I didn't know what to do next, I was completely scattered. I'd been thinking about our future, what will we be become without a father? What will life taste like without him beside? Contacting my psyche made me a bit uncomfortable, so I wished for a bus tour, which I had always believed that it drains pain away.
It was a sky blue bus, not quite large, nor short, with some advertising stickers on it. It can take more than twenty people and it usually goes for one hour tour, all around the city.
I took my leave out of the house, heading to the bus stop. On the way there, I met Pandi. She was wearing an unusual red attire. One would assume that she was positively going to a masquerade or something. She seemed quite disappointed, since I didn't come back for her the day before. "Hey Usagi!" She hailed pretending to be smiling, as if she was aiming on releasing endorphins into her brain. "Hi.. um.. I'm so sorry about yesterday! I couldn't come!" I apologized instinctively. "It's okay never mind!" she was obviously pretending. "No it's not, I know you were waiting for me, I know that! I just couldn't come because .." I couldn't finish my sentence; it was quite thorny to be said though. "Because?" She turned to be curiously attracted to the cause. "My father passed away last night" I responded regrettably. "Oh!.. ! Oh my god I didn't know, I'm sorry Usagi. I'm so sorry about your father, I really am." She sadly condoled. "Thank you.." I showed appreciation for her caring, and earnestness.
Then we carried on moving towards the bus station. "So how was your dad?", She posed. "Well, he's been always mysterious for me. We rarely talk, I can't remember last time he took me to school when I was a kid. I don't have much memories of him, weird right?" I asked binding up my teeth with a wrecked smile. She tapped gently between my shoulders and looked at me for a second, "Yea, but it's okay. No father is perfect after all. Even those who have fathers, sometimes wish they don't." She stated.
As soon as we had arrived, the bus stopped. Coincidently, Pandi was taking the same bus. I didn't ask her where she was going, because I didn't want to get indulged in her personal life, Plus, I didn't want to be asked the same question back. I sat on my usual back seat on the right row by the latest window and she sat in front of me. Every time I looked through the window, I saw memories of me and dad. The more memories I remember, the sadder I become.
We stayed silent for the whole time, until a tall, handsome boy with black curly hair stepped inside the bus. Pandi jumped off her place and hugged him gleefully and proudly, he crossed his hands over her lowest spin. "It's been a while, I miss you." She voiced. I looked away inaccurately before they hold hands and sit next to each other. My instincts knew he was her boyfriend. And then she turned to me saying, "Usagi, this is Yako Eks, my boyfriend." It amazed me how happy she looked like then, "Ah! Nice to meet you, Yako" I sleeted, seeing glare in his eyes, while shaking hands. "Me too.." He assumed with a pause in his parole. "Usagi, his name is Usagi and he's my new friend." She popped out. "..Usagi." He pronounced my name as if had known me before; his eyes were still glaring, a bit more. "His father died yesterday." Expressed Pandi, as if she was sharing my pain with the others. I wished if she didn't say so, but she did. "Oh, I'm sorry about your father." Said Yako, with a grin this time. I nodded my head once, and looked respectably down. They started talking, without me of course.
I had an odd feeling about guy; I mean he was perceptibly not what he seemed to be. "Oh we're here." He shouted passionately as if it was a personal triumph for both of them. They left. I could see how pleased Pandi was with him, and I wished all the best for them, even though something felt to be eccentric about him. However, seeing them together like that, made me feel for the first time, that I really need someone like her in my life. Practically speaking, I need to love and be loved in return. It's a natural feeling after all which worth to be considered as one of the things that differentiate us -Humans- from the other creatures.
The bus moved on, different people were coming in, dissimilar ones coming out. I didn't move a muscle. Instead, I was enjoying the sceneries, and forgetting about what was impossible to disregard.
"It's time to go home." A chewed voiced instantly whispered in my head, piercing through the deep silence which haunted me all the way. The bus stopped wittingly. A man aged between forties and fifties stepped in. He looked a bit fatty, less dirty, with circular sunglasses and a bald head. He was wearing gloves and a dark gray overcoat, similar in a way to that of scientists. He came right towards me, and sat cautiously. "You must be Usagi El, right?" He said hesitantly as he slipped his hands off his gloves. "And who might you be, sir?" I inquired curiously. "Call me Albus Black, I am a professor, and your father's assistant." His voice was persistently chewed which made me apprehend that it was him who whispered in my head moments ago. "You know my father?" My eyes grew wider. "There are a lot of things you're still unaware of Usagi. That's why I'm here, as your father requested. I should take you where you find answers to all of your queries." He decisively replied.
I had longed for that moment for so long, when someone someday would walk into my life and show me the way, at least putting me on the right path to know who exactly I am. I did not hesitate; curiosity and nosiness burned through my veins. I wanted to know more about my father, to learn new things. However, I thought about my family at home for an instant, and then made myself realize they'll be okay. "Sure, let's go." I said in a determined tone.
Albus waved his stripped hand in the air, as if he was drawing a cross, and stopped at its central point. "APERIO SIGILLUM!" He spelled a kind of conjuring verse and sealed his hand sturdily. The bus vibrated for a moment, a transparent black cross appeared in front of us, opening its angles and turning into a doorway. I saw a forest, with running rivers through it. Albus took a stance and looked at me smilingly, "Come on in." he said.
His expressions turned more cheered up than before. I stood up and followed him through; I felt a little dazed while walking through the doorway, my legs shacked and my head ached. "It's your first time walking through Foramen Alba, that's why you're having such aches. Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Said Albus. I smiled back confirming what he said, as I took a look around to see a cosmic green forest with infinite benign rivers.
A huge flock of birds soared above us, heading towards the opposite direction than the one I was looking at. "The Ulamas must be welcoming you, Usagi." believed Albus.
"Whoa!" I was very astonished. When I turned around, looking at the flock, the Foramen Alba had already vanished. I slowly descended my eyes to see a massive city, with giant primordial towers and noble castles. It was big enough to almost hide the mountains behind. It was not an ordinary city after all, according to what I saw so before.
Ever since the first sight, I noticed three main parts the city was consisted of. The far left, was somewhat green and grassy, with lots of agricultural fields and trees. The middle, which is the largest part, was consisted of buildings, houses and many gorgeous castles. To some extent, it was too urbanized. On the far right, I barely saw chimneys exhausting smoke with different depressing colors, mostly black and grey. It was perhaps an area of producing things, that's what I thought at first.
"Welcome to Heracleion!" said Albus, holding his hands tight as if he stopped clapping for a reason. "It looks spectacular from this angle, isn't it?"
"Yeah it is." I retorted, benefiting from the prospect. "Well then let's go, the others must be waiting for you." He addressed, taking few steps onward. I considered his response intriguingly. "Others? What others?" I curiously asked, following his outsized steps. "hm.. Let's say, a funeral and a new beginning." Said Albus, in an eerie impersonation of some romantic poet using misinterpretations to mislead my question.
There were loads of people in Heracleion, with different heights, weights, races, and genders. They looked very average and ordinary to a large extent. One wouldn't assume they do witchcraft and wizardry things.
I saw on a big board -like the one we use for ads- some writings and scriptural texts just like the ones on the scrolls my dad used to write and stick on our house ceilings. I asked professor Albus without a second thought "What are those scriptural passages?"
He looked at me with a mere wobbly vision, "Didn't you ask your father about it? I'm sure there are scrolls in your house too." Said he, sighing. "I never asked, I was never allowed to." I countered, looking down with a plain distressing emotion. Albus stopped walking and stared beyond the outer space. A setting analogous to that of a stillness before a storm.
"As you see Usagi, Heracleion is a primeval city which was possessed by Demons ages ago, besides hundreds of cities, this whole world in fact. These Demons were sadists who lived in wars, killing and devouring each other, savagely for the sake of their sadism pleasure. At such time, humans were developing their world, languages, cultures and more highly, their intelligence. Greed and voracity led Demons undeniably to intrude into the human world. Instability and fear traumatized people's hearts. Therefore, they had to find a solution for this horrifying quandary. Thus, exorcists from all around the world came together for the purpose of exorcizing those evil spirits from the human world. War began, between humans and Demons. Using exorcism, magic and witchcraft, humans succeeded in sealing the majority of Demons away in Gehenna. On the other hand, they were capable of executing the minority by torturing them to death, but they didn't. For the reason that they saw good, beaming from the hearts of those grimy evil spirits. And so it happened that they made a peace contract. In return, humans had access to Isthmus. That is this world. The world between Gehenna, Paradisus and Dunya. In other words, this world. Mankind and the remaining Demons lived here together in peace for ages now. In the last century; the higher state of exorcism and wizardry found cracks on the three walls surrounding Gehenna; Wall Rose, Maria and Sina. It was a trump card for the exiled Demons. Subsequently, they ran out through the cracks and came here concealing their existence in hideouts only they know. Sneakily, they sent spies on the appearance of animals, insects or even humankind, to gain intelligence and collect enough data about humans. Now, they became intelligent enough to overcome their sadistic pleasure and aim for something more reasonable, revenge. The Demons typically worshiped and devoted their souls to their king, Lucifer. The most powerful creature of all time. He rules Gehenna, and now he intends to take control all over Isthmus, Dunya and Paradisus. The Higher State made its decision to create schools of exorcism and wizardry all over Isthmus, in order to create wizards, witches, conjurers, magicians and exorcists and to be taught arts of exorcism and wizardry. Consequently to form the great Exorcism and Witchcraft Force which is believed to be the one and only force which is competent enough to defeat Lucifer's army. That's why I was requested to bring you here, to learn Exorcism and Magic, so that you can defend yourself against dark magic and evil spirits."
I gazed at him relentlessly, for the whole time. Because the procedure of understanding and visualizing the whole story inflicted my brain power. When I brought back my conscience, I looked straight forward; zephyr manipulated my hair and dried my eyes cold. "What a story!" I said. Albus cast a glance at me with hopeful eyes showing under his black glasses and wrapped his heavy arm around my shoulders. "We're almost there!" chanted he.
We walked for a long while to the enclosure of the built-up area. I saw that colossal multi-towered large fort piercing the clouds. I knew at that precise moment, that it was home Albus gossiped about. "We arrived, welcome to Athexorgia." Hailed Albus.
"Athexorgia huh?" I wondered inaudibly, lifting my head up right to spot the clouds piercing towers. I plucked up my courage as I'm making myself reliably set and spat "I'm ready for it!", hardening my fist and feeling a dense of strength, hope and inquisitiveness. I couldn't wait to see what's behind those carved gates.
