Page 30 of Cerulean Truth
Maurice was nervously wringing his hands while I was trying to make sense of his rambling. At five thirty in the morning.
“Maria has gone to Coastal?” I repeated warily. Coastal was the Western Collective of Europe, which held all magi of Spain and Portugal.
Maurice nodded, his anxiety palpable. “Yes! To visit George!”
“Who the f— Who is George?” I asked impatiently, quickly reminding myself of the respect required to address the one I was talking to.
“He’s a friend; we fought side by side during the Battle of '59..." he started, and I felt a rush of humility at the mention of their status as war heroes from the bloodiest conflict magi had ever seen.
Our kind was usually peaceful, preferring to settle differences without resorting to bloodshed. While we'd sometimes lend a hand to humans, like during the Second World War when we joined forces with the Allied side, internal conflicts were rare.
But there was one exception: the Battle of '59. It was a brutal chapter in our history, where magi squared off against their own. Survivors like Maurice, George, and Stephen saw horrors that made them collectively decide to wipe their memories clean. "One round of that hell was more than enough," Stephen had grumbled, the only time I dared ask about it.
“George called us last night with crucial news,” he whispered again, his voice heavy with dread.
“Which was?” I frowned.
“There’s talk of resistance in Europe.”
I must’ve looked confused.
“Against the consensus James, there’s resistance against the consensus for our Great Exposure.”
I snorted in disbelief. "That's insane. Europe was practically a lock for the consensus, except maybe a couple of outlier Collectives."
Maurice didn't bother responding. Instead, he started pacing the hallway like I wasn't even there.
Oh for fuck’s sake.
“Maria went over there, to Coastal, to see if she could talk to George about it.”
“George joined the resistance?” I struggled to keep up.
“James… George is leading them! At least at Coastal he is. I don’t know how far this thing has gone already. He gave us a head’s up, and Maria felt she should talk to him in person so she left and now she’s missing!”
My eyes widened, finally catching on. “Okay, don’t worry. I’ll go after her, I’ll portal into Coastal right now and bring her back.”
“You can’t, you don’t have clearance. Plus, you won’t find her there, they went to the City of Diamonds to go see the United Chiefs.”
“Why?” I frowned, omitting to correct Maurice on his mistake about my clearance.
Maurice waved his arms in frustration. “Hell if I know!”
“Fine, then I’ll portal into Antwerp directly. I’ll find her, nex you, and portal us back in no time.” I tried to calm him down but failed.
"How are you going to get clearance in time?" he practically shouted, his desperation apparent. The guy was on the verge of losing it.
I let out a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Don't worry about it. I've still got clearance from when the United Chiefs appointed me as the next Leader for Cyclos." It wasn't a complete lie, simply bending the truth a bit.
Maurice nodded, visibly relieved.
“Thank you, James, I was hoping you’d say that. With your Offensive training, it’ll be a piece of cake to find her, I’m sure. I would’ve gone myself but I’m pretty certain my Healer’s training would turn out rather useless.”
I gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, opting for actions over words. Then I conjured a green portal, landing in Antwerp thirty seconds later.
Leaving Cyclos right before sunrise meant arriving in Antwerp right before sunset. Known as the City of Diamonds, it held a special place in my heart as one of my favorite destinations. I was drawn to its usually vibrant energy and captivating architecture. However, on this particular night, a sense of unease prickled at my senses. Something felt...off.
For example, Antwerp boasted one of the most stunning railway stations in the world. The Antwerp Central Station, which resembled more a cathedral than a typical terminal, was always brilliantly illuminated at night to enhance safety in the area.
