The afternoon sun hung low over Novaria's bustling town square, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. The air buzzed with excitement as locals and visitors alike milled about, enjoying the lively atmosphere. Colorful banners announcing the upcoming New Light Festival fluttered in the breeze, and the tantalizing aroma of street food wafted through the air.
Angelo weaved through the crowd, his eyes darting from face to face as he searched for Bill. The chief's vague instructions echoed in his mind, adding to his growing frustration. Despite his reluctance to take part in this junior program, he couldn't deny the relief it brought - a perfect excuse to avoid returning to Ashford, at least for now.
Red, ever restless, emerged from Angelo in his smoke form, swirling around like a mischievous crimson mist in search of this Bill. His voice piped up in Angelo's mind, "Hey, Angie! You smell that? It's pizza! We haven't had a slice in forever. Let's ditch this Bill kid and grab some grub. I'm starving!"
Angelo rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Red? You can't even eat."
Red snickered, "Yeah, but you can. And when you eat, I get to taste it too. And I'd love me some pizza right about now."
Blue's calm voice cut through their banter. "Gentlemen, perhaps we're missing an opportunity here. As his seniors, we could invite Bill for pizza, you know. It might be a good way to break the ice and start this mentorship on the right foot."
Angelo's exasperation was evident in his voice. "Are you serious right now? He's barely two years younger than us! What are we going to do, give him life advice over a pepperoni slice? 'Listen up young whippersnapper, let me tell you about the good old days of 24 months ago'?"
Red burst into laughter. "Oh man, I can see it now. Angelo, the wise old sage, dispensing pearls of wisdom between bites. 'Back in my day, we had to walk uphill both ways to catch criminals!'"
Blue sighed, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "While your comedy routine needs work, we should probably focus on finding Bill first. We can figure out how to navigate this mentorship later. Who knows, maybe your two years of additional experience will prove invaluable."
As they continued their back-and-forth, a commotion down the street caught their attention. A man's voice rang out, passionate and urgent, rising above the general hubbub of the square.
"Citizens of Novaria, open your eyes!" the man shouted, his face red with exertion. "The Enlightened Society isn't what you think! Their godlike powers are a siren's song, luring you into a false sense of security! They stand by, indifferent to our suffering, while possessing the power to reshape our world!"
Angelo turned to look, curiosity piqued. The guy was a mess - disheveled hair, wild eyes, gesturing like crazy as he ranted.
Red groaned internally. "Great, another nutjob with a megaphone. Just what this lovely evening needed. Can't a guy enjoy some pizza-sniffing without a sermon?"
Blue's response was dry. "My, my, Red. I thought you'd appreciate the entertainment. Isn't this right up your alley? Or would you prefer to be the one causing the commotion?"
Red snorted. "Please, I've got way more style than this amateur. Now, if you want to see some real chaos..."
"Don't you dare," Angelo warned. "I'm in enough trouble as it is already."
Before their internal chat could continue, two cops from the non-Auron division approached the shouting man. They each grabbed an arm, looking more tired than anything else.
"Orin, buddy, we've got to stop meeting like this," one cop sighed, his voice a mix of exasperation and familiarity. "Third time this week, isn't it? People are going to talk."
The other cop chimed in, his tone weary but not unkind, "Yeah, Orin, you're becoming a regular. We should start a frequent flyer program for you at this rate."
Orin struggled against their grip, still yelling. "Unhand me, you blind fools! Can't you see the truth? The Enlightened Society is-"
The first officer cut him off, rolling his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, we know. They're all-powerful, all-corrupt, and probably kick puppies for fun. How about we discuss this over a nice cup of coffee back at the station? I hear they've got a new blend that'll blow your mind."
As they led Orin away, his shouts fading into the distance, Angelo couldn't help but wonder aloud, "What was that all about?"
A guy at a nearby food stall shook his head. "That there's a tragedy walking on two legs," he said, sounding genuinely sad. "Poor Orin lost his family not too long ago. Word is, one of those Enlightened types was around but didn't lift a finger to help. Guy's been on a rampage ever since, preaching about the Enlightened Society every chance he gets."
Angelo's brow furrowed. "Enlightened? Why does that sound familiar?" He directed the thought inward. "Blue, you know anything about this?"
Blue paused before answering. "The term does ring a bell, but I can't quite place it. It's as if we've encountered it in passing, but the context eludes me. Perhaps it wasn't significant enough at the time to warrant detailed memory storage."
Red chimed in, "Oh great, here comes the lecture. Professor Blue is about to bore us with his theories on memory and cognition. Can we skip to the part where something actually happens?"
Blue ignored the jab. "If I may suggest, we passed an internet cafe on our way here. It might be prudent to conduct some research on this 'Enlightened' concept. Knowledge, after all, is power." He then emerged out of Angelo in his blue smoke form, and headed over to that internet café.
As Blue materialized near the cafe entrance, startling a few passersby, Red's dismissive "Nerd Alert!...Nerd Alert!" echoed in their shared mind.
Blue settled in front of a computer and started searching. After a few minutes, he reported back. "Gentlemen, I believe I've uncovered something of interest. It appears there's a hidden state to our aura, known as 'Enlightened Mode.' Achieving this state requires one to undergo a process of enlightenment."
Red yawned loudly in their mind. "Wow, Blue. You've really outdone yourself this time. I'm on the edge of my non-existent seat. Please, do go on about this thrilling discovery."
Blue continued, undeterred. "You might want to pay attention, Red. This mode isn't just some minor power-up. It represents a profound connection with the cosmos itself, granting those who unlock it power beyond our wildest dreams. These individuals are known as 'The Children of The Cosmos.' And here's something to tickle your dramatic sensibilities - when an Auron enters Enlightened mode, their eyes become literal windows to the universe."
Angelo's interest was piqued. "Okay, I've gotta admit, that does sound pretty cool. Maybe we should look into this Enlightened Mode thing."
Blue's tone turned cautious. "I wouldn't recommend it, Angelo."
Angelo frowned. "What? Why not? Sounds like it could be useful."
Red chimed in, "Yeah, Blue. What's the catch? There's always a catch with this kind of stuff."
Blue explained, his voice serious, "The catch is significant. There's a group called the Enlightened Society or ES for short. Once you achieve Enlightenment, you have to join them... or perish."
Angelo's mental voice was incredulous. "Wait, what? If these Enlightened are so tough, who could even threaten them?"
Blue responded matter-of-factly, "Other Enlightened, obviously. They send at least two members to 'recruit' new Enlightened. And there's more. Even though a lot about the ES is a mystery to outsiders, we do know some things. They have this rule called the Non-Intervention Law or NIL."
"Which means...?" Angelo prompted.
Blue elaborated, his tone grave, "It means they believe humanity must face its own challenges without interference. Natural disasters? They'll step in. But wars, famines, plagues caused by human folly? We're on our own. And if an Enlightened dares to intervene in human affairs, It's a death sentence. No exceptions."
Red whistled internally. "Well, damn. No wonder that Orin guy was losing his marbles. Sounds like these Enlightened folks aren't exactly the heroes of the people."
Blue concluded, "There's one more piece to this puzzle. 'Enlightened' isn't just a state of being - it's also a rank in the global Auron Ranking System. Those who achieve this rank are considered to be on par with the actual Enlightened, at least in terms of power. That is how that rank got its name."
A look of recognition flashed across Angelo's face, his eyes lighting up with sudden understanding. "Wait a sec, now I remember where we heard about that Enlightened stuff before. It was during that boring orientation when we joined the force, right? They went on and on about Auron rankings."
Before they could dive deeper into the memory, Red's voice cut through their shared consciousness, tinged with a mix of excitement and mischief. "Hey, heads up, guys. I think I just spotted our fresh meat."
Blue's response was immediate, his tone carrying a note of exasperation. "Really, Red? 'Fresh meat'? Must you always be so crude? He's our junior, not some target for your pranks."
Through Red's vision, they could see a tall, skinny teenager weaving through the crowd. He wore an officer uniform that hung loosely on his lanky frame, clearly designed for trainees rather than full-fledged officers. The oversized clothes made him look even younger and more out of place amidst the bustling square. His curly brown hair bounced with each step, and a soft, almost naive smile played on his lips as he bobbed his head to whatever was playing through his earphones. His eyes were closed in quiet enjoyment, giving him an air of carefree innocence that seemed utterly at odds with the chaotic energy of the square.
Red snickered, his tone dripping with anticipation. "Oh, this is gonna be fun. Kid looks greener than grass. Bet I could scare him right out of his oversized pants."
Angelo's annoyance was palpable in his mental voice. "Knock it off, Red. Let's just go say hi and get this whole mentorship thing over with." His reluctance to engage in this duty was still glaringly evident.
Guided by Red's line of sight, Angelo made his way through the crowd towards Bill, meanwhile Blue reverted to his smoke form back in the café and flew all the way back to Angelo's body. As they came face to face, the contrast between them was striking. Bill's youthful, open expression was a stark counterpoint to Angelo's sharp, displeased look – a look that Angelo himself was unaware of, but which made him seem more like a disgruntled drill sergeant than a mentor.
"You Bill?" Angelo asked, his tone flatter than week-old soda. "I'm Angelo. Looks like I'm stuck mentoring you this week."
The name hit Bill like a ton of bricks, triggering a recent memory. Earlier that day, he had overheard some fellow trainees gossiping.
"God, I hope I get Jack as my mentor," one of the female trainees had gushed. "He's such a dreamboat, and I heard he's like the rising star of the last batch."
Another trainee had butted in, "Yeah, if you don't count Angelo. Though he's more like a falling star – you know, the Angel of Death and all that jazz."
Bill's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, a mix of awe and terror washing over his face. "A-A-Angelo? As in, the A-Angel of Death?"
Angelo raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the kid's reaction. "Uh, yeah? What's with the stuttering? I'm not gonna bite your head off or anything."
Red, never one to pass up an opportunity for a prank, materialized in front of Bill. His smoky form coalesced into a grayer version of Angelo, complete with a wicked grin. "BOO!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the square.
Bill yelped, stumbling backward and landing hard on his backside. Red doubled over with laughter, slapping his knee. "Oh man, did you see his face? Priceless!"
Angelo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Real mature, Red. Really living up to that 'senior officer' title, aren't we?"
Bill scrambled backward, his eyes darting between Angelo and Red. "W-What the hell? There's two of you? What kind of crazy is this?!"
Blue, ever the voice of reason, materialized with a disapproving frown. He shook his head at Red and Angelo. "Honestly, you two. Is this how we treat a new colleague? Shameful." He turned to Bill, extending a hand. "My apologies for my... counterparts. Let's start over, shall we?"
Bill looked up, and the scene before him was something straight out of a fever dream. One Angelo stood gazing sideways, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Another grayer Angelo was still chuckling at his own prank. And right in front of him, a third grayer Angelo was offering him a hand up, wearing an expression of polite concern.
As Bill stared up at the three identical yet distinct faces, each wearing a different expression, he realized that his training was going to be far from ordinary. The New Light Festival preparations continued around them, but for Bill, Angelo, and his two counterparts, a new and unpredictable chapter was just beginning – whether they liked it or not.