Mikage was standing across from me in a large room with a dome of blue stained
glass above us. I don't remember what we stood on, but it didn't matter to me at the
time. Mikage was here before me , smiling in his clean white shirt as we held each
other's hand. I wore my old gypsy shirt and skirt that were taken away long ago.
Mikage was holding, in his other hand, a thin gold bracelet that gleamed in the blue
light of the room. I was holding one too and I gasped when I realized this setting.
It's a gypsy marriage ceremony.
As I smiled in happiness, Mikage said, his voice bringing me back to those happy
memories together,
" Shall we begin, Carmen? I can't wait anymore."
I murmured " Yes."
Mikage had to say his oath first. I brought his warm hand closer and said
"Mikage, with the Seven Ghosts as our witnesses, do you swear to be forever at my
side with the outmost love and devotion to me?"
Mikage said " I do."
I brought the bracelet to his hand and slipped it over his wrist.
" Then let this bracelet that I bestow upon you be our unbreakable bond."
I released his hand as he took mine closer. " Carmen." he said with such longing
that I released a shaking sigh, my hand trembling excitedly in his gentle grip.
It was finally happening. It was almost complete.
Tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks and I closed my eyelids to stop them. I
felt the cold metal of the bracelet being roughly forced over my fingers and down
my wrist. This was was not how the ceremony was supposed to go.
I opened my eyes with a smile to tell Mikage he was doing it wrong with humour
when the eyes I was staring into were not the gold, loving eyes of Mikage.
They were the cold, purple eyes of Ayanami.
The tall Barsburg Admiral was holding my wrist tightly in his gloved hand as
he gazed on me with a smirk, looking amused by this dark joke. I gazed back at this
white haired villain with a horrified face, spotting the same bracelet around his
wrist.
" Carmen." Ayanami slowly spoke my name with relish " with Verloren as our
witness, will you be forever mine, and mine only, with the outmost love and
devotion to me?"
I wanted to rip my hand away and swipe that eery smirk off his face which I so much
detested. I wanted to yell at him that I will never be his and I hated him with all my
heart. But none of that happened.
I only gaped at Ayanami with trembling lips. Every muscle in my body was frozen
as I continued to stare into the deep violet of his paralyzing eyes. I held my voice
inside, refusing to give him what he wanted.
Ayanami only grinned at my resistance.
" Say it, Carmen." he coaxed as he pulled me closer, taking my jaw into his other
hand to tilt my face up to his cruel smile. " Why won't you finish our ceremony? I
want you, my Carmen. You'll be finally mine. Make your oath. I want to hear it from
these soft lips of yours."
He pressed his thumb upon my lips and rubbed them from corner to corner. My
breath shook as the pupil of his eyes narrowed into daggers, glaring down on my
frightened face.
" Swear to me now, Carmen Iglesia." he hissed.
My voice disobeyed my will and went up my throat to dance upon my tongue.
" I-I do." I choked on my words.
Ayanami laughed softly through his grin as he released my wrist and cupped his
hands over my face, tenderly stroking my tear crusted cheeks.
" Good girl." Ayanami sneered before taking me in his arms and lifting me off the
ground to meet his lips.
" NO!" I screamed out loud as I bolted up from my bed. I fearfully looked around the
room while I sat sweating and panting on my sheets. When I finally realized I was
back in one of the church's rooms, I let out a giant sigh and tried to calm down.
It was just a dream, I told myself, none of it was real.
Or was it?
I decided to go for a walk, to get some air and try to forget about the dream. I
noticed it was still dark outside, but I imagined morning was drawing close. Flinging
my sheets to the side, I rose from my bed and then halted when to gaze at Teito's
empty bed.
Oh that's right, I thought , he's sharing a room with Hakuren in the acolytes dorms.
They made quite a fuss over it.
I found a brown, wool jacket to pull it over my nightgown and then slipped my feet
into my boots. I quietly left my room and tip toed down the stairs to the courtyard.
The night's air was slightly chilly but the cool wind was refreshing. With my arms
crossed over my chest, I strolled across the courtyard and went up onto the
church's wall.
What if that was really Ayanami?, I frowned at the thought. Is he trying to mess with
my mind?
So what? He's not going to succeed. My thoughts turned to Frau, imprisoned now
in the hidden dungeons that only the bishops know. I touched my aching forehead
when I saw Bastien ahead of me.
The Archbishop Assistant was overlooking the wall at the town below, his
expression thoughtful and serious when he noticed me watching him.
" Miss Carmen?" he said in my language puzzled, " What are you doing out here
alone? Is everything alright?"
I nodded as I drew closer. " I'm fine. It's just…I can't sleep."
" Ah. I see." said Bastien as he sadly gazed at me, " Troubling dreams?"
" Yeah." I sighed, " And you, Bishop Bastien? Can't sleep either?"
Bastien faintly smiled " You and me both, my dear."
He turned back to the quiet town with the same look as before. I joined him on the
ledge to gaze down on the sleeping village from high above. It was strangely still;
not a peep of noise or a flash of movement to disturb its perfect silence. It was both
awing and creepy.
" Are you cold, Carmen?" spoke Bastien. I shook my head. " Not really."
Bastien made a soft chuckle, " My silly girl, I can see you're shivering. Here, come
closer."
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gently pulled me into his warm side.
" Better?" Bastien murmured as he rubbed my arm.
" Uh huh." I said while leaning my head against him. I didn't mind at all at this
closeness to the bishop. I liked Bastien, his company was comforting, but
something about him was nagging me.
" Bishop Bastien?" I said. " Hmm?" inquired Bastien. I continued
" If I may ask, why can't you sleep?"
He was silent for awhile until he sighed " I've been thinking about Frau. That boy is
always getting into trouble, but this is the worst."
I said " Do you believe Frau is a Warsfeil?"
" They told me they've found him holding a Warsfeil knife with dead bodies of our
slain brethren in the room. It seems clear enough."
Shaking my head, I said " But that could've been a setup. What if someone is
framing Frau so he could get executed? I don't believe for a second that he's a
Warsfeil. He's done so much for us."
Bastien smiled sadly, " That's what I like to believe. I've taken him under my care
when he was brought to this church as a small orphan. Frau was a troublemaker
but he had a compassionate heart. You know, Miss Carmen, that this place where
we're standing right now is where me and Frau used to come and talk. This is
where he opened up to me. I became attached to that child. He was like my own
son."
Those words, they're similar to what Father Fea said about Teito.
I said, " Then why do you doubt him, Bishop Bastien? You love him, don't you? You
should be trying to prove his innocence."
I felt Bastien pull in front of him to place his hands on my shoulders. His sad grey
eyes gazed sympathetically on me as he said " I know Frau has been kind to you
and its difficult to believe he's a being of darkness, but sometimes my dear, people
are not as innocent as they seem. They can be deceptive creatures and those
kinds must be destroyed. Frau committed a terrible act and there's no evidence to
object it. You are young and pure, Carmen, there is still much to learn about this
world. I do love Frau but there is nothing I can do for him."
I kept my silence and didn't continue my argument. I came out here to calm my
mind, not to boil my blood which won't change anything. I now felt weary from this
conversation. Bastien noticed my eyes were drooping from exhaustion.
He smiled " I think it's time for you to go back to your bed, my dear Carmen.
Weariness has caught up to you. I'll escort you back to your room. It's still
dangerous to be out here alone."
I nodded and murmured " Thank you, Bishop Bastien."
Bastien gathered my shoulders into his arm again and made our way back to the
main wing. When we reached my room, I turned to him and said
" Bastien, I want to apologize for what I said. I shouldn't have brought that on you."
He smiled softly and affectionally pressed the palm of his hand against my cheek.
" You're still a pure hearted girl, Carmen. You will always be. Now rest my child,
mourning will come soon."
He dropped his hand from my face and said " Sleep well, Miss Carmen."
" See you in the mourning, Bastien." I yawned before we both turned to go in our
own directions. *
Mikage awoken me in the late mourning, licking my face while I slept on my bed.
My eyes fluttered open to see the little dragon's eyes filled with worry.
" Mikage…" I moaned as I took him into my hands. I lazily rose from my pillow to
stare at him through squinted eyes. " What's wrong boy? Where's Teito? I thought
you were with him."
Mikage chirped at me before flying off my hands to scurry to the door and paw at it.
He wanted me to follow him.
I quickly leapt from bed and tore my nightgown off to slip on my clothes. I combed
my hair with my fingers as I briskly walked to the door and opened it to leave.
Mikage ran ahead of me to gallop down the halls.
I followed him at a fast pace, wondering what was Mikage trying to tell me as he
momentarily stopped and chirped at me to hurry . He lead me outside and into the
courtyard where I found the source of the little dragon's worries.
Teito was sitting on the fountain's marble, alone while gazing at the ground with the
most depressed expression I have seen on him. Mikage was right to bring me here.
Me and Mikage went to Teito who was deep in thought. I had a sense of what the
cause of his depression could be.
" Teito?" I said when I approached him. He jumped at my voice and quickly looked
up to me with huge eyes. " Carmen." he mumbled, relaxing but returning to his
gloominess. I went to sit by him.
" Mikage came to my room this mourning to wake me." I began, staring at his face,
"He sensed your grief and came to get me. I know what you're thinking about and I
want to say you are not alone in this."
Teito said " Frau…I can't believe…but he did have a cold look in his eye one night."
I grabbed Teito's shoulder and turned him to face me. " Teito, we both know what
Frau really is. He can touch Warsfeil tools without being affected. He was probably
tricked by a Warsfeil to touch the knife. Frau could still be innocent."
A little more life came to Teito's face. " It's possible." he said, " but we don't have any
evidence of this. He'll be executed."
I said with determination, " Then it's our job to uncover the truth and present the
evidence that we find. We have to save him, Teito. He saved ours. We can't let him
die!"
Teito started to look like that fearless boy that I knew. " Where do we start?" he
asked.
I looked around first to see if anybody was eavesdropping but none were seen and
I could sense none.
" We'll have to talk to Frau to get his side of the story." I whispered to Teito. He
whispered back "But we don't know where he's imprisoned. The dungeons are kept
a secret remember?"
I put a finger to my lips and said " Good point. Then how can contact him?"
A light melodic voice sang behind us and we turned to see Lazette smiling up at us
from the water.
" Mourning Lazette." I greeted the friendly mermaid but wondered how much she
heard our conversation. Lazette shook her face to change it into Frau's handsome
features.
Teito sighed " We're really confused now."
" I think she's on to something." I said and then asked the mermaid " Lazette, do you
know where Frau is?"
The Frau impersonator nodded at me before changing back to Lazette. She
pointed her webbed finger at the water and beckoned to us with her other hand.
" The dungeons are under water!" exclaimed Teito, " Frau is down there!"
" And Lazette wants to lead us there. She knows exactly where she is." I said. Teito
turned to me,
" Only one of us should go. It'll be quicker that way. I'll go."
I watched him take off his priest clothes to stand only in his shirt and shorts.
" Then I'll go investigate the scene where Frau was seen holding the knife."
Teito froze to look at me with a stern expression. " I don't think that's safe." he said.
I sighed, " Look, we don't have time to argue. We got to find evidence quickly before
Frau is taken to court. There's no time to be cautious for personal safety. But I'll be
fine. Go Teito, he needs you."
Teito was hesitant but agreed. " We'll meet here then."
" Good luck." I said.
With a nod, he took a deep breath and dove into the fountain where Lazette was
waiting. I watched Teito and the mermaid swim down into the deep blue of the
fountain until they were faint figures in the darkness.
Right. Now it's my turn, I thought when a voice called after me " Carmen!"
I whirled around to see Hakuren running towards me with a bascule. He glanced at
Teito's clothes piled on the ground and asked " Where's Teito?"
Castor was right, I thought while hiding a smile. I said " He's going to speak with
Frau. Hakuren? Do you believe Frau is a murderer?"
Hakuren looked surprised when I asked but answered with a solemn look
" No matter how many times they explain it to me, I believe Frau is innocent. He
cured my mother's curse long ago when my father forbade it. So he can't be a
Warsfeil if he can do that."
I grasped his arms and said " Then will you help me prove Frau is innocent?"
Hakuren nodded, his violet eyes shimmering excitedly. " How can I help?"
I whispered to him " We have to go investigate the crime scene. I need you to help
me find any clues to what happened in that room."
Hakuren warned me " We'll have to be discreet then. They don't want us snooping
around that place."
I nodded. " Right, then let's hurry. Mikage, stay here and wait for Teito."
Mikage chirped his acknowledgement .
" This way, Lady Carmen." said Hakuren before we went into the church. We didn't
run because we would look suspicious if we did. We walked at a fast pace but
casually talked to look natural. We can't afford to be stopped by the church's
guards. That would ruin our mission.
We reached the room where crime scene tape was set up around the entrance,
warning others to stay away. I ignored it and was going to duck under it when
Hakuren exclaimed " Wait! I can't bring my bascule in there."
I paused to watch him lay the weapon against the wall.
" If a Warsfeil was in there, my bascule would be tainted by its Wars. It'll kill the
power in the bascule."
" Good thinking, Hakuren." I commented. Hakuren smirked in satisfaction and said
" Let's get in there."
We stooped under the tape and entered the dark room. It was bare of any furniture
and it reminded me of a jail cell. We began searching the room when Hakuren
found splotches of blood stains on the floor.
" This is where the bodies were found." he said. My gaze ran up the wall to see
more stained blood.
" Hakuren look up." I said. He followed my gaze to the blood stains.
" That…doesn't make sense." he said, " Why would there be blood up there when
the bodies were here?"
I tapped my chin as I pondered over this strange setup. Were the dead priests up
there before they came down here? But why and how?
The notion was confusing and I wondered around the room to think when
something bright on the floor caught my eye. I kneeled beside it to take a closer
look.
It was strands of pink hair, stuck in the cracks of the stone floor. I immediately knew
who the hair belonged to.
" Hakuren! Come over here!" I almost shouted excitedly. Hakuren ran across the
room to where I was standing. " What is it?" he said as he dropped to one knee.
" This hair, " I said while pointing at the strands, " belongs to one of the Black
Hawks, Kuroyuri. His hair is the exact same colour as these strands."
Hakuren gasped " Which means Frau wasn't the only one in here! He was probably
fighting this Kuroyuri!"
I nodded. " I can't see Lazette or the other nun with pink hair being the culprit. It's
definitely Kuroyuri. Let's take this to Bishop Castor and Labrador. They'll know what
to do."
I was about to pluck the strands when Hakuren caught my hand.
" Don't touch it Carmen!" he exclaimed " It's still tainted with Wars. It'll hurt you if it
hasn't been purified yet. We'll have to-Carmen?"
I was staring above Hakuren's head with a dumbstruck look.
" There's girls floating above us." I said out loud. I swear I wasn't going crazy. There
were actual beautiful ghostly girls with bright coloured hair flying around the
didn't seem to see them. I guess I was the only one who could. They
reminded me of nymphs.
" It's okay, kiddies!" smiled one of them, "This room has been purified. It's safe to
touch anything. So go ahead!"
" Oh, thank you." I said with awe to the giggling spirits.
" Carmen, who are you talking to?" Hakuren asked, puzzled and a little worried.
I explained " The spirits of this room said the Wars has already been purified."
" What?" said Hakuren, " That quickly? Who could've have done it?"
" I did." said a familiar male's voice. We leapt to our feet to see Bastien walking
towards us from the dark end of the room.
" Bishop Bastien?" I said, " You purified this room?"
Bastien stood before us with a solemn look. " Yes, Miss Carmen, I was just finishing
up here." he said, " But you two shouldn't be here. It's a restricted area. You were
investigating this place, weren't you."
Hakuren bowed, " Forgive us, Bishop Bastien."
When I said nothing, Bastien said to me " Carmen, you never cease to amaze me.
To go this far to put yourself in danger …"
" It's for Frau." I said, " I know he's not the culprit. I want to help him."
" She's right." Hakuren joined me, " The true offender could still be out there."
Bastien silently stared at us, looking very displeased when he smirked.
" Young people. They're full of fire aren't they? Well, I guess I'll let you go this time.
You may continue your investigation."
We both sighed in relief and thanked the Archbishop Assistant.
" So Hakuren," Bastien said " You can bring your bascule in here. I'll get it."
He went out side and came back with the bascule. When he gave it to Hakuren, he
said to him " Never let this leave your side. Protect Carmen with it."
Hakuren bowed his head, " Thank you, I will."
" Now Carmen." Bastien said " If you would like, I can tell you something that might
help you with your investigation. "
Curious, I said " Sure. Anything would help."
Bastien continued " Those men who were killed in this room, did you know what
kind of men they were?"
" I thought they were bishops." I answered.
" They were criminals. They sought refuge in this church from the authority. They
thought they could make their atonement by serving God. But the Seven Ghosts
decide who will live and who will be punished. They are not merciful. They will take
a sinner's soul."
I slightly gasped but listened intently.
" Those dead men were judged as too evil to live and were disposed of by the
righteous hand of God."
My skin crawled at Bastien's words. I never seen him this frightening before. What's
gotten into him?
" What do you think now, Miss Carmen?" Bastien asked me with a gentler tone, "Do
you think this crime was actually justice?"
I made a thoughtful look and said " They might've done something terrible in their
lives and they may have deserved it, I don't think its the right punishment. They
should continue to live while being always followed by their crimes, never moving
on in this world. Only trapped in their never ending guilt. I think this mental suffering
is worse than death. So no, this crime is still a crime."
I thought I saw Bastien's eyes narrow at me until he smiled and touched my
forehead with his fingers.
" It seems we have a philosopher on our hands." he chuckled as he smoothed my
hair from my face. " Be careful my dear and good luck to both of you."
With that, Bastien walked pass us and left the room .
" Let's take the hair and get out of here. That's all we can find." I said to Hakuren.
He said " Teito is probably done by now."
We carefully pulled the hair from the crack and wrapped it in a piece of cloth. I took
the bundle and hid it in my pocket. Me and Hakuren then left the eery room and
went back outside to the courtyard. We silently made our way to the fountain and
found only Mikage there, chirping loudly at us as we approached him. Teito's
clothes were still on the ground.
" Where is that brat?" fumed Hakuren, " He should've been back by now!"
" Mikage? Have you seen Teito come out?" I asked the little dragon. He shook his
furry head. Damn.
The thought of Teito drowning made my heart pump unnaturally when a white
curtain covered my eyes. I was still as the white space darkened to pitch black.
Soon, I saw movement in the darkness and when my eyes adjusted, I cried out in
horror.
Teito was covered from head to toe in shapeless, grotesque shadows. Wars. I
watched its claws and teeth snare Teito's arms and legs, holding him still as the
Wars slithered onto his body. I noticed there was another person in this dark space,
someone wearing the robes of a bishop who was controlling the Wars.
I focused on his face. My heart almost stopped.
" WHY!" I screamed when the vision vanished and I was back at the fountain in
the arms of Hakuren. He shook me as he shouted in hysteria
" Carmen! Can you hear me! Are you okay! Your eyes went all white!"
" I'm fine. It was just my vision." I said dazed when I screeched
"Oh God, Teito! He's in danger! He has him! Why didn't I see this! I'm an idiot!"
I tore from Hakuren's arms and dashed into the church without explanation.
Hakuren followed close at my heels and exclaimed while we ran,
"Carmen, what's going on! Who has Teito?"
I cried with a trembling voice, " Bastien. It was him all along! He betrayed us!"
" Oh God, no." Hakuren whispered in shock.
I said while trying to get a hold of myself, " He's taken Teito to a dark place. I don't
know where but I have a feeling we should check in his office."
We sprinted without stopping to the traitor's office and when we entered the neat
room, I started looking at the book shelves.
" He must have a secret passage here." I said as fingers trailed along the soft
spines when I felt a smoother book. It was stone. I quickly pulled the fake book back
to hear a loud click behind the shelf.
The whole book shelf slid to the right to reveal a dark passageway holed into the
wall. Without wasting anymore time, we sprinted down the stone steps, descending
into the earth's dark belly. Our eyes quickly adjusted to the dark but it wasn't long
until we saw a faint torch's glow at the bottom of the steps. We sped towards it, our
breathing nervously shaking as we braced ourselves for a battle.
With knives in hand and a bascule ready, me and Hakuren sprang from the
passageway to gasp at a grotesque sight. In the middle of the cellar was Teito
wrapped in Wars that snarled and squawked as one horrible living creature. Teito
was struggling against it, trying to break free but the more he moved, the more
energy was being sucked from him. The Wars was devouring him.
" Teito!" Hakuren yelled and raised his bascule at the Wars to fire his zaiphon.
Nothing happened.
" Your bascule is useless." said the unmistakable voice of Bastien. He came out of
the darkness like a wraith, his narrowed eyes glinting with red. All the kindness this
man had on his face was gone. It was only the will to kill.
Bastien coldly glared at us as I sensed a powerful dark aura surrounding him.
Hakuren was still trying to get his bascule to work. I noticed it had black splotches
on its white stone.
Bastien said " I tainted your weapon with Wars. It was foolish of you to let someone
else touch it."
We both remembered that time at the crime scene when Bastien went to get
Hakuren's bascule. We were so careless.
Teito made a strangled cry and I whirled to him to witness the Wars slowly crawling
across his face, changing the green of his eye to a blackish purple.
" Let him go!" I screamed and threw two knives at Bastien.
He mumbled something in a low whisper and suddenly two large tendrils of Wars
appeared in front of him and swiped the knives away.
" Those mundane weapons won't work either, Carmen." said Bastien as the Wars
swirled and sputtered. He was right. Our weapons can't do anything to the Wars
and if it touches us, we'll be swallowed up too. We came to this place off guard and
unprepared.
Hakuren leaned over to me and whispered " Go get help."
Knowing full well of his intention, I sprinted to the exit while Hakuren sprang at
Bastien. I heard Hakuren's cry followed by an insect growl but I kept going while
clenching my teeth in anger.
The stairway was just a few inches away and I almost had my foot on the first step
when Bastien's voice called " Carmen."
My heart jolted at his ice chilling voice and I instantly stopped just before the exit.
" Are you going to leave your friends to die?" Bastien spoke.
Move you idiot! I snarled at myself, Don't you dare turn around!
I ignored my conscious and turned to Bastien while sweating buckets.
" Hakuren!" I screeched when I saw him dangled in the air by the Wars coiling
around him. He tried ripping away the dark creature while Bastien stood beside it
calmly, watching me with that sinister stare.
" I always knew you were a kind hearted human, Carmen Iglesia. " said Bastien, " I
would never guess you would sacrifice your friends to save your own life."
I yelled " Why are you doing this, Bastien! Were you a Warsfeil from the very
beginning!"
Bastien commanded " Come here, Carmen."
I didn't want to obey but his cold eyes were daring me to make a move, to give him
a reason to kill Teito and Hakuren right now. It was hopeless, I couldn't save them.
But I went to Bastien all the same.
" No! Carmen run! Get away from him!" Hakuren shouted at me but was silenced by
the Wars who covered his mouth. I glanced at Teito, almost engulfed in the Wars,
his look distant.
I turned back to Bastien, who was only a few feet away with his Wars, still swirling
at his feet. I halted to glare at him. Bastien mumbled the strange words again and
the Wars disappeared at once, allowing Bastien to stride towards me. I didn't back
away but watched this monster come to me while struggling to keep a calm face.
Bastien stopped to stand close to me. " Carmen," he began" when I asked you if it
was right to kill a evil human, I was in a disagreement with your answer. You see…"
Bastien raised a finger to my face and trailed his nail against my skin. I shuddered
from his touch, feeling the strong Wars in his finger burning my face.
" I was the one who killed those damned men. I made them suffer greatly before I
slowly took their lives. I want to do this to all such despicable humans. Vermin like
them are not needed on this earth."
I swallowed " But you're hurting innocent people too."
Bastien smirked as he hooked his finger under my chin.
" No one is innocent in this world, my dear." he said with that dark smile, " Even you
are not as pure as everyone thinks you are. Your human kind are all disgusting
creatures. My master understands their nature completely."
I growled in Bastien's face " You're wrong and so is he!"
His hands fell to my neck and violently wrapped his fingers around my throat. A
choked cry escaped my lips as Bastien strangled me , crushing my throat in his
powerful grip. My sight was blurring but I could still see Bastien's black rage on his
scowling face.
" You shouldn't speak what you don't understand ,foolish girl." he hissed in my face
as I grasped his arms, " You think you know everything about this world, how pure
and beautiful it is! You haven't seen its true darkness!"
I struggled to speak " It's true…I haven't…But you must know…no one in this world
is perfect. We all make mistakes…"
Bastien tightened his grip and I coughed at the unbearable pain.
" That's enough talk, Carmen." Bastien said, " Sleep now. You will see my master
soon enough. I will present you and the Eye of Mikael as a gift to him."
Feeling my mind slowly slip away, I shouted with everything I had left,
" What about Frau!"
Bastien ceased his strangling but kept his fingers tightly around my neck as he
glared at me. I continued, hearing my own voice tremble
" He loves you. He loves you as his own father. You are his father. You raised him
with love and kindness when others wouldn't. And you loved him too, even though
he's a human that you despise. You still love him, Bishop Bastien."
Bastien gazed into my watering eyes while wearing a sorrowful look.
" Release my master's most beloved, Warsfeil." said a familiar voice behind me. A
pure white web of unknown substance appeared above us and came down at
Bastien. He dodged the assault by releasing me and leaping back a few feet away.
I coughed for air and touched my throat when an arm slipped around my waist
protectively and drew me against a small body behind. I gasped when I saw the
same white substance growing from the same hand that held me. I noticed a small
red sphere embedded in the back of his hand, glowing as more of that substance
grew from it.
" Do not be afraid." said the stranger behind me when I realized it was not a
stranger. It was Teito!
I turned to see him, free from the Wars but he looked different. His eyes were blood
red and he wore a scowl unlike his.
" Who are you?" I whispered. Teito answered with a deep voice " I'm the Eye of
Mikael, the one that resides in my master's hand. He wished for me to save you. I
answered to his call."
Remembering Bastien was still here, I looked to where he stood and felt my heart
stop. A Ghost had appeared, holding a giant scythe and skewering it into Bastien's
body.
The curved blade stuck out of the Warsfeil's back, pools of black blood dripping
down his robes to the floor. Zehel, Frau, and Bastien, his guardian, gazed into each
other's eyes. Blood dripped from Bastien's mouth as he spoke in a hoarse voice
" My son…I just listened…to what that lovely girl said…and she's right…I love you
Frau…I'm sorry…"
Bastien made a weak smile on his bloody lips as his breathing started to slow.
" Bastien…" said Zehel, watching Bastien close his eyes to never open them again.
" Why?"
The Archbishop Assistant died on Zehel's blade.
Zehel slowly pulled the scythe from Bastien and carefully laid the dead bishop on
the ground. The God said behind me
" If my assistance are no longer needed, I will go back then."
The God closed his red eyes and his scowl relaxed to Teito's sleepy expression.
His arm dropped from my waist and his body slumped against me. I caught Teito by
the shoulders before he could fall to the floor, leaning the unconscious boy against
me.
" Hakuren!" I exclaimed and looked over my shoulder to see him lying on his
stomach without any Wars in sight. I was thinking of laying Teito down to check on
him when a monstrous long arm robed in black scooped me and Teito off the floor.
Zehel held us against his large chest as he went over to Hakuren to pick him up
with his other arm.
" We have to go." Zehel said with a low, grave voice, " They'll see us."
I heard shouts and footsteps coming down the passageway along with the clinking
of metal weapons. The church's guards were coming, having discovered the
passageway open. If they saw us with Bastien's dead body, they'll think we're the
murders.
The Ghost glided back into the wall while taking us with him. We vanished from the
room right before the guards announced Bastien's death.*
Frau was proclaimed innocent of his charges. When they found Bastien's body, the
Church began to think that Frau may not be the killer since he was in his cell the
whole time, so how could he have possibly killed Bastien?
We backed this with the hair me and Hakuren found on the crime scene, telling the
judges it belonged to a Warsfeil. The Church interviewed people with pink hair like
Lazette and the nun. Neither of them were near the crime scene when the murder
happened and there were other witnesses to prove it.
Frau was released in a few days, just in time to attend Bastien's funeral. It was a
heartbreaking day; everyone attending the ceremony wore black morning clothing
and solemn, sad gazes.
Me and the boys told no one about Bastien's real identity. We left Bastien's death
as a murder by the real culprit. We wanted him to be remembered as the kind,
loving we knew. As Teito and Hakuren's tutor, Frau's guardian and my friend. *
Teito, alone with Mikage on his shoulder, was walking around the courtyard with a
depressing face. I couldn't protect him, he thought, nor Carmen or Hakuren. I let
them all fall into danger.
It's been a week since Bastien was buried and Teito still felt responsible for his
death. Life went on in the church like usual, but the loss of their beloved
Archbishop Assistant still hung over the inhabitants.
Teito and Hakuren went back to their studies and trained together. They were
starting to like each other but still feuded over the littlest things. Now the bishop
exams were only tomorrow and Teito was doing everything he can to be prepared.
If only he could get rid of his gloomy thoughts. It's distracting him.
" Boo!" Carmen popped in his face.
Teito jumped a few feet away with a surprised cry. Carmen laughed
" There! That should get you hyped up for the exam. I'll scare you again before you
take it, just to be safe."
Teito sighed as Mikage chirped at Carmen excitedly,
"Carmen, please don't do that ag-What the heck is that!"
Teito pointed at the long rifle that Carmen held in front of her. It was almost as long
as her, sleek and dark brown with a scope set on top.
" Really? Do I have to answer that?" Carmen said with a smile, not at all worried
with carrying a deadly and possibly an illegal weapon.
" Where did you get that!" Teito exclaimed.
Carmen answered calmly " I had it since I was thirteen. A birthday present. Vivo
had it on him."
Teito smacked his forehead. " Then why are you carrying it in church! You'll get
into trouble with the bishops!"
Carmen shrugged " It's for protection. My knives are useless for that. I'll use it if I
have to protect you and everyone else from the Warsfeil."
Teito didn't like it but he let the argument go. Carmen can't use zaiphon to protect
herself so the rifle is the best she can do.
She doesn't have to do this if I hadn't dragged her along. But, she doesn't have to
hang around me.
Teito said " Carmen? Do you miss your family?"
Carmen thoughtfully said " I do. I sometimes wonder if they're doing okay. But, this
isn't the first time we've been separated like this. We'll eventually find each other
again."
" Look, " Teito began," You don't have to-aargh!"
Teito felt his hand vibrate painfully when a sheen of black passed over his face to
cover his mouth and eyes, changing the irises to purple.
" Teito!" Carmen cried in alarm as she fell to the ground with him. She took his face
into his hands, staring down on the Wars that was once again choking the life out of
Teito.
Carmen shook him while screaming at the top of her lungs " Teito! Wake up!
Somebody help! Frau! Come quick!"
The floor beneath them suddenly turned black, forming a dark pool
that surrounded them. In seconds, a giant wall of Wars rose from the pool to trap
Carmen and Teito in a giant sphere of Wars.
Carmen hugged Teito to her chest, protecting his head in her arms as the Wars
blocked out the last precious ray of sunlight, swallowing the girl and the boy into its
dark abyss.
