The moment his hand came back, the door closed, and all shaking stopped.
Not even one second had passed and the shaking returned. Again Kai followed the gap in the door and this time saw Spawn, looking like a lifeless doll.
Kai didn't know what she and Meg had talked about after his departure from the 1st floor where they had spent the last one month, but Spawn shared Meg's fervor.
He shook his head, snatched the dagger and the letter, and returned.
The letter from Meg said that she was in the Random World of The Lord of the Rings. Kai then opened Spawn' letter. The disappointment was apparent on his face. She was in the Random World of Ghost in the Shell; Like him, she must have completed her Kill Count in one sweep, it seemed.
But there was one common report.
Both Meg and Spawn had gotten Elementary Magical Aptitude.
Kai sighed, hastily penned down his plans for Meg, and advised Spawn to use sewers as much as she could.
The date he chose was 17 June at 12:30 am and mentioned the current time at the bottom. They could use their Mission Credits to know the time difference from their ends, he thought. He had already given them a few thousand points for the specific purpose.
The way time worked in Multiverse and the Primordial Tower was strange, but also simple.
The Primordial Tower, through extraordinary and mind-boggling means, kept itself in perfect synchronization with all the Random Worlds, i.e. all the timelines. It didn't matter which Random World it was, either. May it be Naruto, Blue Rock, or Gintama, etc. The amount of time spent by a Contestant in the Random World of his Main Mission would be the amount of time passed in the Tower as well.
On a stark contrast to Tower's synchronization was Multiverse.
No one Random World had the same passage of time as another Random World.
That's why the ability to Switch Random Worlds was one of the greatest and costliest privilege, available none but a few selected Contestants; Worthy Contestants. It was because with each Switch, the Systems, or the Tower per se, needed to impose its authorities to not let the lack of synchronization become a hurdle for the Contestant.
When Meg had told him all this, even Kai had failed to grasp the scale of such a power.
Shaking his head, when he was done, his Identity Period was ticking at 20 minutes.
Following a hidden urge, Kai took out the Book, and used the Primordial Theater, calling out Petyr. The character came out, parting the smoky veil, and bowed.
"My lord," he said, smiling. "You look pathetic."
Kai didn't deny it. Now that he had nothing to do, his heart was pounding. The Healer and the look Narcissa had given him for a few days, all had almost made him jump out of his Act.
Kai lifted his hands. They were trembling again.
"This won't do," Petyr said, looking around. "I know little about Faceless men, but what I do know is that playing Darcie is as important as playing Kai Stormborn. You did an excellent job in manipulating the girl, Daphne, was it? She would serve as the perfect scapegoat, as per Darcie's need in future. But, my lord, tell me this…"
Kai looked up and saw the slyness in Petyr's eyes.
"… Why are you ignoring the mirror?" the Character asked, chuckling. "Afraid if you would see Darcie's face in place of yours?"
The sleeping terror in Kai's heart woke up with an explosion. He ran his hands through his hair, slumping down on the bathroom door, his naked back sweating as if he had just taken a shower.
"I think…" Kai mumbled to himself. "I think I will go insane if I don't get to kill someone."
Only one week had passed, and Kai had come to learn how horrifying it was to implement the vicious Saying of the Faceless Men into practical Comprehension.
He must do something about it, and soon, for there was no turning back.
Not now. Not ever.
*
*
Sunday, 15 June 1986
Dawn
Wisps of pale fog blasted apart as two black and green blurs swished through it, a golden, tiny dot popping in and out of existence here and there in front of them.
Darcie's hair was slick, and she could feel the sweat on her scalp. There were large goggles over her eyes, letting her see clearly despite the full brunt of the chilly air on her face. On her left, flying a few feet ahead of her, was Draco on his Nimbus 1500. His right hand was outstretched, and it looked like this time he would catch the snitch for good.
Suddenly, the gold disappeared.
Darcie, even though it was impossible to notice such a thing at her speed, got an impression as if a golden trail had just passed below her in the opposite direction. If it wasn't for the green sea of grass in the background, she might have missed it.
Draco seemed to have seen it too.
His broom stopped with a precise intention, spun at its place, and flew away from Darcie in the snitch's pursuit.
Darcie's lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't have the luxury to break and lose the momentum of her Comet 220.
She let go of one hook footing where her legs were resting and put her left foot at the joint of the broom's handle and the bristles. With one great push from her toes, the tip of the broom zoomed upward like a rocket.
The sky had gained an orange hue sometime ago, she realized, and before she could think more, Comet 220 had doubled back.
Darcie, now riding the broom upside-down, dashed for Draco's vanishing figure. Somewhere in between, she rotated like a screw, gradually returning to the natural position. But her one foot was still on the broom's handle, the other resting on the hook for the balance.
Draco looked over his shoulder and saw Darcie gaining on him.
It was a mistake.
Darcie saw the snitch fluttering to Draco's right, and when her brother's eyes returned ahead, he had lost the trail.
She again pushed the broom, but this time to her left diagonally. The tip of the broom stirred just toward the snitch, and in one long sweeping arc, she closed the gap between the zig-zagging ball.
In the middle of the lawn, standing on the rocky edge of the pond, was Dobby. His fists were raised high, and he was jumping on his tiny, wobbly feet, shouting, "Get it, Ms. Darcie! Get it!"
Darcie pressed her chest against the handle, aiming for any gain in speed. Her hand reached for the ball. Her fingers touched its wings.
Out of the blue, Draco came swooping down from above and snatched the ball away.
The green in her eyes flickered before she caught her breath. Darcie straightened up, brought the broom to a stop, and turned it around in a low arc.
"I got it!" Draco was shouting, flying the broom in circles, and jerking his hand. "Darcie, did you see me? The last move I tried, I mean."
Darcie nodded, her eyes going for the house-elf, who looked every bit disappointed in her place. "That's enough for today, Draco," she told her brother. "I am hungry."
Dobby came running to her. "Ms. Darcie!" he squeaked out of breath, looking up at her. "Dobby will bake some fresh cupcakes for you."
Darcie pushed back some wet hair stuck to her forehead, took off her protective goggles, and nodded at the house-elf. "Thank you, Dobby," she told him. "Don't make them too sweet."
"Yes, Ms. Darcie!" Dobby proclaimed and ran off as if he was going to march into some battle.
Draco caught the sight of Dobby, stirred his broom, and landed a kick on the house-elf's butt, sending the creature flying forward.
Dobby rolled over the grass, and before Draco could come for him again, disapparated.
***************
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