Prologue
On the 12th hour of the first day of October 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth. This was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible.
He got 7 of them. But he almost got 8.
You see there were 43 women who gave birth unexpectedly that day, but there were 44 children born. A set of twins. Sir Reginald had to get the pair.
He got there quickly, but the girl was already gone and the adoption was closed. There were rumors in a nearby village of a baby that had the glow of starlight at night. He followed the whispers, but was lead down rabbit holes, to dead ends, or both. He paid for the boy and went on to the next country.
There was something off about the boy. It wasn't that he preferred to wear dresses and frills as he grew, no, it was a sensation Sir Reginald Hargreeves observed over him. A sensation of one shoe trying to fit on two feet, one glove trying to stretch across two hands. As his ability began to emerge, it all became too much and he could not carry the weight of the dead."Probably because he was never meant to carry it alone. He was given a light, and that light is lost." Sir Reginald wrote in his journal one night.
Then, on 12th hour of the first day of October 1998 a single man, his mother, and his daughter moved into a unit in the modest apartment building across the street from a large estate with the letters 'U" and 'A' on the front gates. It was the daughter's ninth birthday and her father had gifted her a set of stringed fairy lights which she hung around her bedroom window that looked across the alleyway directly into another window at the estate. This window belonged to a boy, who about a year later could be standing in his room and then, within the blink of an eye, be standing in the daughter's room much to her delight and her father's dismay. Before that, they would open their windows and talk about their days. She would ask the boy about all the people she felt behind the walls of the estate he lived in which he called "The Academy." She wanted to know who the lonely girl was and who was the boy that had the nightmares, for she could hear him in her head begging someone to leave him alone, even then.
What is meant to be is meant to be, or as one person likes to say, que será, será.
March 24, 2019
Celeste Codwell finds a corner by a pole which she sits down next to and leans on. Airports are her ideal place. She only has to feel the same people for maybe a few hours and then they're gone. She takes a book out of her suitcase and hides behind it. She's quiet and observant and because of this, people will project "smart" onto her. But she's not particularly. She was pretty average in school, even struggled some. She prefers listening to books, her mind is just more free that way, there's not letters to get through. Most of the books she knows so well were read to her.
It happens all at once, she meant to picture her father, her father! But instead an image of her sitting on Five's bed, untying her ballet shoes after a long practice while he sits as his desk reading The Iliad out loud, flashes in her mind.
No. Don't think of Number Five.
She begs her mind to think of her father. There he is, the scent of engine oil surrounds her as he swoops in to pick her off the floor and give her a hug before going to change. Then-blink. There she is in Five's room again. She stares at a wall covered in calculations. The calculations swirl into a sea with ships on it as Five reads on. She shouldn't have been lying so casually on his bed, but it was probably okay. They must have only been around eleven at this time.
Stop.
She puts the book down and stretches out, feeling everyone waiting at the airport. There's small boy who is excited to bite into his oversized cookie. Then she feels a woman across from him, upset. She has lost a chance at something. Celeste presses in a little more. Yes, it feels like a dream job opportunity gone. Celeste feels the boy, who has put down his cookie and noticed the woman. He does not like to see her upset. He looks over to his mom who simply nods. The boy walks over to the woman and gives her his cookie. The woman is speechless at first and then finds a "thank you" and a smile. Celeste feels a sensation like sun rays breaking through on a chilly day over the woman. It's something Five would have rolled his eyes at, but he would have also smiled. Celeste gets up and makes her way to the cookie shop.
She normally let's herself think of Five. It happens less often over the years and she's found it's easier to let the memories come and go like the tide. The memories aren't really the problem, it's what they come with. The longing for what never got a chance to be. She had finally let that go when the people with the briefcases showed up and blew a hole in her metaphorical door that she had closed.
No. Don't think of Number Five.
This week is solely for Vanya. She's even promised herself to not go check up on Klaus until after the concert. She buys a large box of oversized cookies and asks for a bag. She then walks over to the gate check-in counter and tells one of the flight attendants about the boy and wonders if they could give the cookies to him when they serve drinks and maybe even give him one of those cool wings pin. Celeste feels that the flight attendant is delighted to have a break in his routine and he gladly takes the bag.
She turns to get into the boarding line when she sees an image flash across the television screen. It's iconic enough it doesn't need more than a second to be recognized. A man with a monocle and a mustache. "Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire, found dead this evening in his own home." It feels like a shock wave went off in her body. Celeste doubles over in pain and people ask if she's okay. She wonders if she is imagining feeling all the siblings reactions or maybe since she knew them so well she can feel them this far way? This is new. She can't hear anything for a few seconds. Then an image of Vanya flashes in her mind. Vanya, as the sound of the airport comes rushing back. She slowly straightens back up, assures people she's fine, but she does ask to use the desk phone.
"Lest?" Vanya whispers.
"Am I that obvious?"
Vanya lets out a laugh, or a cry, or both. Everything is acceptable in this moment.
"Did something change with your flight or did..did you see?"
"I saw."
"Where are you?"
"At the airport."
"So your flight is all the same then. Pick you up at 9 tomorrow?"
"I can just meet you at The Academy."
"What?"
"Vanya..."
Vanya inhales and exhales.
"...or I can just meet you at your apartment whenever you are done-"
"-No, you're right. And you should be there if you would like."
"If you don't think it would be intruding."
"You're not the one they're going to have a problem with being there."
Celeste chooses her words.
"Maybe this will put all that in perspective."
"Maybe."
Celeste looks at the now very short line. She's one of the last ones left.
"Sorry, V. I have to get on this plane so I can see your face tomorrow."
She can feel Vanya smile through the phone. Sometimes Celeste prefers talking on the phone. Vanya is physically too far away to be felt, she just knows Vanya so well she can tell what she's doing without seeing her. It's what it must be like for everyone else and it's so simple and nice.
"Lest?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm really glad you're going to be here."
"I'm really glad I'm going to be there too."
Celeste's heart pounds as she takes her window seat. She tries to focus on anything else. She feels the two pilots in the cockpit, the three flight attendants in the cabin, the two in the back, and the three people, no four people, loading in the luggage below them. She stares out the window and realizes because of the long flight through time zones she wont see night. She'll be flying all through the daylight and it will still be March 24, 2019 when she lands. She'll live this day twice. Time is strange.
Sir Reginald Hargreeves is dead and time is strange.
So much for not thinking of Number Five.
Chapter One
We Only See Each Other and Weddings and Funerals
March 24, 2019, again.