Two more days in the sewers. They seemed to pass even slower than the three spent on the transport to Arcadia, especially when he was so close to getting revenge. Xaleyp and Mian used the time to continue practicing, not that she needed it. He, however, improved with each session. Though, that didn’t necessarily mean that landing on his back bruised any less. In fact, he was sure that the marks from their training would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Finally, the time came. Half an hour before their passes were supposed to be dropped off. It seemed awfully trusting of Mian that the man wasn’t going to report them or try to screw them over. He even voiced his concerns many times during their training session and received the same answer each time.

“You’re just going to have to trust me.”

Sometimes she patted his cheek when she said it. Other times, she used the moment’s distraction to knock him to his back. Every time, however, he wished that she would tell him what was going on. The trust seemed to be a one-way street. He was to trust her, but she didn’t trust him. It hardly seemed fair, but he bit his tongue. She was the one person left that he enjoyed spending time with. He didn’t want to push her away over something he might be overreacting about.

They left the sewers together, retracing the path they took on their way back just two days before. When they came out of the building. the noise hit them at once. Sounds of cheering and screaming, some jeered and booed. The stomping of feet and engines streaking overhead and rumbling up and down the street. There were swarms of people in front of them. Not facing the pair. They didn’t even seem to notice the newcomers. Instead, they were facing towards the street, lining both sides. Some dressed in fancy suits and dresses, others just regular jumpsuits, and then some soldiers armed and ready. In the few weeks they had been in New Alexandria and despite it being such a large city, they had never seen so many people in one spot.

Their Fabric was the same as the day they met the man in the diner, which seemed to work in their favor. They didn’t have to worry about standing out in the crowd. That didn’t make them feel any less uneasy being around so many people and not knowing what they were doing or who they were.

“What the hell is going on?” Xaleyp asked Mian as they tried to blend in. She pointed up at the screens, which now displayed a man in deep purple robes. He was sitting on a crimson throne with gold accents. A golden crown rested atop his head. Wrinkles ran across his face, and his dull brown eyes stared daggers at everyone around. “Who is that?”

“Emperor Tober Delargivic,” she said matter-of-factly. “Probably giving some speech by the looks of it.”

As if on cue, a voice echoed around them from unseen speakers. Xaleyp and Mian continued walking down the street, pushing past onlookers and making their way towards the drop point. He was on every screen throughout the city and visible at every turn.

“Today is a great day, citizens of Arcadia,” the man said. He continued sitting somewhat stoically, his face showing little emotion. As if making an appearance such as this bored him. “As many of you know, Hyperia has been a thorn in the side of Arcadia for centuries, going back all the way to the Praesidium Union. We’ve never agreed with their methods or ambitions. Now, that dark chapter in our history is officially over.”

A rumble of murmuring went through the crowds they passed. The assembled people looked at each other, unsure of what to make of their emperor’s words. The pair kept quiet, making sure that no one noticed them.

“Where’s he going with this?” Xaleyp whispered. Mian hushed him.

“Recently, we staged a full-scale attack on the Hyperion Empire. It was thanks to the work of individuals such as yourselves working hard, pushing yourselves, striving to better your society, that we were able to carry out such a monumental task. Never before has there been such an increase in production in so little time. And for that, you all have my sincerest gratitude and appreciation.

“Our attack started with Stariek, the site of one of Hyperia’s most recent occupations. We liberated the orbital training facility as well as the planet itself, integrating them into our great empire. There, Emperor Seth Drake fell victim to our attack and perished aboard his Royal Carrier. Dubbed one of the most impregnable vessels of our age, we dispatched it in just a half hour of work. An accomplishment that would not have been possible without you all.

“And now, today, I am pleased to announce that Hyperia itself has fallen to our attacks. After two weeks of siege, the valiant defenders have been broken and their planet integrated into our grand empire. It is with great pleasure I officially announce the beginning of a new age. The age of the Praes Dominion. No longer do we have to follow others’ orders. No longer do we play the role of servant, of slave. Now, we are the masters. We are in control. Long may we reign. Thank you all again for your sacrifices and hard work. Glory to Arcadia!”

Delargivic raised his fist in a salute. A chorus of cheers went up around them. Several people copied the action. Others began continuing about their day, breaking off from the crowd. The screens shimmered for a moment, displaying the Arcadian flag. A black sun inside a laurel wreath with red stripes behind it on a white background. From what Xaleyp had overheard in the past weeks, it was newly designed and supposed to represent the dawn of a new age. They didn’t stop to think that it could foretell the setting of that age just as easily. Of course, they didn’t know that he wanted to cause that age to end.

“Hyperia has fallen?” Mian whispered. She shook her head, a worried look on her face. “That’s bad, that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“What do you mean wasn’t supposed to happen?”

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s keep going. We’ll have to do something about it later.”

“Maybe we don’t have to do something about it.” Xaleyp smirked. “Maybe Hyperia doesn’t need to stay in power.”

It felt good to say what he had been holding in. It made him feel like the words actually held weight, so much more than when they were just thoughts in his head.

“You don’t understand. That wasn’t…”

Her voice abruptly stopped, as if she was saying something she wasn’t supposed to. Her face turned red. She looked at him, mouth open. After a brief moment, she shut it and shook her head before moving on.

“Help me understand then.” Xaleyp could feel his temper rising. Why didn’t she trust him the way he trusted her? He was supposed to tell her everything but the minute he wants a little reciprocation, she balks at the thought? “What about Hyperia is bad? Empires rise and fall all the time. Hyperia’s reign is over. Long live Arcadia, or something. At least, until we do something about it.”

“You’ll understand so much more in time. You just have to trust me for now. I promise I’ll tell you everything, but now’s not the time. Come on, we’re going to be late.”

Trust her? What little trust he had in her was rapidly depleting by the second. So many secrets, so much he didn’t know. But some voice inside him told him to keep going with it, to stay with her. The same voice that thought of how nice she looked in the blue dress when they first arrived on Arcadia.

“When you meet her, you must trust her.”

There didn’t seem to be anyone else it could mean. It had to be Mian. But why? What was so special about her? What made her the one that he trusts, even when she doesn’t trust him? It didn’t make any sense. Maybe his hallucination was just that, a hallucination.

As they continued walking to their destination, Mian repeatedly had to tug him around turns that he missed. After the third time, he let out a groan of frustration.

“Why don’t you just tell me where we’re going?” He didn’t bother to keep his voice calm anymore. “Then I could guide myself instead of you having to pull me.”

“It doesn’t matter, we’re just about there anyway.”

She pointed across the street to where a park grew between two buildings. It was rare to see one on the ground like this, and Xaleyp was surprised that he had not seen it before. Its trees towered into the air, scraping against the sides of the buildings. Some branches butted up to the glass of the windows. They stretched partway over the street, casting shade on the sidewalk in front of it. Vibrant green grass was neatly manicured. A stone path ran through a black metal gate, winding a path up a slight hill. A few groups were walking out, one of them with two children in tow.

Xaleyp and Mian walked across the now empty street. The hordes of people that once occupied the sidewalks were gone. No cars were going up and down this road, not even above them. Everyone appeared to have vanished, just like before, at the diner.

The path went in a circle towards the edges of the park. A statue made of some kind of ornate stone of a man sat in the center. A bench was placed on either side of the path by the gate, and there was another at the far edge of the circle. Bushes ran up and down, flowers in full bloom.

“He was supposed to leave it in a hidden alcove behind the statue,” Mian whispered. She began moving towards it, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming. “It’s five minutes past time, so it better be there.”

They made their way to the statue, walking around to the back. Xaleyp kept watch on the gate. No one entered, and mo one even seemed to walk by. Mian pressed an invisible button on the statue, and a piece of the stone slowly slid towards her. She took it in both hands and carefully set it down on the grass. Reaching inside, she pulled out a yelled envelope then replaced the stone. She opened the envelope, pulling out two security passes.

They were small rectangles, about the size of their palms and mostly see through. A chip was embedded in the center. Most of the left half was taken up by a picture of them, while the right had their fake names and positions. His listed his name as Nikos Malik. He held it up to the light as if he knew what to look for in a fake pass.

“That technician did a good job.” Xaleyp had no idea whether or not it was a good job, but it appeared so to him. He slipped it in a side pocket of his jumpsuit. “How does yours look?”

“Fine, Nikos.” She showed hers to him. It listed her name as Raven Alers. After putting her own in her pocket, her eye started twitching for a moment. “I just sent the rest of the money to him. Hopefully these work.”

“Weird. You don’t look like a Raven.”

“Very funny.” She punched him lightly on the arm.

“When do we want to get in?” Xaleyp felt a wave of excitement run through him, so ecstatic he didn’t even notice the strange whining that came through his CAM for half a second then vanished. He was finally going to find out who was behind Lina’s murder. He was finally going to be one step closer to revenge.

“Let’s get back to the headquarters first and draw up a plan.”

They walked around the statue towards the gate. Sitting on the benches by the gate were two men in plain black suits. They stared at Xaleyp and Mian, the same creepy, ear to ear grin on their faces that the technician had in the diner. She grabbed Xaleyp’s wrist in shock and inhaled sharply. Her fingernails dug into his skin. Xaleyp hardly noticed. He felt his heart pounding in his ears with each passing second. An eternity seemed to pass in those few heartbeats.

“What the fuck?” Mian whispered. Her voice sounded terrified. She took an involuntary step back. “How long have they been sitting there?”

Xaleyp shook his head. His mouth was suddenly dry, and his throat felt constricted. He couldn’t even speak. What were they even doing there? And what was going on with that smile? They just sat there, motionless and staring. No one passed on the street. There was no engine noise. Why? Did Arcadia know? Did they want to try to stop them from getting into ArcDefense?

Neither of them said anything. They just simply sat there and stared at one another. The two men weren’t even blinking, and the more Xaleyp looked at them, the more similarities he noticed between them. Both had the same empty, brown eyes. The same carefully styled black hair. Their teeth even looked identical. The only difference he could tell was one was taller than the other. It felt like something out of a dream. Xaleyp wanted to run, to get out of there, but his legs wouldn’t cooperate, as if they were glued to the spot.

Before they could question them, the two men stood up together and walked out of the park, the smiles immediately disappearing as they turned away.

“Well, I can say one thing.” Mian looked at him, a grave look in her eyes. She took deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. “The sooner we get into ArcDefense, the better.”