Niji hadn't laughed so hard in ages. Indiscreetly, loudly, not caring how she looked doing it. It was a nice change of pace, and she appreciated it. But the healer quickly brought the mood down.

“Takeshi-kun was sniffing about yesterday, right?”

“Yeah… I don’t know if he’s bought any of my lies… He’s a Viridian, so…”

“I still don’t get it, Flare. How can a mage possess so much power? This shade mixing… You know, I’ve seen a lot of shit. But THAT was a total mess.”

“Did you know Freyja well?”

“Eh, she’d been in the team before I joined. She is skilled, I can give her that. We used to fight a lot together, against PRISM, Violets and such. Her debuffing stuff is a big deal. But I still have a feeling I just know nothing about her.”

“Your amplifier is her doing, right?”

“My… what?”

Dammit traced her glance on his right shoulder and giggled: “Ah, Flare, you’re such a noob. It’s just a trashy tattoo. I don’t have any amplifiers. Only my precious family’s relics and my outstanding charisma. That’s more than enough.”

“Seriously? Why didn’t you get one?”

“I…” Dammit frowned. “I won’t allow anyone to ‘tweak’ me. Especially with magic. Especially if it’s magic from a self-taught enchantress who thinks of herself as a ticking sex bomb. Amplifiers suck, to be honest. Oh. I’m sorry. Nothing personal.”

“It’s fine. I’m still thankful that you stood up for me at Fiber’s. Even though you knew who I was. He might have thrown me in a trashcan, if not worse.”

“Yeah, Fiber told me once why Freyja had been gone... and he quickly put two and two together with you. Actually, it’s not like he wants to open a Violet babysitting service, as it gives the black-and-whites too much reason to start a war with us again. But I guess he feels guilty for not saving Freyja, so it’s his chance to make amends somehow. He believes there is still a chance… I guess.”

“Dammit, what will you do if I… if I start hurting people like she did?”

“I… I’m not an exorcist, Niji. But I will do what must be done.”

Suddenly she remembered the note she had been given in the subway.

“Oh, Dammit, will you do me a favor? I need to find…”

She didn’t finish the sentence, as Rebecca ran into the hall and reported anxiously: “Fiber’s called. He says Eddie was murdered.”

~~~

The Sunctuary of PRISM was located in the annex on the ground floor. It was something like a chapel—a small pentagonal private room in which three people could barely fit. The room looked south, so the sun, making its journey from east to west, was playing with its rays on the stained glass windows. Various mixes of colors were falling on a marble statue of a six-winged young woman, sculptured in the classical antique style.

Mother of Light.

Shadow was there, dropped to one knee in front of her. His uniform was different from standard PRISM clothes—such robes were traditionally worn by exorcists of the Old World. Like the goddess, he was pressing his hands to his chest, holding a pendant in the form of a cross with an arc instead of a transverse line. This symbol was called the Light of the Goddess.

Shiningreel approached the Sunctuary but didn’t enter when she realized the mage was there. Shadow was whispering a long prayer, and the girl managed to make out only the end of the speech: “And may the Light guide them all.”

The healer got up, briefly locked his eyes on the statue, and went out into the corridor. He smiled when he saw his fellow colleague.

“Bright day to you, Shiny. Something happened?”

“Greetings! Miss Omnious has instructed me to find you. The meeting has already started, and you don’t pick up your smart.”

“Ah, indeed.”

They went to their office, and Shadow continued his explanation: “I was asking our Mother to be merciful to the slaughtered Violets… guess I got a little carried away… Shiny, you look confused. Is there something troubling you?”

“I’ve never seen the local Sunctuary before, to be honest. I am even surprised it exists in a place like that. Before, it seemed to me that everyone here was only obsessed with science. Well, you know, in recent years so many discoveries have been made—the spectrum cells, their influence on magic abilities, the theory of enchantment... just a few decades ago, no one knew about anything like that.”

“The Academy has always strived to be ahead of the rest. I must say that the achievements of mankind are to my taste. But there is a fly in the ointment in this march of progress. Many people turn away from our Mother, denying her connection with our essence... What do you believe in, Shiningreel? Unless, of course, this is a very daring question on my part.”

“I can’t say that I’m interested in religion. Of course, in the Omnious family, they ordained me with various sacraments, but the absence of any common scriptures, covenants and rites is confusing, and everything seems extremely unconvincing to me. Is it religion at all? A mage may be a Catholic, Muslim, or neo-Shintoist—and still honor our Mother. Amazing! But personally, I believe that magic can be explained by science only.”

“I would not say that one contradicts the other. Just wherever magic or any miracle appears, religion also arrives. Quite paradoxically, considering how many of our ancestors were accused of heresy.”

“All religions are strikingly similar to each other. Often I have wondered who the Mother is. The Virgin Mary? Maryam? Juno? Amaterasu? Frigg? Just some overpowered mage woman?”

“But is it really that important? Once she gave me her might. Even her love too, as I’ve never had a proper mother. Don’t get me wrong, I love my aunt Aoi to the bottom of my heart, and she cares for me a lot… But she was just 16 when she adopted me… It was quite hard for her to switch roles. So I tried to find help somewhere else to avoid drowning in despair.”

“I understand. If a faith gives you strength, it must be a good faith. An honest one.”

“She speaks to us; the Celestials. And we can draw power from Her mercy. This is a big deal, my dear Shiny.”

“Yeah… of course you can.”

“She listens to Her every child, so you don’t have to be a Celestial if you seek her guidance. Just speak to Her, that is all.”

He smiled warmly at the girl. It was weird, but he didn’t look fanatical—just his usual tranquil, a bit head-in-the-clouds self.