Arc II: Part IX
May 15th, 1984
4:00 PM.
Janna and Rea lay side by side on the grass, their faces bathed in sunlight as they shared a pair of headphones. Janna silently listened to Rea, her gaze fixed on her lips as she spoke. The feeling had been gnawing at her for months, so when Rea turned her head towards her, Janna closed her eyes, gently pressed her lips against Rea's, and kissed her. After a brief moment, Janna slowly opened her eyes, only to find Rea staring at her wide-eyed, running her fingers over her lips before abruptly getting to her feet.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Rea demanded; her voice filled with anger.
"Rea... I'm sorry, I thought..." Janna mumbled, rising to her feet as well.
"WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU THINK?" Rea shouted at her, her anger palpable.
They locked eyes in silence for a brief moment before Janna burst into tears and ran away, ignoring Rea's calls. She cursed herself for her foolishness as she sprinted through the forest. She had no sense of how long she had been running; all that mattered at that moment was putting distance between herself and Rea, whom she both loved and hated in a strange way. In a split second, she had destroyed their friendship and made a fool of herself in front of the girl she held dear.
Eventually, Janna halted her sprint and leaned against a tree, wiping away her tears. It was then that she noticed she had arrived at an unfamiliar place within the forest. In front of her stood a clearing, nestled deep within the woods. Janna cautiously stepped forward, surveying her surroundings, and quickly noticed an ancient, tall archway made of dark blueish stone. A tattered veil floated within it, swaying as if being traversed by unseen forces.
What intrigued her, even more, were the statues that encircled the archway, emanating an eerie vibe that sent shivers down her spine. The archway seemed to exude a dangerous aura, evoking conflicting emotions within her—a desire to approach it and a simultaneous urge to flee. Janna wandered amidst the statues, her eyes captivated by the intricate details, until she jolted and gasped as she felt a hand land on her shoulder from behind.
"Take a breath! It's just me," Rea exclaimed, catching her breath.
"What are you doing here?" Janna inquired.
"I couldn't leave you alone in this place," Rea replied. "Remember, this is where Yuna vanished?"
"Oh... Yeah... Listen, about what happened earlier..." Janna began, only to be interrupted by Rea.
"Save it! Just... don't do it again. I'm not... like you," Rea said, glancing around.
"I'm not..." Janna started to say.
"Merlin, can't you just let it go?" Rea exclaimed, her voice filled with exasperation. "What even is this place?"
"I don't know... But look at the expressions on the statues' faces. They seem surprised... or maybe terrified?" Janna questioned.
"Look over there!" Rea pointed towards the Archway and began walking towards it. "I can sense its magic; it's incredibly powerful!"
"Me too... But please, don't get too close. It's making me feel sick... I think it would be best if we leave," Janna pleaded. "Rea!"
"I'M NOT GOING ANY FURTHER!" Rea shouted back, her voice echoing through the clearing. "Take a look at this..." She gestured towards a stele positioned nearby. "You studied runes, right?"
Janna approached, and Rea stepped aside to allow her a better view of the stele. Kneeling down, Janna examined the dark stone structure covered in a sequence of symbols. While her proficiency in runes at the Academy was decent, some characters were unfamiliar to her, making it difficult to decipher the text.
"So, what does it say?" Rea inquired, standing behind her.
"I'm not entirely sure... It seems like a letter... or perhaps a suicide note..." Janna replied.
"Gruesome... Does it mention anything about this place?" Rea asked.
"No, but I have a general understanding. It's written by a man. In the first part, he mentions entrusting his mother's heirdom to his daughter and instructing her on its usage, despite forbidding her from ever employing it. That covers the initial section... The second part is rather confusing," Janna explained.
"Can you still read it?" Rea questioned, stifling a yawn.
"I can, but the problem lies in some of the symbols. While some are runes, others are completely unfamiliar to me... It seems to be a warning against an enigma and the outcome of two titans colliding" Janna recounted.
"What?" Rea furrowed her brow, clearly perplexed.
"I don't know, I'm just sharing what I gathered from it. But the last part is quite clear... 'Deepest regrets to Myrtle and Ginevra.' That's the entirety of it," Janna explained, rising to her feet.
"Is there nothing more?" Rea inquired.
"No... That's all I could decipher," Janna responded before Rea kicked the stele down, causing it to shatter on the ground.
"REA!" Janna screamed. "Why on earth would you do that?!"
"What? It's just some loser's whining!" Rea dismissed casually.
"It must be hundreds of years old! It's a piece of history!" Janna exclaimed. "Reparo!" she attempted to mend the shattered pieces back together, but each time the stele stood upright, it fell apart again within seconds.
"Well... It's irretrievably in the past now," Rea remarked, patting Janna's shoulder.
Janna sighed, observing Rea's back before joining her side and strolling around the area, inspecting the statues, giving names and stories to them. Janna approached a statue of a knight, his sword raised overhead as he attempted to shield himself with his left arm. Yuna would have been thrilled to see this one. She had always been a fan of medieval times... Janna reminisced about their childhood years when Yuna used to organize LARP games in the village and dress up as a knight for Halloween until she eventually traded that for whatever slutty thing she could come up with.
"Come and see this one; Yuna would have loved to take it home... Rea?" Janna called out, turning around to find Rea standing a short distance away, squinting as she examined the face of a statue.
"Come and see this one... It's like gazing at..."
"Yuna!" Janna interrupted. "NO! DON'T!" Janna shouted, forcefully lowering Rea's wand as she prepared to cast a spell. "YOU COULD BREAK HER!"
"Damn it... Thanks, Janna... What the hell happened to her? Who could have done this? IS SHE EVEN ALIVE?" Rea exclaimed, looking terrified.
"I... I don't know. Yes! She is! She has to be..." Janna rambled.
"Do you... think all these statues... Are real people? Still alive within?" Rea asked, her gaze scanning the multitude of statues.
"Maybe... We need to help them! But it's better if we don't touch anything. Let's head back home and send an owl to the Ministry of Magic, and... What?" Janna inquired as Rea froze, facing her, locking eyes.
"Don't... make... a... single... move," Rea whispered.
"Why?" Janna whispered back.
"Trust me... On my signal, we run," Rea said.
"Is it... that terrifying?" Janna asked, a shiver running down her spine as an unpleasant smell reached her nostrils on the wind.
"Yes," Rea nodded. "Get ready... GO!"
In the late afternoon, as the sun cast its golden glow across the room, Sirius dutifully assisted Alexa in adorning the living room with a welcoming banner for her father. Alexa had eagerly anticipated this special day for weeks, her excitement overflowing to the point where she had roused Sirius from his slumber at sunrise. With her heart brimming with anticipation, Alexa was determined to ensure that no one else in the household could find solace in sleep.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as Sirius perched atop the ladder, diligently carrying out Alexa's detailed instructions. "A little to the right... no, more to the left... or perhaps a touch higher," she exclaimed, her arm gesturing in contradictory directions to the ones she verbally indicated. Alexa's discerning eye craved perfection, desiring nothing short of flawlessness. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Alexa's discerning gaze was satisfied, and a contented smile graced her face. As Sirius descended the ladder, he stood by her side to admire the results of their efforts.
"Well?" Sirius inquired; his tone laced with curiosity.
"Um... It's not precisely how I envisioned it, but it'll be enough," Alexa responded, her voice tinged with a hint of disappointment.
"I have no intention of climbing that ladder again, anyway," Sirius remarked.
"You could, at the very least, express some..." Alexa began, her words trailing off.
"Say the word 'gratitude' once more, and I'll bury you alive in the garden," Sirius cautioned her, his warning carrying a weight of seriousness.
"Sirius, she may return to haunt you," Lea interjected, emerging from the kitchen where she had busily shuttled between the worktable and the oven throughout the entire afternoon.
Over the past month, she had been absent for a total of two weeks, tending to her husband who had been recovering in his apartment after a harrowing night spent in that cave. This left Sirius solely responsible for Alexa's well-being. During those two weeks, Sirius hardly had a moment's rest, suspecting that Alexa might seize any opportunity to slip away and follow her mother if he let his guard down.
He did his utmost to fulfill his duties until one night, his composure slipped. Discovering her empty bed, he pursued her through the village, forcefully guiding her back home. It was only when he raised his voice, explaining that her father was likely being healed by wizard healers as soon as they received Hans' alert and that her mother's trip to Hamburg concerned their marriage and her father's decade-long secret double life, that Alexa finally halted. He urged her to stop behaving like a child and grow up.
Upon Mrs. Acker's return from Hamburg, providing relief for both Alexa and Sirius, she reassured them about the strength of their family bond. However, she emphasized the need for heightened caution moving forward. Mrs. Acker chose not to disclose Sirius' presence or his friendship with Alexa to her husband, opting instead for them to have a face-to-face conversation "like men." Sirius suspected that she sought some form of retribution for her husband's years of deception. Though apprehensive about his impending meeting with Mr. Acker and the potential reaction it might elicit, Sirius could only express his gratitude by complying with Mrs. Acker's wishes.
Since returning to the house, Sirius found himself unable to quell thoughts of Emma and what she might be doing with her life. He also wondered how Walter was behaving in his absence. The longing for Emma weighed heavily on him, and Alexa, ever perceptive, would occasionally tease him until he reminded her that she was a twelve-year-old still cuddling a teddy bear at night.
Lea positioned herself in the center of the living room, casting her gaze upwards at the banner for a brief moment. She nodded in approval and then turned towards Sirius and Alexa. "Well done! That calls for a break. I've just taken a pie out of the oven."
Later, they gathered around the kitchen table, Lea bombarding Sirius with a barrage of questions about the magical world. Despite Alexa's limited knowledge of the realm she had been introduced to the previous summer, she remained seated, listening intently to Sirius. Resting her chin on her arms crossed on the table, she absorbed the information.
Sirius delved into various subjects that Alexa might explore in the future, detailing the different career paths associated with each. He continued enlightening them until the kitchen phone interrupted their conversation. Lea promptly rose to answer it, but Alexa, eager to reach the phone first, sprung out of her chair. As the brief exchange unfolded on the other end of the line, Lea's initial smile gradually faded, replaced by a tangible expression of worry etched across her face. With a clumsy motion, she eventually hung up the phone.
"Mom, is there a problem?" Alexa inquired.
"Well, it's probably nothing," Lea replied.
"Who was on the phone?" Alexa asked.
"It was the police... Don't panic!" Lea quickly reassured Alexa, observing her immediate reaction. "They found your dad's car abandoned on the roadside, with no signs of an accident, blood, or anything worrisome."
"Why would he leave his car then?" Alexa questioned, her gaze shifting between Sirius and her mother.
"The night I followed him to Hamburg, he stopped for gas a few times. He might have missed a stop this time, and his car ran out of fuel. So he probably locked his car and decided to walk here... It's unlikely his car would be vandalized around here," Sirius explained, as Lea silently expressed gratitude from behind Alexa.
"Are you sure? But..." Alexa started to voice her concerns before Lea interrupted her.
"He's probably walking home right now... I'll drive there to pick him up along the road, and then we can go to the gas station before returning to his car... Alexa, you'll stay here and wait, just in case I miss him, okay?" Lea requested.
"I could come with you, and Sirius can stay and wait," Alexa suggested.
"No, we'll both stay here. It would be better if his wife or daughter were at home, rather than the man he believes to be a terrorist, whose men tortured him all night. Don't you think?" Sirius gently explained to Alexa, who nodded in agreement.
"Sirius is right. Alexa, if your father shows up, let him know I won't be long and call the police to inform them too. They can relay the message on their radio. Sirius, I'd prefer to avoid any shooting inside this home, so please transform into Padfoot and wait until I return," Lea instructed.
"Alright, Mom..." Alexa responded.
"Alexa, I'm serious. Do not go out looking for him! I don't want you out at night," Lea emphasized.
"Lea... I'll make sure she stays put," Sirius assured her.
Lea nodded, planting a kiss on her daughter's cheek before departing the house and sliding into her car. Meanwhile, Alexa made her way directly to the living room window, taking a seat and fixating her gaze outside. She sat in silence, her heart skipping a beat at every noise or movement beyond the glass, half-expecting to catch sight of her father strolling through the garden before knocking on the front door with an exuberant smile.
For a brief moment, Sirius joined her, ensuring that she wouldn't defy her mother's instructions. He then ventured into the kitchen, returning with cups of tea and slices of apple pie, and serving them to Alexa. Two hours later, as Sirius washed the dishes, a disagreement ensued between them. They had received no news during that span, and Alexa's anxiety had mounted, insisting that the situation had taken a turn since her mother had assured her, she wouldn't be gone for long.
Sirius concealed his own concerns, finding it arduous to reassure Alexa and provide an explanation as to why neither of her parents had reappeared yet. He believed he had a handle on the situation until Alexa abruptly stormed out of the kitchen, disregarding Sirius' calls, and settled on a stool to put on her sneakers.
"Alexa, don't be foolish. Your mother likely found him, drove him to the station, returned to his car, and perhaps detoured to pick up some takeout... She won't have had enough time to cook, after all," Sirius remarked, leaning against the opposing wall.
"Well, if there's truly no danger as you claim, all you have to do is come with me to where my dad left his car. We can check if it's still there, and then come back. It won't take more than a minute! And if they happen to arrive while we're out, we can simply pretend we were upstairs," Alexa suggested, tying her shoelaces.
Sirius let out a sigh. "I made a promise to your mom, and we both made a vow. The best way we can assist is by not complicating matters any further than they already are."
"Move!" Alexa exclaimed, nudging Sirius aside as she darted towards the entrance, disregarding his calls. She took refuge behind him as the door suddenly began to shake, while someone on the other side relentlessly pounded on it, accompanied by the screams of a young girl.
"HELP! PLEASE!"
Sirius and Alexa exchanged a perplexed glance. "What in the world..." Sirius muttered.
"I can see your shadows moving under the door! Please, let me in," pleaded the distressed voice.
"Damn it... Turn off the lights," Sirius whispered to Alexa, who was still cowering behind him.
"No, please! I'm sorry, I'll stop shouting, but please let me in!" she implored.
"Um... Who is this?" Sirius inquired.
"Herr Acker! I'm Janna Wiegmann... Alexa's friend from the Academy!" Janna claimed as Alexa stepped out from behind Sirius and scowled at the door.
"She can die for all I care," Alexa muttered. "Sirius, no!" she protested as he opened the door, allowing Janna to rush inside and swiftly shut the door behind her before collapsing on her knees, sobbing.
"Oh, Sirius! You're a morron!" Alexa wailed, rolling her eyes in exasperation.
"Whatever... Help me get her to the living room," Sirius responded.
They guided Janna to the living room, seating her on the sofa, while they stood facing her. After some time, they managed to console her, and she lifted her tear-stained face to look at them, wiping away her tears.
"Thank you," Janna expressed her gratitude.
"What do you want?" Alexa asked coldly.
"I... Rea and I were in the forest, and we stumbled upon the place where everyone disappeared! Something attacked us, and we fled, but... I heard Rea scream, and I couldn't stop running. I had to find help! Then, I spotted the light in the living room!" Janna recounted, her eyes widening before she gasped, "YOU'RE SIRIUS BLACK!"
"Who's Sirius Black?" Alexa questioned; her tone frosty.
"A...DARK WIZARD! THE MINISTRY HUNG WANTED POSTERS EVERYWHERE LAST YEAR!" Janna exclaimed, pointing a finger at Sirius.
"No, he's not... This is my uncle Leonard; he just resembles him," Alexa calmly explained.
"Then why does he have an accent?" Janna inquired, her gaze fixed on Sirius as if expecting him to pounce on her.
"Who cares? He had a head injury as a child... Janna, why would a dark wizard be here? In a Muggle-born household, without even attempting to conceal himself," Alexa reasoned.
"And... I'm the one who opened the door to assist you, remember?" Sirius interjected.
"Oh... Sorry, sir... I'm just in shock," Janna replied, nodding her head.
"Well, why don't you go back to your house and rest? If you don't mind, we also have our own concerns tonight," Alexa suggested, gesturing toward the door.
"I just told you! We were attacked, and whatever did it, took Rea!" Janna exclaimed.
"Well, I won't miss her..." Alexa muttered, placing a hand on her right side and giving Janna a dark look.
"FUCK YOU!" Janna shouted, standing up and towering over Alexa.
"Calm down..." Sirius intervened, positioning himself between them. "Jenny..."
"It's Janna!" Janna corrected, glaring at Sirius.
"Janna... Feel free to stay here with us. There's a phone in the kitchen if you want to call your dad to come and pick you up," Sirius offered.
"I'm not going to call my dad! Besides, he's a Muggle. What could he do?" Janna retorted. "I want to go back and help Rea!"
"If you could help, why did you run away in the first place?" Sirius questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I... Now that I've calmed down, I'll go back and..." Janna began.
"Perhaps get yourself killed," Sirius remarked.
"Well, if no one is going to help me, I'll go alone and die for her," Janna declared.
"I won't stop you... Get lost! How did you even manage to get here?" Alexa interjected.
"I already told you..." Janna replied, rolling her eyes.
"You were attacked in the afternoon. You arrived here about fifteen minutes ago," Alexa stated.
"Oh, I hid until I felt it was safe to proceed," Janna explained.
"And where did you hide?" Alexa asked.
"In a car... I came across a Trabant on the road, so I broke the window, sneaked inside, and waited," Janna disclosed.
"A TRABANT? DESCRIBE IT! WHERE WAS IT?" Alexa exclaimed, grabbing hold of Janna's t-shirt.
"It was beige, small, a damn Trabant! They all look the same! And there's only one road around here!" Janna replied, pushing Alexa away.
Alexa turned anxiously to Sirius. "Sirius! We have to leave NOW!"
"I thought you said he was your uncle…" Janna said, confused.
"SHUT UP!" Alexa snapped at her, delivering a slap to Janna.
Janna prepared to lunge at Alexa but froze when she met Sirius' gaze. "Touch her, and I'll snap your arm," Sirius warned, causing Janna to settle back on the sofa, glaring at Alexa.
"Sirius…" Alexa pleaded, "Please!"
"Tell me more about the place where you were attacked," Sirius requested, turning to Janna.
"Did you see my dad there?!" Alexa shouted at her.
"I don't know what your dad looks like, so he could be there or not" Janna replied, angrily.
"SIRIUS! WE'RE WASTING TIME! LET'S GO!" Alexa exclaimed.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Sirius shouted back. "Listen… Throughout the year, I've sensed something strange emanating from that forest, making me feel uneasy and watched. That's why we stopped training there… Listen, I'll go and search for your dad, and you'll stay here, period."
With that, Sirius raised his wand and conjured a silver dog, which he sent racing out of the house.
"What was that? Are you…" Alexa began, but her words trailed off.
"I sent a Patronus... Unfortunately, it's the only spell I didn't have time to teach you," Sirius said.
"Sent where?" Alexa asked.
"To the German Ministry of Magic. It will deliver a message stating that I have you, hostage, in the forest. They will be compelled to send their best Aurors to capture me," Sirius explained.
"WHAT?!" Alexa shouted.
"Listen, I have no idea what I'll encounter there, and I wouldn't turn down some help from the Aurors, maybe even Dumbledore if the news reaches him. But the most important thing is that you stay safe here. I'll create a protective ward before I leave, regardless," Sirius said, calming Alexa down before turning to Janna.
"And you! You're coming with me!" Sirius declared.
"WHAT?! You're taking blondie with you? So, she gets to go help Hitlerina, and I have to stay here while my dad might be hurt? And my mom!" Alexa protested.
"I need her to guide me to the location, and I can't leave you alone with her, so she has to accompany me!" Sirius reasoned.
"Grow up, Alexa... Remember how I took care of you last time? Didn't I protect you?" Janna retorted, crossing her arms.
"Protect ME?" Alexa exclaimed, glaring at Janna.
"Rea left you alone, didn't she? Who do you think kept her away?" Janna challenged, holding her ground.
"AFTER BREAKING MY RIBS! AND YOU ONLY HELPED ME BECAUSE YOU WERE AFRAID I WOULD RAT YOU OUT!" Alexa snapped.
"Well, enough talking," Sirius interrupted, gripping Janna's arm and pulling her outside with him. "Alexa, don't you dare leave this house!"
