Aquardas, September 5th, 1969
Large raindrops slipped along the glasses. It was almost impossible to see something of the sorrounding landscape, it was so gloomy. But Karesh's gaze was still there, on the houses which sorrounded the castle; or maybe, this is what anyone would have believed, as his servant and right-hand man, Serke, did. In that moment he came into the room, careful not to make any noise. Serke was a good servant for his master, but was something slimy himself, so shifty, hypocrite, a watchdog that waits nothing else than a half-rotten steak after a day of growling and barking. Half-height man, not a venerable aspect. Actually, if he had ever had a purpose in supporting Karesh in its business and madness, nobody ever knew, but the suspect always hovered in the air. But this didn't bother Karesh. No, he knew that his servant didn't use to think well with his head, and that if he ever tried some strange stroke, showing off a superior intelligence to put him back in line wouldn't have been difficult.
Karesh was someone who knew well how to put somebody to the gallows. In any sense. He had never completely betrayed a single feeling. Everything, every gesture, it was impossible to state, if he was acting sincerely or if that was a tactic of his.
Serke understood, in that moment, that his master's thoughts were focused elsewhere, and waited for any word by him.
A deep silent.
And Karesh began to speak, keeping looking forward.
"You know why I am here, don't you?" he asked.
"I know, master".
Karesh smiled. "Well then, you should know, I should have known many years ago, this would end in a certain way".
Serke remained astonished. "I don't get what you mean, sir".
Karesh smiled softly and turned toward his interlocutor. He grabbed a letter from the table nearby and showed it from afar, holding it between his index and middle finger. "This morning came two heralds. Two white heralds...".
Serke stiffened, visibly shaken "Kandrakar..?". Karesh nodded, with an incomprehensible grin on his face.
"What the hell do they want from us!" Serke exlaimed, clenching his fists.
"Well, Serke..if you'd really know how I reached this throne, you should know why they came. And you, you answered you know, when I asked before. Is that right?".
"Yes, master..I apologize for my impertinent question" Serke replied, lowering his head.
Karesh repeated his grin. "You know, there are some dangerous ears, here". Serke smiled slightly.
They looked at each other.
"What do you do now, sir?" the servant asked "You know, in any case, just a few months to it".
"Oh yes, I know, my dear" replied Karesh, frowning "Just a few months. Or, better, he hopes so" he laughed. "But I'll tell you, I've never thought about abdicating. Nor will I now. But this intrusion by the Oracle destroyed my plans".
"Do the heralds say anything else?" the servant asked.
"They ask me to abdicate peacefully. No war, no guardians, nothing. If I oppose resistance, it will be war".
Serke opened his eyes wide.
Karesh noticed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything like that. I won't abdicate".
Serke held his breath. "If you won't, the Oracle is too powerful for our armies!And don't forget, anyone here on Aquardas knows anything about different worlds!"
"Calm down" Karesh answered him back "the Oracle is nothing without his guardians. Therefore, we only have to destroy them. They're kids, but nothing else". He smiled again. "That clown can say everything he wants. But there's a huge difference between saying and doing, alas!".
Karesh turned his eyes down, thoughtfully.
"I won't disappoint you, my lord!" Serke said firmly, bringing a hand over his heart "I'll destroy the guardians and we will be free, at last!".
Karesh chuckled at the self-proclamation of his servant as the bearer of the mission.
Serke looked at him confused. "Not you, my friend" Karesh said.
Serke opened his eyes wide.
"You can go, now" said the master, not even looking at him in the eyes.
Serke walked toward the door, his head down.
"Oh, I forgot" said Karesh, again without lifting his head and making stop Serke at the threshold. "He must not know anything about this letter. And I'll spoke to him personally" and so saying, he threw the letter in the fireplace.
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Heatherfield, September 10th, 1969
It was the first day of the school-year. There was a large amount of students in the Sheffield's garden, excited, tensed or annoyed people who gathered fort the first bell ring of the school-year. Five of them, all girls, were sitting in the shade of a tree. They were discussing about a beach party occurred a couple of weeks before, and to which they had gone; and a guy, Sean, who had approached one of them for flirting.
"Really don't get what's your problem!" shouted one of them, a raven haired girl.
"I actually don't think it's a problem, Rissy. It's just that I don't like him. That's all! May I have the right not to like him?" replied the friend, an auburn-haired girl.
"You must be dumb.. how can you..".
"Nerissa, I agree with Cass. In short terms, it's not a problem if she doesn't like him. There are hordes of men on this planet, you know. She will find the right one" a long-blonde haired girl answered, to defend her friend.
"Yeah, but you know I love Cass, and I want only the best for her. Sean isn't that bad!" Nerissa commented.
"Glad to hear that from you, but it's up to Cass, not you".
"Thanks Hal" Cassidy said.
"Pleasure".
"Don't thank devil's friend Cass. It could be dangerous!" Nerissa admonished, sarcastically.
The bell rang once, as a signal for the students who had to get in the school building.
"I think we have to go" the blonde haired girl said.
"Hal, please, don't keep on reminding me that it's starting another school-year, another year of piles of homework and bad marks!" complained Nerissa while was on the threshold.
"Nerissa, what are you talking about? You only get from B up!" a chinese girl recalled, she was also part of the group of friends.
"Well, that's only because I compare myself with Cassidy. When she's a little under the weather she gets AT LEAST A B" Nerissa replied, and noticed in that moment Cassidy's tongue.
The five went in, with the usual urge that characterises the beginning of a school year. They greeted at the entrance and headed to their respective classrooms. Everyone except for Nerissa and Cassidy, who stayed there to keep on with the previous topic.
And even if Nerissa didn't say anything, Cassidy understood her intentions.
"Gosh, why the hell do you care about this?And about what I do with guys?That's my own business, not yours!" Cassidy raised her voice, clearly annoyed by her friend's intrusion in her privacy and interests.
"You don't want to listen to me, Cass, that's your problem!You don't want to listen to me when I talk about guys, about Kandrakar, about anything!".
The redhead snorted again, while holding her schoolbooks against her chest "I guess I have a mother for all this, don't you think?".
The other girl wasn't convinced at all. In fact, that speech hadn't come out randomly. Nerissa didn't really care about what Cassidy did and didn't with the boys of their school; even so, Cassidy had never had any problem. She had gone out with a couple of guys or three, and, as often happens at that age, the story ended up a couple of months later. For a fifteen-year-old girl, that wasn't that bad. But the speech was not aimed at Cassidy's interests. The problem, Nerissa's problem, was that she was quite stubborn and often did what she wanted. She was a person who wasn't submittable to the will of a chief, as the keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar could be for the group of guardians. She preferred by far a more democratic method, where she could say something, and often rebelled against the order to act when in fact this contrasted her will. It was probably a fixable problem, but having not found a way to solve it, it became really unbearable. And unbearable under many aspects, Nerissa thought. Since, in fact, Cassidy had demonstrate this attitude, she had started to feel bad. Physically. She couldn't sleep, nor concentrate, she was often not capable of understanding nor wanting anything. She had often a stabbing pain in her chest, and more than anything else, she thought at the Heart of Kandrakar, the cause of her suffering. She had never talked about this with her friends, nor with the Oracle. Because she had a duty, leading the guardians, and would have put to rest any physical pain to play her role.
They scowled at each other, and in that moment a guy came towards them.
"Sorry if I interrupt you two" he apologized "I'd like to have an information. Do you know where I should go for the P.E. class?".
Nerissa looked at him. He was handsome, charming, and with deep blue eyes. He had short black hair and his little beard was of the same colour of his hair. He was wearing a white shirt, that stressed a fine toned body. But Nerissa couldn't notice this well, as the way he looked at her was magnetic, to say the least.
Nerissa set to answer, but the embarassment played a bad joke to her, and bit her tongue. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, smiling sheepishly, while her heart quickened both for the embarassment and the sight. And while she tried a few times to catch the breath again to resume the thread of the sentence, he gave a look at the redhead, looking for her gaze. He found two eyes, similar to his own, with some green nuance. It was a rapid look, from which he looked away immediately. Given the response, the guy thanked her and walked off to the direction indicated to him.
Nerissa remained still there, watching as he went.
"It's rare to find any of these on Earth" muttered slowly, mesmerized, while waving her hand to greet him. "Yeah..". When it was no longer possible to see him, quickly recomposed herself and turned around.
"For example..." she tried to say, but was unable to finish the sentence as she noticed she was talking to nobody. Cassidy had gone.
The second bell rang.
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The girl suddenly fell.
"Hey, be careful, you..!" she cried, and raising her head to see a nice guy who was offering his hand to help her.
"Sorry, I didn't see you, and I'm a little bumbling. But really, it doesn't usually happens to me.." he apologized, smiling.
The girl smiled back, looking at him from top to bottom. "Oh really, don't worry, I'm fine...I experienced much worse situations!" she chuckled "I'm Kadma, however. Kadma Starlight..and you are..?".
"Edward" the guy replied "Edward Svendberg. I'm new here".
In that moment a girl came screaming toward them, hurried. "KADMA!KADMA!ARE YOU..." she shouted, and when she arrived on the spot she saw a wonderful boy just next to her friend. She stopped, with a big smile on her face, and, looking at him from top to bottom, kept her breathe. "Hi..".
He smiled "Hi, I'm Edward. And you?" and showed his bright teeth.
"...Yan Lin...but you can call me whatever you want..." she replied, without taking off her face that dumb smile and without letting go the handshake. Kadma rolled her eyes, almost laughing. Meanwhile, Edward kept on holding girl's hand, smiling amused, as long as the other girl broke it.
"So...I'll guess we'll see you around?" she said, to break the awkward silence.
"Yeah, definetly" Edward answered "I have to run, see you later!". He went away.
The two stood still watching him from afar, with wide-opened eyes.
"I really think I will get him in bed one day" Yan Lin said, still caught in amazement. Kadma slowly turned her head to her, frowning.
"What?Don't try to tell me you haven't thought of!" the chinese replied to the glimpse.
Kadma turned again to observe him.
"I would be a crappy liar if I'd say so".
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The girl accidentally broke the slide.
"Fuck off, biology and everything that concerns!" muttered through gritted teeth.
"May I help you?" asked somebody who was close to her.
At first, she didn't go out her way to raise her head to look "No, thanks, I can handle that".
She attempted to insert another slide under the lens, and broke this one too.
"Well, maybe...it might be a great idea..you know, that little help.." she said exhausted, and raised her head; to that view, she blushed violently.
"Hi..." she mumbled.
"Hi" he answered back. He looked at her face. "May I know the name of such a beatiful girl?" he asked, smiling and showing his bright teeth.
"Her name's Halinor" replied a guy instead, who was coming determined towards them. "Why don't you bring your ass out of here?" continued the guy, staring at the rival in the eyes.
"Conner, please" the girl tried to calm him down, holding him.
"No sir" he answered, not even looking away. He watched him from below, due to the difference in height, with fierce eyes. "Nobody has the right to even touch my girlfriend".
Halinor placed herself in front of him, and stared at him in anger. "Conner, I told you I'm not your girlfriend and I'm not interested in you even a little, why don't you make it over and go away?" she shouted, pushing him away.
The other one interjected. "Well, if she's not your girlfriend, then why don't you go and leave her in peace?Don't you even have a modicum respect for girls?".
Conner moved the girl aside and challanged his rival. "I take girls home and I fuck them. I don't know what you mean for respect for females, you Grand Lord".
"Ok" he replied back, and broke down Conner's nose with a punch, ruining the floor with blood. "Greetings from Edward Svendberg, the Grand Lord! And now you better go away, you crappy pervert".
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Shell beach, 7 p.m.
A blonde haired guy was playing guitar, sitting on a rock by the sea.
With him his sister, who, while listening to his new piece to give then a judgement, watched the seagulls flying on the surface of the water. It was sunset, and the sea was bright red; a typical late-summer breeze was blowing, on the now cleared beach there were them and someone having a walk with the dog.
She was still listening to that piece, when suddenly turned to her brother.
"Do you have a girlfriend, Will?" she asked.
The boy shrugged, not even looking at her "No, not yet".
She sighed, and turned back towards the sea, without saying anything.
And while playing, the boy asked, curious. "Why do you ask me that?".
She gave a half-smile, not caring that much "Curiosity" she replied.
He kept on playing, thoughtfully.
"Do you?" he murmured.
"I don't" she replied. She took a short break, for her to think about something. "Do you think the problem is mine?".
The boy finally stopped playing, and looked at her, frowning. "What do you mean, Cass?".
She sighed again. "I mean what I said. Perhaps the problem is me. Perhaps, it is my fault if I can't find anyone. "
"You had found Chris. Then Jake. And now Sean is attracted by you, you know. "
"I know" replied Cassidy, with indifference. "But Chris just needed to fuck someone ...and Jake was not much different. And now, I don't like Sean. I need
someone to see things seriously, you get it? ".
William smiled and winked. "Yeah, you speak like an overage!I've always thought you're much more mature than average! ".
Cassidy smiled slightly.
William sighed and gently laid his guitar on the sand, and hugged her sister from behind.
"Listen" he started "we have always been together since our mother decided that having an only one child would have been boring. So, I think I know you well
enough. I absolutely don't think you are the problem. You're not the problem. You are what you are, with your strengths and weaknesses, and what people
should do is appreciate both. In love like in friendship. And I don't think that there isn't someone able to do that, on this planet. Trust me. Besides, I'm always right. Take it easy "concluded William, giving her a tender kiss on the cheek.
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Sheffield, September 11
Kadma, Halinor and Yan Lin were in the cafeteria for breakfast. They were all a bit sleepy, in front of them their cups of coffee on the table, when Nerissa came in with dreamy eyes. She sat with them, without uttering a word. She did not even look at her friends, her gaze was lost somewhere else.
Kadma looked confused. "Are you ok?" she asked, waving her hand in front of her face.
"I'm very ok" she replied in a fiery tone.
Halinor looked at her frowning, and turned in the direction indicated by Nerissa's gaze. What she saw was Edward Svendberg, standing at the counter, taking an orange juice.
"That is a God who has come to Earth to court common mortals and to save them from the atrocities of perverts" confirmed Halinor, according to Nerissa.
"Hey, you beauties, stop daydreaming, that's my stuff, don't touch. I warn you! "exclaimed Yan Lin, with the few energies she had in the morning.
"Ok, then when you'll be done there will be a long long queue" commented Kadma "And I will be the first".
"And I'll be after you" he smiled Nerissa.
"And I'll be immediately after Rissy!" laughed Halinor excited.
"The last one will be Cass, seeing that she's not here, she lost her opportunity" Yan Lin winked. The four girls laughed.
Cassidy suddenly arrived, and sat down at their table, yawning. "Hello girls".
The four didn't answer, nor saw her.
"HEY YOU FOUR!" she finally screamed.
"Cass, for heaven's sake, don't yell" said Nerissa "could ruin his hearing" and turned back away from Cass.
Cassidy is confused. "Whose hearing?". She leaned over to see beyond her friends' heads and noticed Edward standing at the counter.
"Looks like a Greek statue" commented Halinor.
"Greek statue for bed" said Nerissa.
Cassidy looked at him. "Yes, cute".
The four turned toward her, shocked and with their eyes wide opened, as if their friend had said a heresy.
"CUTE?" cried Kadma. "How can you call it" cute "? For heaven's sake, what do you have instead of hormones? Fries? ".
Cassidy violently threw the cup of coffee on the table, spilling the contents. She was tired of all those comments. Her friends had always thought that she was unjustifiably too serious in love matters. Edward was nice, let's say charming, but that wasn't enough to convince her.
She was making her way out the cafe, when Sean came up, smiling.
He noticed her gloomy expression.
"Hi Cass!What's new? "he asked excited.
Cassidy greeted, not involved.
"Are you ok, Cass?You have such a face ... "he tried to hint.
And the fuse started to burn.
"My problem?You are my problem. I don't like you at all, is that clear? I tried to tell you with good manners, but obviously you did not grasp the concept. I do not want you, can you get that?!Look for someone else! " she cried, and tried to go away, but Sean grabbed her arm with a jerk. Cassidy looked at him afraid.
"You don't treat me like that, is that clear?!" screamed at her in the face and tried to kiss her, when someone grabbed him by the shirt and violently slammed against the wall of the building. The whole thing happened all of a sudden, and Sean didn't even notice what was happening. At one point he found himself at half height, crushed against the wall, while a hand was keeping him by the collar.
Everyone had stopped to observe the scene, while the other four girls had sticked out to see what was happening.
They looked into the eyes.
"I'll say it once. And no once more" said the guy who kept the rival against the wall. "The next time you get close to her, I'll kill you, pig. Do you get it? "he admonished, gnashing his teeth furiously.
The other looked at him in terror.
After a brief nodded with his head, the guy let him go, and the other fell with a thud on the floor. The other looked at him to assure he would have run away immediately and as far as possible.
The crowd began to dissolve, while people still looked back commenting.
Then he approached Cassidy.
"Are you ok?" he asked with concern.
Cassidy nodded, lowering his gaze. "I guess so".
He looked at her, looking for her eyes. "We met yesterday at the entrance, remember?I'm Edward. "
Cassidy tried to recall the events of the day before, when chatting with Nerissa over that topic that was pressing for her. "Uhm, yes, I was talking to Nerissa. It's nice to see you again ".
He looked for her eyes again. He had always had his strength in seducing girls with the intensity of his gaze, an intensity that was rarely seen elsewhere. He had such an intense gaze, and deep eyes as blue as the ocean, and it was hard to look away from him. She looked back at him.
The sight of her eyes made his heart beating fast.
As if he cannot handle the vision, he looked away from her gaze.
Cassidy stood still, confused and bewildered.
It was as if there was a mirror between them, a mirror where Edward could reflect himself, and reflect his own gaze, and it was as if he were charmed by himself. It seemed he was an idiot, and didn't know what to do.
Cassidy noticed some snags from him.
"Sorry, I ...I have to go, "said Edward at the end, and grabbing his backpack, walked away.
Cassidy remained there to look at him, a bit sorry for his discomfort, a bit confused, and tried a bit of compassion. She felt her heart beat violently in her chest, against her chest.
When he was sure no one could see him, Edward rolled his eyes to the sky, sighing.
"Damn".