CHAPTER XLVIII

Night Draws Near

Snow was falling over Atlas today, blanketing the Schnee manor in pure white. Ivory stared across the horizon at the megalopolis. Her home stood atop a hill, granting her a view greater than even the country's CCTS tower. The only vantage higher than this fourth floor balcony was her bedroom window.

"You've always had a habit of standing at our verandas with the lightest of clothing, haven't you, big cousin?"

Ivory turned to face Gwen, the youngest of the Schnee Family.

"Even in the midst of this snowfall." She sighed. "At least we aren't in the middle of a blizzard. It would be embarrassing for my tiny, four-year-old self to drag your full, frozen weight into the house."

"You seem to have evaded Mildred's surveillance once again," Ivory said, taking note of her medium-warmth clothing as well.

"You aren't the only one among us adept at espionage. Or escaping espionage."

"You're not wearing your Jugend armband."

Gwen scoffed. "And why would I be wearing that revolting thing?"

Ivory scanned their surroundings, but the younger one was quick to put her mind at ease.

"Worry not, big cousin. I've already taken the liberty of scanning our environment. It seems they decided it wasn't worth bugging our balconies. They probably wouldn't be able to pick anything up with all the noise, anyway."

"You...already checked?"

Gwen held out a hand, spawning a bright, solid glyph. "You think you're the only one to have started playing with our Semblance at four years of age?"

"No, that's not..."

"Worry not, Ivory. I have yet to dethrone you. You mastered our Semblance fully at ten years. I still have six years to at least meet the same goal."

"That glyph you're projecting."

"Yes, it's what I use to scan our surroundings. It's the only thing I can do with our Semblance for now. Combat seems to be your forte, since it was the first thing you learned to do. For me, it's subterfuge. This glyph allows me to detect anything out of the ordinary."

"That's an incredibly broad ability to have developed so quickly."

"Frankly, I'd rather be able to project platform glyphs. It would be more practical for someone of my height."

Ivory couldn't help but smile. She had just listened to a tiny bit of humanity in the midst of her youngest cousin's diatribe just now.

"I know where all of the listening devices in the house are," Gwen continued. "We have no need to fear out here."

"Judging from what I'm hearing," Ivory began, "you don't quite agree with the direction Atlas is going."

"Of course I don't. Seeing the masses mindlessly droning on and on, especially with that idiotic chant, it's beyond intolerable. Atlas was once a proud and great country. We may have our sins, but no nation is blameless. All we can do is better, better than we did before."

Ivory looked to the side. She had heard that line somewhere before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"So, did you come out here for idle conversation?" Ivory asked.

"No," Gwen answered. "I'm here to warn you."

The elder Schnee's eyes opened wide.

"It is regrettable that your eighteenth birthday has to arrive in such wretched circumstances—and believe me, I'd rather outdo you without such underhanded methods—but I must alert you that you are not only being watched, but pursued."

"The SS."

"I suppose that goes without saying. My glyphs don't only allow me to detect bugs, but to reverse the direction. Having so many listening devices in our house has been quite the boon. Some of the conversation I've picked up in the last seventy-two hours included assembling a task force strong enough that you would provide no resistance, and then taking you somewhere isolated. Perhaps to 're-educate' you."

"The camps out in the wilderness up north."

"You've heard of them, then."

"I was involved with their implementation while I was still in school."

Gwen's eyes opened wide.

"I know. Yorath was not exaggerating when he said I'd make the perfect SS officer. You must have been listening in on that conversation with your glyphs, am I correct?"

She nodded.

Ivory took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. She walked over to her younger cousin, kneeling before her.

"You must not worry about me, Gwen," she said. "Two years ago, I likely would have been on the same path Yorath now walks, but I can't help what happened to me."

"You're talking about our big cousin."

She nodded.

"The only one among us with warm eyes, instead of our cold blues."

That was quite the way of putting it. It was much better than the way Ivory used to refer to Lilly's brown hazels, that was for sure.

"Ivory," Gwen began, recognizing the regret in her elder cousin's crystalline blue eyes. "You must forgive yourself for—" She gasped as her elder cousin wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"Forget about that for now," Ivory said. "Gwen, if I were anyone else, I'd lament the fact that you're growing up so quickly. But I went through the same thing at that age. And you know how I recognize utility when I see it. You have a talent that we all need right now. And I suppose the fools at the SS also underestimate you because of your age and diminutive stature."

Gwen grinned. "Right you are. They think that just because I am a child, I am no threat to them. Yet they have no idea I've turned their own tables against them."

Ivory pulled back, sharing her younger cousin's grin. "Am I correct in presuming that no one else knows about your glyph work?"

"You are."

"Keep it that way."

"I intend to."

Ivory sighed heavily, sitting on top of her feet as she leaned back. "You'll take care of your brother and sister, won't you?"

"Don't worry so much, big cousin. Finn and Bianca are not the jingoistic buffoons they make themselves out to be. And father is fighting his own battles, all to keep us safe. Everyone is rebelling in their own way. Just as you have rebelled against everything you once knew."

"We have Lilly to blame for all that."

"I had a feeling your battle against her team back at the Vytal Festival Tournament had a profound effect on you. You had a sudden change of heart upon your return from Vale."

"It wasn't only me she touched."

"No, it wasn't. When do you intend on leaving?"

"Whenever I can knock out that SS trooper posted inside the hallway."

"Very well. I assume you can be on the move on a moment's notice."

"You assume correctly."

"Then, do what you must. I'll report the unconscious guard in order to maintain appearances."

"Protect the family. By any means necessary."

"I already know that."

Ivory gave her younger cousin one last smile before her expression returned to the one Gwen was most familiar with, the cold, unreadable mask she wore around everyone. But there was an intensity present now that wasn't there before. Gwen turned to watch as her elder cousin, the one who had once been destined to be a weapon for Atlas, now turned that snowstorm against her old home country.

No matter what anyone else claimed, she was still completely loyal to her homeland. It was these bastards taking over who were the traitors. And they needed to be snuffed out.

Ivory's disguise was immaculate. She grew up in this city, after all. Fitting in came without effort. Still, there was a tiny part of her that found it impossible to fully identify with her fellow countrymen anymore. More than half of the people around her greeted one another with that same maxim overtaking the entire nation.

"Für immer Atlas."

"Atlas für immer."

It was beyond aggravating. And yet, she was surprised at her ability to suppress her emotions. It came naturally to her, even before her training at Atlas Academy. Perhaps that was the reason she had gone unchallenged for so long, having had the natural aptitude for combat and special tactics. Now, those skills and talents were being put to the test. Her final test, it seemed, would be the very country that raised her to be a killer.

She pushed those thoughts aside for the time being. Christmas was only a few days away and the festive spirit wasn't dampened one bit, even by the ceaseless marching of army formations in the distance and constant presence of SS officers and their android bodyguards. In another time, in another place, she would be buying gifts for her younger cousins, her uncle, and their butler and maids. Maybe something for her mother as well, at least for when she would have the chance to be at home.

Something for Lilly and Aunt Weiss as well. She would even make the effort to travel all the way to Oasis to deliver the presents by hand.

But that was another time and another place. Two years ago, she couldn't be bothered to do any of those things, and now that she would, there was no way she could.

She kept onward, sticking to the crowds. It was possible she was already being tracked, but she had made sure to follow the prearranged route to the nearest safe house she and Renata had set up years ago, which was known only to them. Renata was likely the only Atlas graduate she could trust in. Viktor also, perhaps, but—

Viktor!

Her whole body wanted to explode into action, but she kept everything under control. She was an expert at this kind of thing. But there was nothing she could do to keep her blood from running cold as her eyes affixed themselves to the gallows in the town square up ahead.

Don't make yourself obvious, she told herself as she moved with the crowd, which gathered at the square.

What could she do, though? The platform was surrounded by SS troopers. There was no way she could fight off that many, along with all of the Übersoldaten accompanying them.

Übersoldaten? What the hell?

She watched helplessly as the procession continued.

"For high crimes and treason against Atlas, you have been sentenced to death by hanging," the SS officer announced loudly for the whole crowd to hear. For certain this was also being broadcast live across the country.

"They caught another group of terrorists, have they?"

"Seems like it."

"Yes, that's what I read on my news feed last night."

"Damn rebels. This country would be much stronger without them trying to rouse the rabble all the time."

"You're right. This is the time for us to be united, not squabbling amongst ourselves."

Ivory could scarcely contain her indignation at those words. These were her countrymen? There was no way, not in a million years. No, this really was the rotten state of her country. It was only now that she was able to see it, after the countless runs through the Labyrinths of the world, where the suffering of humankind was laid bare for her to witness every single day.

If anything, the real world itself was the Labyrinth of Atlas as far as she was concerned. These people around her were the real Corrupted.

Viktor, she thought as she gritted her teeth. She berated herself for her powerlessness. If Lilly were here, she'd take action immediately, even if that would make things ten times worse. She was the last person to stand around and do nothing, not when one of her friends was about to be killed.

She reached for Elfenbein when someone grasped her hand, stopping her from drawing her weapon. She turned to the left to see Demetri, also with his head covered, as he shook his head. The look in his eyes was a combination of severity and frustration, two emotions she was drowning in right this moment.

She turned her attention back to the gallows, failing to stop the tears from falling. Just as the final preparations were completed, Viktor spotted her in the crowd. He made brief eye contact with her, sending a small smile her way before looking elsewhere so as to not give away her position.

Even now, seconds away from death, he continued his duty to his team captain.

"Do the condemned have any last words?" the SS officer announced.

"Just few," Viktor said, grinning. "Mein Körper ist ein Opfer für dieses großartige Land."

Murmurs arose from the crowd as a dark purple rune manifested on his forehead, glowing with intense light. The surrounding guards moved in to try and stop the spell, but there was nothing they could do. The Darkness Rune's most powerful attack was about to be cast.

"Viktor!" Ivory cried out, unable to suppress it any longer.

Viktor made eye contact with her as the rune glowed to its full brightness. "Forever Atlas!" he cried out in triumph.

"Atlas forever!" his fellow condemned responded as the Darkness Rune drew in their life forces to be used as fuel for the bomb about to explode.

The moment seemed to freeze in Ivory's mind. The look in Viktor's face was one of peace, but also longing. He was glad to see his old team captain again, even in these miserable circumstances.

I can't even say goodbye to you, old friend, Ivory pondered. Viktor seemed to reply to her thoughts, his eyes showing her reassurance in his final moments.

"Ivory!" Demetri yelled as he tackled her to the ground and dove over her, shielding her body from the massive explosion that engulfed the entire gallows platform, vaporizing the nearest SS troopers and dismembering others who were further off. It seemed the blast force was so well-calculated that no one in the audience was killed, though many were injured.

"This way, Ivory," Demetri said, grabbing her by the hand and dragging her through the panicked crowd.

She panted as she allowed him to lead her through this alley and that road and through this building and another. It had occurred to her that her childhood friend just might be leading her to an ambush; his father was the leader of Atlas, after all. But she had just witnessed her friend about to be hanged and instead blow himself up with a magical Darkness Rune. She had to believe in something right now.

After running for ages, they finally stopped at a run-down section of the city. It wasn't quite as dilapidated as everything down in Mantle, but this area was competing for that title it seemed. She recognized the neighborhood as where Renata once lived. One of their safe houses was around here.

"I'm guessing you've figured out by now there's a resistance," Demetri panted.

She didn't reply, leaning her forehead against the cold concrete wall.

"I'm...sorry. About your friend back there."

She kept her silence. There was still so much for her to process.

"Listen, Ivory. I'm sorry it took me so long, but Penny and Hillphire sent me here to try and get you and Lilly back. I hadn't realized the state of our country when I returned. They immediately tried to take me in to see my father, but I managed to slip through their security when the resistance bombed a nearby Dust refinery. It was actually Viktor and Renata who saved me."

"Is she still alive?" she finally broke her silence.

"Renata, you mean? The last time I saw her, yes. She has been out on missions lately. Her Semblance is perfectly suited to assassinations and espionage."

"Yes, I'm well aware of that. It's why she and I were paired up."

He looked over at his childhood friend. In spite of the trauma likely plaguing her right now after witnessing the death of her teammate, her face was masked with an intensity he rarely saw in her. The ice that usually encased her heart was replaced by a swirling storm of fire.

"Ivory—"

"I'm assuming you're taking me to a resistance safe house, am I correct?"

"Yes. It's this way."

Demetri led the way forward, sending intermittent glances back at his old friend. Something about her demeanor now made him uneasy. It wasn't only the fact that she had just witnessed her old comrade blow himself up.

Right. We're all on edge because of the state of our homeland.

Ivory watched as he knocked on a door. She noticed a camera behind them. Was it Atlas surveillance? Or perhaps it was the resistance's way of knowing who was knocking.

The heavy wooden door opened and they were greeted by a massive wall of a man. Ivory guessed he was around seven feet in height and easily four hundred pounds of pure muscle.

"Well if it isn't the first son of Atlas and the Blizzard Princess," the large man said before ushering them in. "Boss! He's back!"

Ivory spotted Renata hurrying to them. She stood in place for a moment before marching to Ivory and embracing her tightly.

"Thank god you're safe," Renata said. "When we heard you were back in the country, the first thing we did was try and put together a team to get you out of the manor, but that place is like a fortress now with eyes and ears everywhere." She turned to Demetri. "You're a lot quicker than I woulda thought. We couldn't even put anyone together and you go ahead and bring her back in less than an hour."

"It wasn't me," he said. "I ran into her while she was mid-escape, from what I gather." He bit his lip. "That's not all."

"Viktor is dead," Ivory said.

Renata looked her in the eye. Her old combat partner showed almost nothing on the outside, but from what she knew about her young former captain, she was burning with rage at this moment.

"They're broadcasting it now," a resistance member said as she looked at her scroll. "Yeah, it looks like he didn't go down without a fight. He and the others used a Darkness Rune to blow up the gallows, along with a good number of those SS bastards."

"They're calling it a terrorist act, goddammit," another resistance member said. "Whatever happens, we're not letting Viktor Nikolayev's death be in vain."

Renata watched Ivory for a few seconds, but the latter didn't break eye contact, not for an instant.

"Am I to presume that you're the leader of the resistance?" the younger asked.

"Not the whole resistance," Renata said. "I only lead these crazy bastards here. It's General Ironwood who commands the entire movement, from the unarmed dissenters down to us killers."

"Killers, huh?" Demetri said.

"What did you think Atlas Academy was training me for, huh?"

"When you've got a Semblance like hers, it's only natural she'd be an assassin from the start," Ivory said. "So, this is your hideout, is it?"

"Yup. You wanna join?"

"I was going to seek you out when I was sure I wasn't being followed, so I suppose this meeting is serendipity. Before we move on, however, has it become commonplace in this country to use magical runes? Viktor summoned one onto his forehead just before the execution and blew up the entire square."

"It's not widespread, but ever since the government started messing around with that other world, all sorts of weird shit has been happening all over the country. One of those things is the random appearance of runes on random objects. They can happen anywhere, but there's one spot where it's more frequent than others."

"Mantle," Ivory said.

"H-How did you know?"

"I didn't. My cousin and I just came from there and there have been all sorts of bizarre phenomena there. I'm guessing there's a place down there that has experienced mass vanishing, correct?"

"Three sites in total. And they are prime locations for random rune manifestation. Two of the sites are firmly within SS territory, but the third one is in ours. They can't get their troops in that zone for some reason."

"Likely has something to do with the Labyrinth."

"How in the world do you know all of this?"

"Demetri and I have been working with Lilly and her Wraith in Vacuo, taking on missions in the Labyrinth to free people from their hellscapes. Anyway, it seems Atlas is further along in its Thaumatological progress than any of the other kingdoms, so—"

There was an explosion.

"Report!" Renata yelled.

"Super soldiers! A whole fucking battalion of them!"

"Goddammit! Everyone, ghost!"

A nearby wall collapsed inward as two Übersoldaten marched through, firing energy weapons every which way, nailing some of the resistance fighters. Ivory was already getting to work, projecting glyphs here and there to propel herself in numerous directions as she set herself up to attack. She targeted the softest points on the two Übersoldaten and dove down from the ceiling, slashing one in the neck and impaling the other in the eye. Both were kill shots.

Renata couldn't believe her eyes. Her old team captain had improved immensely in the past year. But it wasn't enough to counter the onslaught they faced. Demetri had joined Ivory in the battle, but even their combined strength was no match against twenty Übersoldaten and their accompanying riflemen.

"I've failed you, Ivory," Demetri said, standing beside her.

"Not another word," she said, glancing around to try and locate Renata. Her old combat partner was gone. She grinned to herself, lauding her former subordinate's ability to keep her cool and flee in order to fight another day, even though it was the first time they had seen each other in more than a year.

"They haven't killed us yet," Demetri whispered.

"Which means they still need us," Ivory whispered back.

"The others managed to get away, Obersturmführer."

"I can see that. No matter. They cannot escape our surveillance forever. And besides, we've acquired what we came here for." He turned to Demetri and Ivory. "Your father would like to have a word with you, young man. And you, young lady, Oberstgruppenführer Gottfried wishes to have you in his company."

Ivory and Demetri said nothing as they were separated and blindfolded. There was no point in struggling as far as either of them were concerned. The opportunity to escape would present itself, if it existed. Given the circumstances, however, Ivory couldn't see how that was going to happen.