Walking through the streets, Slava was reminded of Ancient Rome. Intricate pillars fortifying the cave-like abodes. Simultaneously, the intricate markings on the walls made way for a strange dichotomy. On one side, Roman architecture, on the other, Ottoman markings and designs filling the walls. It was mesmerizing. When the algorithm enhanced it all… this suit really was amazing. On top of that, the navigation…
"Shit!" Slava suddenly exclaimed. "I should've asked him about the suits." The purple sea, the artificial domains, he still had so many questions. He'd completely forgotten. He had their maker right in front of him.
"Don't mind it," Sasha interrupted, her gaze still scanning over their surroundings. "He didn't have the time anyway, you'll ask him later." He was about to retort when she spoke again. "Ah, it's here, look!" She pointed toward some graceful characters floating above a door. "Sigil's Awakened," she read it out loud. The door was carved with two coiling serpents, maws wide open, rising toward a flying angel-like figure, a bright circle emanating light from its back. The place looked ornate, with its red, white, and gold tones, multiple floors, and a fully windowed second floor overlooking the entire city.
"Alright, let's go inside." As he stepped through the doorway, the doors opening before him, he was greeted by a grand reception hall, tables all around it. Windows lining the walls gave a perfect view of the bustling intersection.
"You must be Vich and Alexandra!" Turning his head, Slava's eyes met those of an elegant old man. He wore a tuxedo tailored perfectly to his size. Taking his eyes off of him, he let them wander. Seeing how the people were dressed, he glanced at Sasha's exosuit before meeting the old man's eyes once more. "Please follow me," he slightly nodded before turning around. As soon as he said those words, their surroundings went quiet and all the gazes landed on them. Soon, whispers began to spread.
"The old man is guiding them personally," "are they here to meet the other two?" Hearing them whisper, he released his domain. He could see a rainbow of colors surrounding him. It was odd to see people displaying their sigils in the open, even using them to compliment their clothes. With the noise dying down, he squinted his eyes, scanning the area.
"Sir, I would ask you from refraining from doing that here." Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Slava turned his head. The man was colorless, no domain? Did he not have one, or could he just somehow not see it? Regardless, he wasn't here to break the rules. His eyes dimmed and the people around them started moving again. Still, no one said a word.
"Thank you," the old man said, turning back around. As he stepped forward, following him, a mist formed in front of them. The man lifted his foot and the mist materialized into a translucent metallic step. Step by step, they climbed until they finally met their end. There was an entire floor, empty except for one table at its center, next to the window with undoubtedly the best view over the city, the basilica entirely visible.
"Thank you, Albert," The man who spoke had grey-colored hair and when he turned his head, Slava was stunned. He looked just like him, there were some differences in their features and his mostly white hair was a contrast to his, but they could've been mistaken for brothers. Once they reached the table, he moved to sit down and Albert moved a seat for Sasha.
"Thank you, Albert," she echoed, her gaze still stuck on the man now sitting in front of Slava. He looked like a younger version of himself. His blue eyes shone with seriousness. The woman next to him seemed about the same age, with short blue hair, and light blue eyes, graciously crossing her legs. They both wore refined clothes complimenting each other clothes that seemed to move on their own, something that was definitely only used for very special occasions.
"Yes, as you already know, my name is Albert. I will personally be attending to you tonight, so if there is anything, please don't hesitate to call me." Meeting the woman's gaze, he calmly closed his eyes. "It seems that there is no need for me to explain further. I shall now take my leave." Not lingering on any longer, he left, leaving them alone on the floor.
As far as he knew, Slava didn't have a brother far less a brother that would've survived the war, a cousin maybe? Even then, it was extremely unlikely. Could it be that they called them here for that? Why was Jack so adamant about it? Feeling a change in the surrounding movement, his eyes flashed with white light.
"Are you really, Alexandra?" A wind current blew through them. "I really wanted to meet you," blue lights were dancing around Sasha, The blue-haired girl nowhere to be seen. "You were so cool!" The words were getting faster. "It must've been so hard for you. Your uncle…" he couldn't stand it anymore. Letting his domain loose, he took a deep breath.
"Enough," Feeling the movement changing around Sasha, Slava extended his hand and in a clash of lightning, grabbed onto a materializing arm. From it soon appeared the familiar figure of a woman, the lights gathering to make her form. "What have you brought us here for?" This change of attitude was odd, to say the least. They'd been so serious just a moment ago and now they were… Thinking about it, Slava looked to the side. His eyes landed on the man's now slumped face. Shock was written all over it, impossibly exaggerated, as if he'd been holding it in all this time.
"You… could you be… from Russia?" Stunned, he let go of the woman's hand. He hadn't heard that word in a while. Few still remembered that word, and even fewer still used it. A place filled with shame, invaded and swallowed by The Union. "I… I've never met anyone from there could you be…" Feeling something getting stuck in his throat, Slava interrupted him.
"I don't know." He closed his eyes. Of course, he knew there were others that escaped, but not the same way he did. And he wasn't aware of any family he might've had. He couldn't believe this one might be one of them. More like he didn't want to believe it. His life was already a mess where those around him were constantly in danger, he didn't want to…
"We're sorry!" They both screamed at the same time. Opening his eyes, he saw them both looking down, palms together, fingers up. "We know we spoke out of turn, but please don't tell anyone," said the woman. "If Angel finds out about this…" the other one chimed in.
"Hold on, what's going on, explain yourself," Sasha said, frowning, massaging her temples. It didn't make any sense, why would they act like that? Why would they act like children? Unless…
"Since we're 11 graders, Angel told us to always behave." The man said, stealing a glance to his side. "We just contain ourselves after seeing you fight!" The other completed. Now that they were interacting with each other, their behavior unlocked something in his head.
"You… wait, first let me ask you this: How old are you?" This was the only way Slava had to ask. Theoretically, seeing how much his body changed after his awakening… if children…
"16," they both said in unison. But how did they awaken so young? A look of light intrigue flashes across his eyes. And when they saw this, the two smiled excitedly. As numerous questions spun through his head, their backs began to glow, one blue, the other grey. The silverware on the table began to float, while blue lightning danced around it. "We were the best of the AmericanX class of Honores." They echoed the same words together, pride written all over their faces.
"Zach and Mag…" grey and blue. It was the only thing he could think of. To his words, the two, shocked, turned towards him. The surrounding glow disappeared and all that was levitating dropped. He only took a guess, but it seemed he was right. "We met before." They were there when they reunited with Kolya for the last time.
"I don't know how you found out, but yeah…" "We couldn't stay because of the purple blast, but… we heard…" The silence was long and painful, like a thorn in his side. Just thinking about that day made his hairs stand on edge. "I always admired him," Zach continued. "This isn't the time for that, Zack, we promised Jack we'd do what he asked." Looking at his friend, he sighed. "Yeah, you're right." He looked back at Slava. "Jack asked us to answer any questions that he couldn't answer, that's the main reason we're here." Smiling, He put his hand on the table. "But first, let's enjoy a meal!"