Chapter 12: Arrival to Paris.

Paris, 9.35 pm

The jet with Ayano's group on board was about to land at Jean d'Arc international airport (in honor of the Orleans maiden who lived in the fifteenth century, who had raised France's fortunes in the Hundred Years War). The swordswoman looked out the window, observing the lights of the city and the airport.

"The city of lights ..." Ashley said, sitting next to her.

The girl looked at him for a few seconds and then fixed her gaze in front of her.

"How did it get hold of it?" She asked.

"Of what?"

"Of the ... Apple."

"I don't know anything specific."

"Then tell me something inaccurate."

"There are those who say it comes from the Hoya forest, in Transylvania. Circulating ... Strange rumors about it. On the forest, I mean."

"Voices?"

"It appears that paranormal phenomena and UFO sightings occur. But since I never set foot in that place, I don't know how true it is. "

"I understand…"

"I was thinking ... Once we landed what will we do?" Yukiya asked.

"We must make contact with Oscar Hammel, leader of the Revolutionary Brigades. If we join him we will have more chances of getting to Leila. "

"True…"

Ayano snorted and turned around. A short distance from her sat Sophie, who looked out the window. Their eyes met for a few seconds, then the scientist returned to look at the landscape.

She is still angry about the massacre I committed ... And I can't blame her. How many people will I have killed? Certainly more than 1000. And most of them were unarmed civilians, not enemy soldiers.

She looked at her hands.

I should feel guilty for the countless lives that I have destroyed, instead I feel nothing ... Is it because of the brew?

She wondered, then shook her head.

Needless to ask myself certain questions.

After a few minutes the plane landed on a secondary landing strip, stopping after a short journey.

"We're on the ground." Kate announced.

Thanks for the information, obvious captain.

Ayano thought.

"Now what do we do?" Ashley asked.

"We have to split up, at least for the moment." The swordswoman replied.

"Split up?"

"Exact. If my calculations are correct, European soldiers will come here soon, ready to kill us. We will meet outside the airport. Are we intended? "

"Understood."

"Then let's move."

When we got off the aircraft, they scattered. The last to leave was Sophie, just in time to take refuge in a hangar and see a group of soldiers approaching the jet with the assault rifles pointed.

My god ... I did it just in time. I'd better sneak away from here if I care about my life.

She thought, taking a sigh of relief.

"Good evening, doctor."

That voice froze the blood in her veins. Slowly, she turned her eyes to meet Leila's, who stared at her threateningly. She immediately panicked, starting to back away.

"Stay away from me! I won't fall into your power again!" She screamed, frightened.

"No, it won't happen!"

Having said that she started to attack her with the scepter but Ashley jumped on her and began to beat her. Sophie instead took advantage of the situation to escape. At some point the young former knight took out his gun and prepared to shoot her in the head.

"No! Mercy!" The blonde begged.

Ashley prepared to pull the trigger but was mowed by the bursts fired by the soldiers. Struck to death, he collapsed lifeless on his missed victim.

"Take it off me!" The blonde girl ordered.

The soldiers obeyed and moved the corpse aside. Leila got up and when she saw one of her subordinates brandishing the scepter, she tore it from her hand exclaiming:

"You mustn't touch it!"

"Yes, majesty!" Replied the soldier, intimidated.

The blonde looked at him threateningly, then said:

"There is another one! Divide and find it!"

"Yes, majesty!"

Having said that, the soldiers parted ways.

Sophie ran across the slopes until she reached the control tower. She leaned them against her back against a wall. She needed to rest.

Damn ... Where will the others go?

She wondered, looking around.

Suddenly someone came up behind her and put a hand on her mouth, scaring her. She tried to free herself but a known voice said to her:

"Be calm ... Nobody wants to cut your throat."

Once free, she turned and saw Ayano staring at her, serious.

"Where's Ashley?" She asked.

"It saved my life, and almost killed Leila. But the soldiers prevented him and murdered him."

"It will take more than a gun to kill that damned witch ... It will take great power." The Japanese said.

"We have this!" Said the scientist, pulling the password sheet out of her lab coat pocket.

"It's useless."

"Don't be silly!"

"That password only opens access to the building's IT systems."

That said, she opened the saddlebag containing the infusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Guiding spirits know things we don't know. If I go to them they will instruct me. "

She took a sip.

"Be on your guard!" She warned her, before closing her eyes and finding herself in the dreamlike dimension.

As she wandered inside she heard the voice of her mother in her head saying:

Why did you come back to this place?

I cry for you, my daughter!

Don't you understand that you are now lost?

You challenged me! You ignored my will! I can't forgive you!

She did not answering, continuing to run. After a few minutes he came across a bear with black fur and gigantic dimensions that had been pierced by some spears.

Now I have to be a veterinarian too ... Well, let's get busy.

She think.

She thus activated the flight of the crow and, not without difficulty, removed the spears from the animal's body. The latter dissolved and another bear appeared in its place, this time of normal size. Like the wolf and the crow, it too literally entered her. When she came to, she was lying on the asphalt, and Sophie was kneeling beside her.

"You were feverish. What happened to your eyes?" The latter asked.

"What are you talking about?"

The scientist then handed her a mirror; Ayano took it and looked in the mirror. Then she understood: her eyes, which normally and should have been pink, had taken on an abnormal color, becoming red like blood.

It must be an effect of the infusion ...

She think.

"It's nothing."

She stated, standing up.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"Better ... Now what do we do?"

"It seems obvious to me ... We go out of the airport and look for Oscar Hammel."

"And what about the others?"

"At this hour they can be who knows where ... Maybe we'll find them later. But the priority is to stay alive. "

"True…"

"So let's move, the sooner we get out of here the better."