Cross shot him a look of deepest hatred. Seer turned to Ven and Coralie, who stood in stunned silence.
“Let’s get out of this smelly dump.”
Just as they turned to leave, Cross lunged towards Seer and grabbed the back of his jacket. Seer wheeled around. He pulled Cross down to his level, grabbed his face between his palms and began to squeeze. Cross began to scream in pain as a strange, hissing noise came from his face. All the while, Seer’s amber eyes were growing wider and wider and his grin more prominent. Ven had never seen a more frightening child.
Seer released Cross, raised his leg and kicked him. Cross shot backwards, crashed into a wall far behind him and crumpled to the ground. Ven backed away. Seer’s maniacal expression calmed down. He turned to the others.
“Now we can go. Sorry about that.”
The woman who had helped Coralie whispered in Ven’s ear. “He can be pretty terrifying, I know, but he’s really the cutest kid.”
Ven looked at Coralie, who had a dumbfounded expression on her face. He didn’t think he had ever seen anything less cute in his entire life.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“I hope you don’t mind a little adrenaline,” said Seer. The strange group of people left the destruction they had caused behind them and headed back to Crion’s busy streets.
“Uh, how did you–” Ven pointed to Kayn slung over the large man’s shoulders.
The man carrying him laughed. “Your hot-headed buddy here was about to get his face reshaped by Eaves, so we put a stop to it.”
“I had to knock him out, though,” said Seer. “He was trying to stop us from taking this.” Seer pulled the Magistrate’s Dagger out from inside his jacket. Ven opened his mouth angrily but Seer held up his hand. “Relax, we’re not here to steal it. You should really be more careful with this thing. Do you have any idea how important it is?”
Ven looked at Coralie, narrowing his eyes.
“Wait, who are you people?” she said. “How do you know what that is?”
“Let’s wait till we’re inside,” said Seer.
They stopped in front of two small cruisers. Their structure was fascinating. They looked like a slightly larger version of the transport pod Ven and Kayn had stolen, except that it was polished silver. The wheels were lined with gold molding and an elaborate metal design adorned the side. Ven had never seen anything so advanced.
Seer jumped into the front seat of the first one.
“Not likely, Seer,” said the woman who had helped Coralie. Ven had only just now realized how beautiful she was. She had sharp, pretty features and large blue eyes. Her hair was chestnut brown and fell to the center of her neck. “The last time we broke the rules and let you drive, we almost died. Get out.”
Seer scowled. “That’s not fair, Shen. This idiot tried to cut me off mid-flight.”
“I don’t care,” she said sternly. She scooped him up and flung him out of the driver’s seat, then turned to Ven and Coralie.
“Get in,” she smiled. “Actually, girly, could you take the other one? It looks like this one’s full.”
“Oh,” said Coralie. “Sure.”
She shrugged at Ven and hoisted herself onto the other cruiser farther away. Disappointed, Ven peered inside and spotted an unconscious Kayn and the large man who had been carrying him already buckled into the small space. Ven fastened his own safety belt and grabbed on to his seat as Shen took off with tremendous speed.
“What’s wrong, kid? Never flown in an air cruiser before?” said the large man.
“No.” He gripped the armrests tightly.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. As long as Seer isn’t flying. I’m Rogin, by the way.” He held out his massive hand for Ven to shake, and Ven took it. Beside him, Kayn teetered and bonked his head onto the glass.
“I’m Ven,” he smiled. “Thanks for that, back there. How did Cross know who all of you were?”
“Cross and his thug friends make money off of selling illegal entries into Crion to other gangs. They fight for who will get the biggest reward from the authorities when they turn them in. It’s a pretty sick business, but you’d be surprised how many people try to sneak in without papers, which are hard to get, by the way. We’ve become infamous for stopping their hideous transactions over the years, so they’re a little spooked by us. No one scares Cross more than Seer, though. That kid is a piece of work.”
“Why do people try so hard to sneak into Crion?”
“Life in Crion is ideal,” said Rogin. “The rich are filthy rich, and even the poor don’t stay poor for long. Crion has a policy that involves receiving contributions from every single citizen in some way, shape or form. If you have a talent, no matter how strange, you have a duty to share it, to contribute. Take Shen, for instance. She and her partner, King, are a famous acting duo. Dorian back home is a singer and a dancer, and very popular with women. As for me, I may not be much in the looks department, but my strength sure goes a long way.”
“And Seer?” said Ven.
“Seer is a crazy case,” Rogin chuckled. “I’ll let him tell you more about himself when we get home. Oh, if you’re not afraid anymore, why don’t you look out the window?”
Ven looked outside and his mouth fell open. The sun was beginning to peek out in between the massive buildings, sending a golden ray of light that reflected on the glass and steel structures. In minutes, all of Crion had become a city of gold. He had never seen something so spectacular. All of a sudden, he thought of home. How much had they missed out on because they had kept to themselves? Had Cor always been so dark?
“Quite the sight, isn’t it?” said Rogin.
Ven didn’t reply and gazed out the window. He wondered if Coralie was seeing this.
Shen flew the cruiser up to the top of a large skyscraper and softly landed on a steel platform. Rogin helped Ven to the ground, then scooped up Kayn and slung him over his shoulder once more. Beside them, Coralie hopped out, followed by Seer.
“Welcome to home,” he said, pointing behind him.
Ven let his arms fall to his sides. A palatial penthouse towered in front of them. It was made up of steel, white marble and glass. On the large doors, a mosaic of different colored crystals glimmered in the rising sun. Coralie appeared beside Ven, gaping at the structure in front of them.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” said Shen, throwing her arms around Ven and Coralie. “Let’s go inside.”
Once inside, Seer led them to a beautiful sitting room.
“Someone wake him up. I’m worried I killed him by accident,” said Seer, pointing to Kayn, who was out cold on a couch.
Shen lifted him up and slapped his cheeks with both her hands. “Time to wake up, honey.”
After a few moments, Kayn’s eyes flew open. He glanced around the room.
“Hey, was that always there?” said Shen, pointing to the scar on his cheek. Coralie looked down at her toes.
“What the hell is going on?” said Kayn. He looked at Ven and Coralie with his usual disgust, then back at Seer. “What did you do with my dagger?”
“It’s safe. And like I told you back there when we saved your precious face, I’m not trying to steal it. Now that you’re awake and all three of you are here, we need to talk.”
Kayn scowled.
“So are you going to tell us who you are, then?” said Ven. “And why you brought us here, and how you know about that dagger?”
“Yes,” he said. “This is going to be a long discussion, though, so let’s get something to eat first. You’re probably famished after that last ordeal.”
“I’ll get it,” said Shen cheerfully. A few minutes later, she returned carrying several plates of cake, tea and buns which she placed in front of each of them. Ven and Coralie dove in, but Kayn refused to touch his plate.
“Now, then,” said Seer, chewing on a piece of cake. “Let’s introduce ourselves first. I’m Seer, this is King and his partner, Shen, and the big one is Rogin. Over in the corner is Me
ares and his sister, Renny.” A young man in a blue sweater and a girl with long, blonde hair smiled at them. “And lastly, that handsome, stoic one with the tousled hair over there is Dorian.”
As Seer called out each of their names, they waved.
“I’m going to get to the point,” said Seer, “but I need you to promise that you’ll let me talk without interrupting me or this is going to take till tomorrow morning.” He paused for a moment. “Right. All of us are from Cor. We used to live there a long time ago.”
There was silence. Kayn looked as though he desperately wanted to say something but Seer began to talk again before he could.
“You’ve heard of Keepers, haven’t you?”
Kayn got to his feet, almost knocking the plate of food on his table to the sparkling marble floor.
“Not so fast,” said Seer. “I told you to let me finish talking. I promise I’ll answer whatever questions you have when I’m done.”
Kayn roughly shoved the plate of food out of his way as he sat down.
“Cross and his men called us ‘Esoteric Freaks.’ We were listening in on him. The term ‘esoteric’ refers to a type of energy. In Cor, that energy has a different name. It is a forbidden energy known as Haze.”
Coralie gasped and Kayn’s face slowly grew redder.
“In Cor, the idea of Haze is taboo. Any mention of it gets you an immediate sentence, whether it’s death on Abolition Day or imprisonment. Here, and for that matter almost everywhere else, Haze is studied and respected. Before I talk more about that, I need to mention someone else. He may or not be familiar to you. His name is Markis.”
This time it was Ven’s turn to get to his feet. “How–”
Coralie yanked him back to his seat before he could say any more.
“Yes, we know who Markis is and why he was in Cor on Abolition Day. It’s because we know who he is that we know who you are. I’ll explain all of that in a moment.” Seer bit into another slice of cake, then continued. “Many years ago, Markis lived with his mother and sister in the Drudger Quadrant. Life was painful and difficult for them. Food and employment was scarce, and every year he watched his friends resort to crime to sustain themselves, only to be sentenced and then executed on Abolition Day. One year, one of Markis’ closest friends framed his mother and sister as thieves in exchange for food. They were then sentenced and killed.”
Coralie buried her face in her hands. Ven glanced over to Kayn, whose face was expressionless and unsympathetic. Ven could have throttled him.
Seer continued, “Markis had had enough. He was weak and frail, the same as everyone in the Drudger Quadrant. He made up his mind. Better to die with his dignity and resolve than live a false life in grief. He realized that everything was wrong, the Stratum Order, segregating people based on their birth, the idea of public execution. How could anyone accept that? Markis climbed the highest tower on the tallest bridge in Cor, looked over the edge and jumped. He fell, and waited for impact, but it never came. Something saved him. When he opened his eyes, there was a shadowy being in front of him.”
“A Keeper?” asked Coralie.
“Yes,” said Seer. “The Keeper told Markis that he was going to be given the chance at a new life, on one condition: that he would agree to save Cor.”
“Save it from what?” said Kayn.
“I’m getting there,” said Seer. “The Keeper told Markis that a dangerous, mysterious entity had cast a curse on Cor that he believed would eventually cause the city’s destruction. Unfortunately, we don’t have the specifics of the curse yet. We only know that he’s using Haze energy.”
The room was silent. After a moment, Kayn let out a derisive laugh. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that story is? A curse on an entire city? Sorry, kid. I don’t have time for this supernatural nonsense. I have one goal: take the dagger to Roth’s tomb and go back to Cor.”
Seer sighed. “The Keeper who gave Markis a second life and a new identity did so on the condition that he do a job for them. He was to pick and recruit seven of the Sentenced, seven individuals killed on Abolition Day, and give them a new life as well, so they could assist him in saving Cor from a malevolent threat. Those seven people are us. We possess inhuman strength because we have Haze energy inside us, just like Markis did.”
“What exactly is Haze energy?” said Coralie.
This time, Shen spoke. “I know we never learned much about Keepers growing up in Cor, but do you remember what you were told the one day of primary school when it was discussed?”
“Er, that Keepers are evil entities who possess dangerous power and can only be summoned by black magic.”
“The legend of the Keepers’ Realm goes something like this,” said Seer. “At one point in time many years ago, humans and Keepers used to live together. There was a mutual respect. The Keepers were advanced, both in combat and knowledge of the universe. Because of their strength, they were asked to govern cities and protect people from danger. Humans respected them and sought their help and guidance, and the Keepers happily obliged. This went on for many years until slowly, some people began to feel jealous and inferior. Blinded by envy and ignorance, they believed that humans were just as capable of governing kingdoms as the Keepers were. Eventually, this seed of jealousy spread everywhere, throughout each kingdom, until the humans decided it was time to stage a revolution. Taking up arms, they sought to overthrow every single governing Keeper, without giving thought to the help they had received from them.”
“Wait,” Coralie interrupted. “You said that Keepers were advanced in every way, including combat. So humans decided to fight them knowing they would lose?”
“That’s just it,” said Seer. “They were foolish. In an actual fight, a human would lose against a Keeper in minutes. For hundreds of years, Keepers had protected humanity. They couldn’t, or rather, wouldn’t begin an all-out war with them. Doing so would mean the end of humankind as a whole. Instead the Keepers thought of a different plan: to separate themselves. They put an entire dimension, or realm of existence, between them and humanity.”
“A dimension?”
”Yes. Humans and Keepers were separated for good. That’s how the story goes, anyway.
”What the Haze Theory is saying is that it’s possible to interact with the Keepers even today, and borrow power from them just like humans did so many years ago,” said Shen. “This power could then be used to solve global problems. Haze energy is the source of this power that Keepers possess. It is an otherworldly energy that differentiates humans from Keepers.”
“So you’re saying that you have this power inside you?”
“Well, yes, as hard as it is to believe. We’ve proven it to you, haven’t we?”
Ven suddenly remembered what he and Coralie had read in that book back in Lamparth. As unbelievable as all of this seemed, it had to be true. There was no way a boy Seer’s age could throw a fully-grown man across a room unless he possessed inhuman strength.
He nibbled on the food in his plate, and glanced at Coralie, who shrugged.
“For the last time,” said Kayn, tossing his fork back on the plate of untouched food. “Keepers aren’t real. The Haze Theory is nothing but conspiracy and lies made up by rebellious Quadrants trying to take over.”
“Is that what you’ve been told?” said Seer. “No wonder you’re so annoyed with me right now.”
“Why should I believe a stranger, a child for that matter, over something I’ve been told since I was born? I have no reason to believe anything you’re saying. Some madman waltzes into Council Hall declaring an impending calamity with no proof and we’re expected to believe him? Who is he, where did he come from, why is he only coming forward now? All legitimate questions, and he gave us the answers to none of them. You can call me irrational and stubborn, but Markis didn’t give me or the elders a single reason to take any of this drivel on Haze seriously.”
Though Ven hated to admit it, Kayn was right. Even to him, Markis wasn’t exactly trustwort
hy.
“Look, this is really difficult to explain, especially to Cor’s future leader–”
“That’s it,” said Kayn, leaping to his feet. “Before I listen to one more word, I need you to explain how you know who I am and how you knew we were in that gangster’s hideout.”
Seer put down the cake on his plate. “Fine. I guess I’m not going to get much talking done with you interrupting me every five seconds. When Markis first recruited us, he told us that he would be going to Cor on instructions by that Keeper to get the Magistrate’s Dagger. We don’t know why he was asked to get it; we were just left instructions to await his return here. While he was away, we suddenly got an emergency message from him saying that he was nearing death.” Seer paused for a moment, as though he was thinking how best to explain himself.
“Those possessing heightened levels of Haze energy aren’t limited by space or time. They are able to separate their bodies from their souls and travel through various realms of existence. Our abilities are limited compared to those of a genuine Keeper, but in his injured state, Markis was still able to quickly relay a message to us saying that the dagger was on its way to Roth’s tomb in Hygon Pass. Whatever had caused his injury was strong enough to kill him almost immediately after that, and there was nothing more we could do.”
Ven frowned, suddenly remembering something that had been bothering him. “When Markis showed up in Council Hall a few days before Abolition Day, he said that Cor was under threat, and that it had something to do with the Haze Theory. He was arrested after that for causing an explosion, but I went to him for help to save Coralie and her parents from being sentenced. I didn’t know that the power he used was Haze energy. I just thought that since he was already a criminal, no one would suspect me. He said that he would help Coralie on the condition that I steal the Magistrate’s Dagger for him. We planned out everything, but after I had given him the dagger and the Sentenced escaped Cor, he brought me to the center of Stratum Square and stabbed me with it. I didn’t know what happened to him after that, or in between.”
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