The serious-looking man stood quietly as the trio explained everything from the beginning. His expression barely changed until Sam told him about the Crystal of Birth. After they finished their story, a few deep lines appeared on his forehead, which did not surprise the three youths.
"So, let me get this straight. A piece of rock spoke to you?"
"Telepathically spoke to us," Lucy corrected.
"Right, my mistake. A piece of rock spoke to you...telepathically like a sentient being?"
The trio nodded at the same time.
"Even if that was the truth, do you actually think the Faceless Lord will believe your explanation?" the middle-aged man exhaled.
"I admit it does sound preposterous, but it is still the truth. You'll be the first to know if we lied, Markus," said Sam.
"That's not what I meant," Markus, who was still in his thirties, proceeded to let out another sigh. Using only his right hand, the bearded man gestured at the once beautiful forest -- now tainted by the Mangler's putrid blood and destruction.
"Ah, that's what you meant," Sam retorted with guilt written all over his face.
"The good news is all these are restorable, although it will take a few weeks for the Research Department to clean the black slimes from the trees and plant new ones. The smell, however, that's gonna take longer to wash off."
"And...the bad news?" asked Rupert.
"Not only did you infiltrate a Nest without my supervision, but you also managed to destroy a five-hundred-year-old forest in less than five minutes. If it weren't for the Mangler, all of you would be heading to the Culling by tomorrow."
The trio's hearts sank as soon as they heard about the Culling. But, the heavy atmosphere was quickly alleviated by Markus, who suddenly let out a short, breathy laugh. "Though I must say I'm impressed. Defeating a Giant Class Distorted without being full-fledged Faceless is quite a feat. So, you should at least be proud of yourselves." Shortly after, Markus took out a small, clear glass orb from his jacket before handing it to Sam.
"A Rift Gate Generator," Sam recalled the device's name. It had been almost three years since he and the siblings had seen and used one. For them to obtain it now could only mean one thing.
"Congratulations. You passed your apprenticeship," said Markus with a smile, causing the trio's faces to light up from joy and relief. "However, I must urge you to keep a low profile for the time being, especially when you return to the Tower of Nexus."
"You're not coming with us?" Sam asked, only for him to receive a headshake from the bearded man.
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Edelweiss. Someone needs to stay behind to deal with the towners. No doubt they'll be furious, but it is the nature of our work," replied Markus, shrugging both of his shoulders.
Sam and the siblings soon felt a wave of guilt washed over them. They could only imagine the amount of flak the man would have to endure from both the natives and the higher-ups. But, Markus quickly dismissed their worries by reminding them, "Remember what I told you before? About crying over spilled milk?"
"That it is simply a waste of time and energy," Sam retorted.
"Correct. There is nothing wrong with feeling a little bit of regret over our past decisions, but we shouldn't let it keep us from moving forward. We are, after all, the Faceless Order, humanity's last line of defense against the Distorted and other possible threats. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," the trio immediately responded.
Markus bobbed his head before turning his attention to Sam, asking him while pointing at the tiny Rift Gate Generator, "Do you still know how to use that thing?"
"Yeah, just toss them to the ground, right?"
Sam then threw the small marble into the wet soil, and a doorway of light appeared from thin air in a blink of an eye. The trio could not help but marvel at the sight of the pulsing portal -- its smooth, white surface reflected their silhouettes perfectly, like a real-life mirror.
"Just to let you know, Miss Strelitzia will be the one to greet you on the other side. She is the current Chief of the Chamber of Convergence," explained Markus.
"Ah, old man Dory finally retired, huh?" Rupert smirked.
"No, he passed away two years ago."
The trio mouthed an 'oh' -- much to their supervisor's dismay. "I thought I already told Mr. Nightingale about this?" Markus added.
"Did he now?" muttered Lucy before giving her brother a black look. Instead of saying anything, Rupert averted her piercing gaze and started to whistle to a tune.
"Oh, one more thing," the bearded man cleared his throat, "When I said you need to keep a low profile, that also includes controlling your temper and...impetuousness." Markus paused to give his three apprentices time to prepare for the next thing he was about to say, "Now, I'm aware that all of you bear an unwavering hostility towards a particular individual. As much as I hate to break this to you, this fellow also passed his apprenticeship -- two days ago, as a matter of fact."
The trio grimaced as they knew full well the person their supervisor was referring to.
Jack Cindar -- a man in his mid-twenties who was fond of harassing the younglings simply for self-gratification. Furthermore, he also had a history of using excessive force on the new recruits -- breaking their limbs and noses for, as he called it, education purposes. Sadly, his questionable actions were overshadowed by his talents, and he ended up under the supervision of the Faceless Lord himself.
Lucy rolled her eyes and grumbled, "That douche is still around? I thought he left after the beating 'The Scarred Empress gave him."
"Broke his nose, didn't she?" Rupert chuckles, "That's what he gets for pissing off Rowanna on her break."
"That, and he was also bothering some of the female recruits. So, yeah. He should've seen that coming," Sam added.
"Either way!" exclaimed Markus after noticing his apprentices were getting distracted with each passing moment, "Please minimize your contact with him or, better yet, avoid him, if possible."
"We'll try," the youngest Nightingale reluctantly answered. She then slowly approached the Rift Gate; her azure eyes were focused on the undulating outline of the portal. As her fingertips touched the portal, its surface rippled like a water surface. She glanced over her shoulder, giving her supervisor one last look before disappearing into the gateway.
"Well, Markus. Catch you later," said Rupert before charging head-first into the portal.
Sam was about to follow the Nightingales before Markus grabbed his shoulder. "A few words, please, Mr. Edelweiss."
"S-Sure," Sam could barely form a sentence due to his supervisor's sudden interruption.
"Your memories. Have you seen anything new?"
"No, um, I mean, yeah. When we were dealing with the Mangler, I saw something. A small wooden house and that was it, I think."
"I see," said Markus, nodding his head, "Well, I will try my best to gain your permission into the Archive, but I need you to be prepared -- Just in case-"
"Just in case I couldn't find what I am looking for. Thank you, Markus, but I'm already aware of that possibility. "
"Good," Markus exhaled, "Look after those rascals for me, will you? Those two might be a little handful most of the time, but they are the best companions one could ask for."
A tiny smile appeared on Sam's face, and he simply replied, "Yes, sir."
ɹɹ********************************************
It was like passing through a cold, invisible curtain. Sam could feel his teeth chattering from the sudden drop in temperature, but thankfully, the sensation lasted only for a few seconds. It was soon replaced by a warm and soothing air with a faint, lemony smell of camellia. Then, he was greeted by the sight of the Chamber of Convergence -- a simple snow-white hall with a yellowish-brown, herringbone floor. But, its most prominent feature was the alien-like arches carved along the stone walls.
After finishing his inspection, Sam turned his attention to the middle of the room where the Nightingales stand side by side, talking to an elegant-looking woman dressed in a long-sleeved, black cold shoulder top and denim blue flare jeans. Matched with a pair of dazzling emerald green eyes and short, wavy brunette hair, Marie Strelitzia was a famous Faceless known for her beauty and battle prowess.
Shortly after, Sam was greeted by Marie's silken voice, "Ah, finally. Our last guest of honor is finally here." A mischievous, dimpled smile spreads across the woman's porcelain face as Sam walks up to her and the siblings. "You three looked a bit thin since the last time I saw you. I'm guessing Markus' routines are more arduous than you initially thought, huh?"
"That's one way to put it," Lucy smiled sheepishly at Marie's comment.
"Congratulations, by the way, on your recent exploit. Fighting a Mangler on your apprenticeship, let alone defeating it -- I think the three of you are the first to do so."
Lucy immediately dropped her gaze to the floor out of exasperation. Unwanted attention was the last thing she needed after their battle against the Giant Class Distorted. Conjuring the watery tendrils had consumed most of her energy; it was no less than a miracle for her to even stand on her own feet right now. Then suddenly, she felt someone pinching her left cheek. "Ow," Lucy cried out.
"What's with the gloomy face, darling?" Marie remarked, "Worried the news will spread? Afraid everyone will look at you funny? Isn't that what you've been facing ever since you first arrived at the Tower?"
"But-," Lucy stopped mid-sentence after realizing the truth in the woman's words.
"See? You're just getting worked up over nothing," Marie replied before patting the youngest Nightingale's head. "As much as I would love to catch up with all of you, I have to prepare the Rift Gates for the approaching Summer Solstice. Oh, before I forget!" Marie cleared her throat before announcing to the trio, "Welcome back to the Tower of Nexus."
**ɹɹ******************************************
||| THE PATH OF CHANGELESSNESS: MARKUS |||
[Meanwhile, somewhere in The Wailing Forest...]
Markus calmly flipped through the sheets of paper; his expressions occasionally cycled between a frown to complete awe. Even after reading the report, it still didn't answer the question lingering in his mind for a while now: Why would a Giant Class Distorted casually roam the woodlands instead of its usual habitats?
All of a sudden, an arm burst out of the creature's chest -- a figure in a yellow hazmat suit soon climbed out of the monster's carcass, covered in burnt innards and black slime.
"Need some help, Michael?" Markus offered, but the person refused with a simple hand gesture. After hopping off the Mangler's charred torso, the individual removed his headgear -- revealing a fresh-faced man with brown, untidy brown hair.
"Couldn't recover a decent sample with this one. Even the crystal was shattered beyond repair," Michael whined as he placed his headgear down. Then, the man's caramel eyes darted at Markus -- his gaze filled with fatigue. "Those rookies of yours need to learn how to restrain themselves. It is not often to encounter such rare specimen outside its territory," complained Michael.
"I truly apologize for their actions. But, in their defense -- a Mangler is not the sort of enemy they're supposed to be facing, especially during their apprenticeship."
"Unpredictability is a part of our job. As a matter of fact, that's also how the world works. You, of all people, know that." After venting out the last of his frustration, Michael lowered himself to the ground with his eyes fixated on the Mangler's corpse. "A thousand years since the Cataclysm, and we still haven't figured out a way to permanently eradicate the Distorted. Under different circumstances, all of these probings could have been a pretty good joke."
"You have a very odd sense of humor, Michael. Either way, I'm confident this war will end sooner than we expected. We just have to be patient, that's all."
The man in the PPE suit later started laughing, "Still putting your trust on that lad, I see. Perhaps I'm not the only one with an odd sense of humor."
"Maybe," Markus chuckled back. "But, even the smallest cinder can turn into an unstoppable force of nature, my friend. Who's to say the boy couldn't do the same?"
||| THE END OF THE PATH OF CHANGELESSNESS |||