"Your Power, My Weakness"

"How did that happened?" Caliope was still surprised, and even after realizing what she did, she and Elaine continued to have contact physically. "Oh Elaine! I can touch you! Did you do anything?"

"This is all you darling!" Elaine was just as excited as Caliope was.

"Love, whatever you did, it worked..."

"I still can't believe it..." she poked Elaine several times and started to giggle hysterically. Elaine laughed at her reaction and Amra came close smiling at her. "I am very proud of you my love."

"It was like a realization switch turning itself on, the words only didn't mean much to me until I could experience this myself... I was able to do so much this time... I think the darkness in me is alive... and I can embrace it...."

Amra perked a brow "What do you mean?"

"When everything went dark, it was like I could feel the darkness, it was almost like a fabric, and when I saw the light, I could touch the darkness as if it was a wall, or a room for that matter... I don't know how to explain it, but it is harmless, it reacts to my will, which is how I am controlling things!"

"I need you to promise me that you will be careful and let me... Us know, if anything looks strange."

Caliope nodded and finally let Elaine go, smiling at both and beaming her head with joy. It was hard to get worried when she felt so contagiously happy. Amra smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"I am glad I was able to help you darling, this is a huge step, something that has made everything better... now you can really enjoy the last day we have here before going back home... Any other theories you wanted to test before I leave?"

"Oh no, it was just that!" she giggled and Amra chuckled. "Why don't you go and give Vanessa the good news? She has been depressed for not being able to give you a proper hug, my love." he encouraged her.

Caliope nodded "Yes, you are right... and it will be an extra tight hug! Meet you both there?"

"Yes darling, I will see you there." And as soon as Elaine said those words, she ran away through the door to find her friend. Elaine smiled and then looked back at Amra whose smile faded the moment she left the room.

"And you... what is troubling you? I have felt you pensive and worried..."

Amra nodded and silence took over for a while. Elaine sat and waited for Amra to give more information to her, she knew it was something important, otherwise he would have told her already. He walked a few steps without specific destination until he finally spoke.

"Something happened... it is hard to explain..."

"Do your best, and we will try to give an explanation to it... but tell me already, you are making me nervous..."

"I lost track of time... and I don't know how..."

Elaine's eyes widened; she stared at him waiting for more information, but the little he already said had a strong impact on her. Amra kept quiet a little longer, finding carefully which words to use. "We were together... intimately... and as she rested after, all I remember is closing my eyes, and the next time I opened them it was morning already... Elaine, I don't lose track of time..."

Elaine took a deep breath and seemed to ponder each fact intensively. "I know you don't... but I think..." she stood up and walked around the room in the same way he did before. This time, it was him the one waiting for an answer. "She is something new, something different... she is the first Asteria to be half dark Angel... and her father was one of the strongest of his kind... she... she mentioned something, she embraced the darkness inside her... I think she found the legacy of her father inside... she says is harmless but we know better... it can be mischievous and deceiving... I am losing my head thinking about this... but perhaps, just perhaps, she found a way to absorb part of your power to recover herself... and that is why you lost track of time... in other words, you slept... or something else happened that you haven't told me?"

"No, I feel the same, I am the same... nothing in me has changed... I just lost time and it has worried me since..."

"Then perhaps that is the answer... she hasn't have enough time to rest and gather energy to function as one of us, as an Asteria... so maybe, she absorbed some of your essence perhaps? And used it to recover faster... she looks almost at the peak of her glory..."

"She needs less and less rest, I can feel her body reaching slowly the peak of her transformation... once she reaches it, she will have enough power to do much more..."

"Amra, she holds so much power, she is a new race on her own... be careful... I know you have your guard up but... you are vulnerable with her..."

"I am not worried about her, Elaine... I have spread my senses for miles and I feel everything, if they try to do anything I will know it... While she is with us I will be ok, and she will be too..."

"I have felt you push yourself and I am worried... perhaps you need to slow down until we know for sure that what happened was just her using you to recover herself..."

"I can't let anyone reach to her until she finishes healing and gathering energy, I won't let anyone harm her..."

"Be on guard then, but don't push it further... I will ask Pronab to go out tonight and scout before we leave tomorrow noon... and, don't take this the wrong way, but please, try to hold into any intimate activities for now... I know it is not in my place to ask such thing from your own wife, but I am concerned about you using your powers and her draining you at the same time..."

Amra kept silence, he walked towards the window where he saw Caliope laughing with an arm around Vanessa and Pronab watching them from close. He sighed and turned to look at Elaine. He nodded. "I will be careful, that I can promise... tell Maxwell to activate the call to arms of the Illuminated ones, it is time we use their services, and to prepare them for what seems to be inevitable."

Elaine sighed and lowered her head as she turned and head to the door "I will, thank you for considering this, it is time we prepare humanity for what could come, but more important, to be ready for the most extreme consequences..." And she walked away.

Amra stayed at the window watching his Asteria; she had become a part of him, he closed his eyes and could feel her laugh and breathe her scent. He knew that whatever she would become, it would be strong and powerful, and he had to make sure no one interrupted her evolution until it was complete. He took a deep breath and focused; he saw the trees, the walls, the grass, the houses and souls of their inhabitants miles around the residence. He pushed his will and power to the birds and all the other animals, sensing their movements and their actions. He looked for each pattern that could had been interrupted or anything strange in their behavior. He grunted as he pushed even further and reached to other states and valleys, and once he was sure nothing felt dangerous or suspicious, he let go. He breathed fast and felt his body tense; using his power like this was something he was only now starting to control. When he was not at earth, everything felt simpler. His power and will moved universes and shaped constellations, down at earth, he had to control how much power to use, and the consequences of each action he took. It was definitely harder than what he expected it to be. Like a volcano, all the power within him had to be focused and aimed to erupt through one place or it could destroy him and everything around him.

Outside, Caliope was smiling at Pronab as she could see how soft he became for Vanessa. She was mostly herself with him, she rarely changed the way she talked or reacted in front of him; but there were little things, details, such as the way they looked at each other, and how each seemingly innocent touch would become a gently quick caress. Yes, her friend had changed, she was happier now. Suddenly she felt a small pressure in her chest; an almost too subtle thing that made her heart skip a beat, she turned her head to look towards the house, wondering where Amra was. The pressure felt a little heavier, and then suddenly gone.

"So baby, where are we staying back home? I am used to book hotels always, I can even recommend some..."

"You won't need to, Elaine is going to take care of it. Most probably we will use our human network to find the proper place." Pronab nodded as he spoke, Caliope looked at him with curiosity, and whatever it was bothering her now was gone. "You have a human network? The people who picked us up at the airports... them?"

Pronab nodded "They are the lowest ones on the rank, but yes we have people who work for us in ways that makes our intervention easier... to any outsider, we might be high executives or spoiled rich people, they guard our façade and make things move in other areas."

"Oh yes, I can totally see you as the spoiled brat kind of guy, yep... you would fit right in." Vanessa grinned and Pronab smirked, an exchange of look that promised some retaliation in a private future. "Hm... you have no idea..." confirmation on Pronab's words. Caliope laughed.

Pronab looked towards the house and the girls followed his gaze, Caliope getting up smiling and walking towards Amra as he headed their way. She lift in tiptoes and kissed him softly, letting his arms wrap around her.

"Amra, nice for you to join us... Caly here was making fun of me... you need to control your wife more!" Vanessa teased, stealing another laugh from Caliope. Amra chuckled and looked down at his beloved one. "Is that true?"

She giggled and nodded and he leaned to kiss her forehead, Vanessa pouting at the gesture and Pronab putting an arm around her waist, making her lower her head slightly and smile quietly. She didn't have to admit it, the sole sight of how her body reacted to Pronab was evidence of their connection.

"Have you finished packing? I noticed I didn't had much to pack this morning and it is ready. We are leaving tomorrow noon?" Vanessa asked in a much calmer tone of voice.

"Hm... I have been trying to pack, I think I will need to leave some stuff behind... I remember my apartment's closet is unable to safely keep half of what I have there."

"You won't have to worry about that, darling... you are moving in with us, until we find you a proper place for your own of course..." Elaine caught them by surprise, she was joining them with Maxwell and Wiltshire at each side. Caliope noticed Elaine looking at Amra and nodding, and he replying the same way. She perked a brow but Maxwell looked at her and shook his head, giving her confirmation of something else going on.

"Please take a seat, it is time for us to have a little talk..."

Elaine gestured to the garden chairs and both Amra as well as Pronab lead the girls to seat with them. Elaine took a seat next to Wiltshire and Maxwell remained standing, he paced around not showing any emotions at all. Caliope became nervous.

"Our trip will have a small change of plans; we are heading to a new destination. Accommodation in order, nothing to worry about. Before you begin with your questions, as I know you will, let me inform you about what are some of our plans and give you a little history lessons about our kind..." she smiled softly. She could sense some mix of emotions coming from Vanessa and Caliope, which she already was expecting, but in order to let them know everything that was going to happen, she needed them at their best. She pushed her will and soothed them both; with a quick look, she saw them both relax in their respective seats.

"We had a small meeting and made some calls, we have activated what could be called as our safety net of contacts. There has been plenty of rumors and legends about them and I am sure you have heard about the Illuminati..." She paused measuring their reactions.

Caliope's eyes widened, and Vanessa was gasping; they have heard about them many times, from history lessons to complot theories, one of the most global urban legends.

"Many centuries ago, we decided we needed to have a group of humans that would prepare and guide a selective group of influential people in order to facilitate our moves in this Earth; it provided to be very useful, we gave them wisdom and tools to prepare them for something we always feared some day could come, but have fought to avoid it since... we'll... always... we call them the Illuminated ones, they called themselves as the Illuminati, in other words the same thing... Only the highests on their ranks have true information about us, the others have less or none at all, and through the centuries, they had been dispersed all around the globe. They had been moving politics and other areas trying to keep it under their influence."

Vanessa was nodding, in her mind many things she read and heard made sense. Caliope was quietly listening and felt Amra's arm reach around her. She noticed how she felt surprised but at the same time calm, and wondered if it was the works of her private Angel or Elaine.

"We haven't been talking much about this, but it has crossed our minds for a while now, and now, well... we need to make sure we are ready to move further in our plans and tip the balance. They had been one step ahead of us from the start; which is what is expected from the side that has started all this mess to begin with... this is our move to be a step ahead of what they are not expecting, which is, let the world know about us."

"What?!" Vanessa broke almost without thinking. Elaine could calm feelings but her powers ran short to prevent the outburst of an untamed soul like Vanessa. "You are going to let everyone know about you all?! are you sure?! this will be epic! I mean..."

"Shh... let her finish." Pronab's words interrupted her as he put his hand on top of hers, she almost broke her neck turning to look at him; he was calm and serious, she blushed and nodded.

"I know you are surprised about this, but we are going to prepare them for what could be, as you said, an epic outcome. We are still leaving that as the ultimate last option, but we will prepare them. They are starting to move, the Illuminated ones are organizing and moving their people, and they know something big is going to happen. It is time we let the other ranks know about us, and prepare for that future. We are dealing this as a side action, we are also preparing ourselves for our own battle. Our main meeting will be held in three days at our new destination. There are many things at our plate, we have to be careful and also be prepared. I am personally tired to be caught by surprise, I think it is time we make them gasp for a change." Elaine finished as she stood up.

Caliope, who remained silent during all of Elaine's talk, stood up as well. "I am with you Elaine; having felt myself in flesh their actions, I want to be ahead of things. I think what you are planning to do is brave, it is maddening brave, which is what they had been doing from the start."

Elaine grinned and nodded at her. Caliope took a deep breath and then she continued. "I am eager to know our new destination, if you care to share that information with us?"

"We are heading to Naypyidaw... a place you probably never heard of before. A city build for private purposes, a place ready for us."

"A full city you say?" Vanessa asked, now calmer.

"Naypyidaw is a city in Burma, we had been behind its construction and even organized the moving of their militia for a while, testing its capacity. Now it is almost desolated yet fully functional, it won't be like Famagusta... this city has everything but the people in it."

Caliope nodded, the word of one of their previous destinations bringing now some memories of that visit. She took a deep breath and smiled. "So we are heading there tomorrow."

Elaine looked at Maxwell first then at Wiltshire, both of them giving their consent. "Yes, we are all going there. The Meng Generals are already on their way in order to prepare our arrival. So enjoy your afternoon and finish your bags, tomorrow... tomorrow we will start a new chapter in this Earth's history."