full name is Aria Asterope.”

“Then,” she paused slightly. Her eyebrows were creased. “-do you think my parents remember me?”

Michael stopped himself before he could say anything. The smile on his face fell. He didn’t know if they did.

“They probably don’t, do they?” Aria shrugged and flashed him a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

His breath got caught in his chest. He reminded himself to breathe – to keep the pain from showing on his face.

“You have me. You’ll always have me,” he said. “So, don’t worry about something like that.”

“...what would you have done… if I died?” she asked in a reserved manner that was unlike her.

The young man was left speechless. Just imagining it made his heart twitch in pain. It was a tough question. Somehow, Michael remembered the words the child had said the first day they met. Aria had said that a name was only a burden for the people left behind. But he didn’t think that way – not even after she had disappeared into thin air.

“I would probably be heartbroken, even when the Aria I knew wouldn’t like that,” he honestly confessed. “Life moves on for those who live. But even so...”

His hands touched her long brown hair and met her gaze. “I would do my best to carry on with my life while remembering you… while making your name and your life into a beautiful memory.”

At first, the little girl’s lips were pursed in a thin line as her eyes widened in surprise. But after a few seconds, the corners of her mouth twitched and quirked up into a smile. It was the most adorable thing Michael Caelum had seen in his life.

She nodded. After a few quiet moments, the girl went ahead and asked him another question. “Can’t we take the entire class of Aquarius with us?”

The boy with multi-colored irises blinked.

Michael wasn’t sure he heard her right. He was expecting her to ask more about her past. But instead, she asked something completely unrelated. Did she just say she wanted to bring the entire class of Aquarius along? Before he could clarify, she continued.

“What if they cooperate with us? They know how to use spells and I can teach them a modified version of Celare.”

Michael ran a hand through his brightly colored hair. “Aria, who is they? How many children are we talking about exactly?”

“The entire class of Aquarius.”

“You weren’t joking when you said that?” The boy’s hand fell to his side. His mouth was slightly agape.

The child shook her head. “I showed them everything. They know about the Laboratories underneath Elisium.”

“…Let me think about it, okay?” he murmured. There was something weird with what the girl just said but he couldn’t put a finger on it. The male felt slightly muddleheaded. He couldn’t think straight. Having only a few hours of sleep didn’t help. He was really craving for some shut-eye.

Her eyes lit up. “I’ll tell them. We’ll help think of a plan.”

The youth took a deep breath. He could feel his head throbbing. “Tomorrow. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

Michael wanted to tell her that escaping with a group of people was going to make things more difficult. But the hopeful look on her face made him hesitate. He wanted to sigh. He wanted to sigh a lot. But instead, he left the classroom like he always did and took the usual deserted route back to the laboratories of Elisium.

The throbbing in his head intensified and the palpitations in his chest only got worse. His heart continued to speed up. Anxiety welled up in his chest. Cold sweat started to drip from his back. The young male blamed it on energy drinks – after all, he had finished one bottle just to stay awake for the entire day. Maybe he should stop by his mother’s room and ask her for advice? All the mothers he had met seemed to have special powers when it came to homemade cures and concoctions.

The hallways were pretty much void of life aside from the boy with bright red hair. Michael Caelum sped up and headed for the direction of the senior researcher’s living quarters. A long shadow stretched at the end of the empty hallway. The young man’s steps slowed and drew to a stop. His eyes narrowed as he saw Asha Claire standing a few steps away from him. He didn’t want to deal with her. Quite frankly, he wanted to avoid the woman at all costs. But the Silas Fidi’s disciple completely blocked the young male’s way and didn’t show any signs of leaving. She even took a step towards him, the corners of her lips rising to reveal a row of white teeth.

“What’s this I see?” The female’s voice was so sweet it was dripping with honey. “Where have you been?”

“I went back to one of the observation rooms to read about tomorrow’s procedures.” Michael Caelum calmly replied with the lie he had prepared beforehand. He loosened his collar and opened the top most button of his shirt. His heartbeats were getting even more irregular. He was finding it harder to breath.

“Oh, I see then! You’re really a hard worker, just like your mother.” The woman’s blue eyes gave him a knowing gaze that kept him on edge. “Don’t let me stop you then. Go ahead.”

Asha Claire moved away in an exaggerated manner and gave half a bow as Michael Caelum walked beyond her. The male hadn’t even walked a dozen steps in when her high-pitched voice made him stop dead in his tracks and froze him on the spot.

“By the way, what are you planning on doing with 373?”

Michael’s eyes widened.

She knew!

He didn’t stop to think about how Asha Claire had figured everything out. In a split second, he summoned lightning on his hands and prepared to unleash it on the blue-haired woman. He spun on his heels, only to find that the female had disappeared from the place where she was supposed to be. Michael Caelum hadn’t heard the woman move yet within a breath she was right in front of him!

“Impedio.” The woman’s voice was cold, like the small hand that wrapped around the young man’s wrist and twisted his arm to his back. The spell on his hands flickered and disappeared.

He struggled to free himself from her grasp and cast Fulcio on his entire body to increase his strength. The woman didn’t bat an eye and slammed a knee to his side. Michael heard something crack. Searing heat and inextinguishable pain shot up from the place where he was hit. His body decided to rebel against him at this particular moment. The throbbing in his chest intensified. All of a sudden, he felt like hands were squeezing out the air from his lungs. The male’s knees gave way as every muscle of his body seemed to belong to someone else.

“You’re not planning on stealing my master’s test subject, are you? I felt the traces of your energy during the Talent Implantation procedure on Subject 124. This is the domain of a Magno Deorum. Did you think no one would notice?” Asha Claire released him and looked at the male with dead eyes as he collapsed to the floor.

She licked her lips as she watched him writhe in pain. “Finally it’s showing its effects.”

“What… did you do to me?” Michael managed to force the words out of his lips.

“Nothing! I just shook your hands!” Asha Claire innocently blinked. Her blue eyes gleamed with a sinister light. “Ah- right. I forgot to mention I was experimenting with a few poisons and a good number of snake venom samples with my bare hands. Looks like I managed to delay the effects for six hours successfully. Aren’t I a genius?”

Asha Claire stepped on his chest while spouting curses at the amber-haired male. He felt like a thousand ants were simultaneously chewing on his skin and it was getting harder and harder for him to breathe. Yet, he didn’t care about her cursing. He cared even less for the pain blooming in his chest. The fog that had shrouded his thoughts earlier was gone. His mind was sharp. He wasn’t sure if Asha Claire was going to go after 373 next. But he needed to make sure that she wasn’t – that the small girl with brown hair and deep black orbs was going to have a chance at escaping Elisium.

Even if that meant she had to leave without him.

Michael Caelum’s breathing was reduced to shallow pants and his entire body felt like lead. The male silently gathered his remaining energy and grabbed the woman’s ankle the moment she brought her foot down. Her blue eyes narrowed at him and he willed his Talent to wipe her memories clean. Asha Claire cackled in response and kicked him across the floor.

“Boy, I might look this young, but I’m more than two hundred years old! I know every trick in the book.” The Great Apothecary’s successor walked towards him and crouched beside his body. A languid smile was on her lips. She looked like she had all the time in the world. “The Talent to erase memories? Even if you had the Talent to rewind time, I would still be able to defeat you! But maybe I should harvest it? Master might reward me if I do.”

He glared at her but the woman remained unperturbed. The female stood and watched him struggle before she nudged his arm with her shoe. He didn’t mind her. He grit his teeth. He tried to summon strength in his arms even when every inch of him was overcome with an intense burning sensation. Michael Caelum willed himself to get up amid the pain. Until Asha Claire raised her leg and all slammed it down on his stomach.

A loud grunt echoed through the halls followed by a series of coughs. Asha Claire’s foot had long left his abdomen and had instead found his face. The woman pressed her three-inch heel on Michael Caelum’s head. The more he groaned and suffered, the wider her smile became.

“Don’t worry, boy. I’ll let you die. But only after I let you experience a thousand deaths” The blue-haired woman giggled. “Don’t be in a hurry. You’ll soon join your mother in hell. Or heaven. Whichever works.”

Michael’s warm multi-colored eyes widened. His breath hitched in his throat. All color was drained from his face.

His mother… was dead?

The woman saw the confusion on his face and laughed. The sound that came from her lips was hair raising.

“I was thinking of looking into the matters of death to understand Master even more. And Maria Caelum’s hair color-,” Asha Claire made a face. “-was really annoying! I decided to pick her. But who knew that it would be as interesting as killing a fly? I honestly don’t see why Master thinks death is a better research topic than eternal life!”

Michael tried to push his body up from the ground but Asha Claire’s foot just kept him in place. The woman gave him a crooked smile and observed his every action. Slowly, Michael’s vision was starting to blur. His breaths were becoming more labored and shorter than before. Every fiber of his body seemed to be on fire. He didn’t even feel the woman take her foot off his face. The young male didn’t even notice how Asha Claire had bent down to yank him by his shirt collar so that her face was only a few inches from hers.

“Painful isn’t it? Don’t worry. It’ll end soon,” she said. Her twisted smile had long left her lips. A calculating look flashed in her eyes. “Your Talent will be used for great things. And once I’m done with you, I’ll make sure you’re reunited with that girl 373 in the afterlife.”

The young man’s vision blurred as he slowly lost consciousness. Even when he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with thoughts of Aria – of the different faces she had shown him in their lifetime. What face would she make if she knew he had failed?

What face would she make if she knew he was gone?

His world turned into darkness, but his lips still managed to utter a single name.

“Aria...”

I’m sorry.