- "Look! It's the Skydancer!"
A small group of people looked up at the man flying above the clouds. However, one person only raised his head for a quarter of a second before continuing on his way. Desta Amaterasu is a young woman of twenty-six, and her idea of a superheroic wave was not this one. Her golden hair a fine light blue, dressed in a red t-shirt and black shorts, she walked to work. She also tied her hair in a knot so that her hint of color wouldn't be too noticeable on the street. She had no time to waste watching someone fool around with stupid powers just to show off. Tonight, she was finally going to see her friends whom she hadn't seen in a year, and now was not the time to open herself up to bad thoughts.
Since the world had been living with the development of superpowers for some twenty years now, they just ended up making Desta increasingly unhappy. The strange thing is that, despite their appearance, nothing has really changed. These powers are shared by the government to trusted individuals according to their needs. In just those twenty years, there have only been two incidents, or at least publicized ones, in Miami, USA. The supervillain who called himself Grief was apprehended four years ago and his power was removed, along with both his arms, as a precaution. And another in Lyon just a few years ago, which resulted in the death of a hero, Tokiya Tokino, and the arrest of no villain. However, can we really speak of heroes in a world without super-villains? Desta didn't understand how this was possible. Power gives rise to envy, and envy gives rise to those greedy for the power that goes with it. Well, it's not as if she craved a world filled with destruction, fear and blood, but she was simply looking for the logic. The strings were well pulled.
Some empowered people are considered superheroes, while others remain ordinary citizens. Having the power to attract objects for exemplary elderly people, unable to bend down, was the most common case. Superheroes are only a second profession, serving only as security guards at major events, but few actually accept to do so. All these heroes want is to be famous and to clown around with their powers in front of the public, like the Skydancer, who ranked sixteenth in the latest popularity rankings.
Powers are only passed on by members verified by the government as proven heroes. Powers to attract objects in order to throw knives at others are never given; they are designed to be useful only and impossible to harm. For other powers, people are kept in confinement to learn how to properly use the power and deal with the side effects. But then, it's all down to luck, like everything else. Desta never had any. Her birth was her first act of bad luck. Why her? Why this world? For her, it was as if her door to happiness was blocked by an infinite number of locks. How could she smile or help others if everything rejected her? She can't even help herself.
Skydancer was well known to the locals, and was a local hero with a high ranking. There were only twenty heroes in the ranking, and he was one of them. He worked mostly throughout the region, and when he came to Desta, it was an event. He had a certain presence and was quite handsome. He had the ability to control and move large quantities of water. He moved what few clouds there were from the city to the fields in those arid July days. He sometimes worked as a lifeguard in summer, which is why people were surprised to see him around today. His hydrokinesis grants him the ability to fly, which he confirms is just a side effect. It only works when he concentrates on his power, but it's hard to hold on to in order to move freely, and he takes the risk of falling from a height, which happened to him once in the beginning, after a fall from a height of fifteen meters, and which cost him a year's rehabilitation. Since then, he wears metal boots with a light layer of water inside, so that he always has water to stand on.
After a twenty-minute walk, Desta had arrived at her place of work. Desta worked at the Silver Mint, a small group of stores specializing in animals, plants, local produce, phony souvenirs and overpriced candy. Initially, she really wanted to work here, but as she'd come to expect, the reality was quite different from her expectations. Desta had done an internship here, and the boss had offered her a job back after she'd passed her A-levels. A ready-made job, but not exactly what she'd wanted. She couldn't leave, she needed the money, and what was the point of leaving if it was only to go through the same thing again? Their boss said he was busy at the other store, but kept a close eye on Desta Amaterasu and Dan Kemonoya, the only two employees on the site. Although he's a nice guy, he's always absent when they really need him, and he's not even at his other store most of the time, and hasn't been for a few years especially. With hardly anyone coming into this store, it's almost unbelievable that he's managed to open two other stores in the area.
Desta and Dan had almost become friends. They were multi-skilled employees, which she thought would take her out a bit rather than stay at a fixed post all day. They advised and paid customers, and Desta was trying hard to do this job and hide the fact that she didn't like the others and say good things about the company and the products they sold. When you put it like that, it really didn't sound like a job for Desta, as she was always camouflaging her true desires. Although she was told it could be worse, she couldn't help thinking it could also be better. Desta barely spoke with Dan, but she was also a caring person who took good care of her.
She had to leave work two hours early after a humdrum day in order to go and see her old friends for the weekend. After all, since Leon joined a prestigious school and joined a government subsidiary, they've hardly ever spoken again. Since high school, they've each gone their own way, while Desta sailed along her own dirt road. She never really managed to make any other friends, after all it was Leon who had come close to her in elementary school in the first place, not the other way round. Thinking of tonight, in her car, she began to cry. Was it excitement? Was it fear? It was inexplicable, these emotions are coming like a storm in this summer heat.
They were meeting at Fred's apartment this evening. He was a bit like Desta, rather reserved socially, but took refuge in social networks, which were easier to access. He worked from home as an IT support agent, so he moved around very little. He played video games a lot, in short a perfect loser with a life he liked. They could have talked beforehand over an online game, but Léon and his partner Léa weren't keen on that.
After about two hours on the road, at around nine o'clock, Desta arrived at the doorbell. She pressed the button and Fred Denka spoke to her instantly, which startled Desta, given the speed of the response.
- "Bravo, you're the first! Wait, I shouldn't say this just yet, are you the delivery boy or...
- No, no, it's me, it's Desta.
- Phew, I was scared for a moment since you didn't answer right away. I'm on the fifth floor just to the right."
The portal opened and Kata Yorokobi appeared just behind Desta. She had short orange hair and carried, as usual, an immense, somewhat excessive joyful aura.
- "Destiny! It's been a while! I've waited so long, I still haven't figured out why either!
- Most of us are soft rags..." Kata laughed, for she had an easy laugh, not really realizing she was talking about herself. "You scared me you know, I didn't hear a car coming!
- Ah, but I arrived ten minutes ago, waiting for someone to surprise him. And I'm glad it happened to you!" Desta blushed a tiny bit. "Well, shall we go now or wait another year?"
Desta laughed briefly and let Kata go first.
In the elevator, Kata noticed Desta's dejected face and smiled even more, but in a hidden way. Kata wore two rather strange black bracelets around her wrists. One had "Life" written on it, the other "Death". Desta noticed these peculiar new bracelets.
- "Where did you get those bracelets? They're... original.
- Oh, these? Glad you like them, I got them from a friend just a few days ago. I keep the life one on my right hand because it's the one I use the most.
- Can I see?
- You won't be able to put them on, your arms are much bigger than mine, knowing that I can barely pull them off already." She laughed. "No, but they're not bad, indeed."
The two young ladies were more than excited to see everyone again, even if they were missing Skarl, whom Léon didn't want to invite for reasons of his own.
Kata must have made so many new friends, why does she bother coming with us? We're probably her least interesting friends... Memories maybe? Anyway, I'm glad she's here, don't think about it
Kata knocked on the door and opened it before Fred could. Noticing the energy, he was surprised that it was Kata he saw first and not Desta. Kata noticed Léon and Léa at the back of the room on the sofa and shouted:
- "It's been a while, hasn't it?
- I suppose so, but please, I didn't close the door, everyone heard you scream...
- Well, thanks Fred! You invite us over and you always act like you don't give a damn!" says Kata with a big smile.
- "Léon and I spoke yesterday on Discord.
- For just five minutes...
- Why do you say it like that? As if it was our fault, you could have organized something earlier! Or invited us on the discord at least!
- It was five minutes...
- And it was I who organized the evening here!
- Okay Leon, so why are we at my place?
- Because you didn't want to move, you lazy bastard! All you said was 'Hey, we should get together sometime' with at least five spelling mistakes."
Léon was dressed in a simple orange-brown T-shirt, a green tracksuit with a military-style pattern and brown pants, and had more or less long hair. Léa had light red hair and two pigtails. She was wearing a light red jacket with a white line down the middle, open at the bottom, and gray pants. As for Fred, he was dressed in a white T-shirt and extremely light grey shorts (even though he doesn't do the slightest bit of sport). He also wore blue glasses. Kata settled in as if she were at home. Desta finally entered and Fred closed the door. Desta remained very discreet, a little oppressed by the situation, which Léon saw immediately from a distance.
- "Didn't you tell me on the intercom that I was supposed to be first? I am the last.
- Yeah... Leon and Lea cheated, they stopped by with someone. But you were the first to ring the bell, so don't worry, I didn't lie. Have a seat. There's apple juice in the fridge if you want.
- Hey Fred, are you going to move over to your living room?
- Oh, calm down! I've got a life, I'm getting out of the house!
- So we can go somewhere other than this old apartment?
- Now that we're all here, we're not going to leave! I bought some drinks, it's much cheaper than going to a bar or restaurant.
- I think we already knew the answer before your lame excuse...
- Yeah, you know everything about me.
- I mean, it's pretty easy when you know the person."
Léa crossed her arms and grimaced at Léon, looking at him with a false sense of surprise. Léon calmed down and everyone laughed, except Desta, who just smiled.
In the hours that followed, Desta didn't participate in the discussions any more, but she felt integrated, it was simply her way of being, her introverted life. She wanted to interact more but couldn't. After a while, Fred decided to order pizza. Desta was content to say "likewise" after Léa's choice, but Fred pressed validate having forgotten Kata's.
- "You haven't forgotten me by any chance?
- Oh, dear, I completely forgot...
- That's not very nice, she's only been talking to you for an hour.
- You mean all she does is yell yes...
- Yeah... I don't have any arguments. Don't worry, I got two for myself.
- Don't worry I'm not very hungry, and wait, how did it take you two?" Fred tries to avoid justifying himself.
- "No but, I was just going to keep one in the fridge come on, I'm not going to eat two....
- But of course..."
Desta tried to ask a question.
- "So what exactly are we going to do tonight? We're talking yes, but you know I don't have the same feeling I had the last few times. Couldn't we play a game? Maybe I'll get some energy back.
- Yes, of course. What do you propose, my little Destiny?
- I don't know, I don't know what's possible. With you I feel happy but at the same time... I... I haven't talked to you that much, I'm afraid I'll regret it.
- We know you, Destiny, but as long as you know you feel good, that's what you have to follow. You know very well that the protagonists start out at their weakest before becoming confident and taking on the big bad. It'll come to you sooner or later.
- This world has no villains. Well, there was Grief and Lyon, but... Anyway, you can take back the 'early'."
Léa and Kata started to laugh, but Léa immediately stopped and apologized.
- "I shouldn't have laughed, forgive me. But it's the same for me, you know. I feel for you. I laugh like that but because my life is hard, with the other jerk who's only acting up. I'm probably more stressed than you are but I don't show it, I put them aside for today. At least I'm trying..." She looked at Leon again with a dark look.
- You're not alone, you never were. That's why, even when we're far apart, we keep seeing each other, we don't forget you, and we love who you are.
- It's hard for me to start a discussion too, you know... Even though I'm not looking like it."
Desta lowered her head, it was always like that. The same words would never reassure her. This time, however, she raised her head and playfully asked again:
- "Well, do we have a game?"
From her bag, Lea took out a small box with a game called "The werewolves of Thiercelieux". It seemed that many people were unfamiliar with the game, and she explained the rules. Léon was disappointed, as he didn't like the game, unlike his companion. Each player is assigned a role which is unknown to all the others. The game is divided into two phases. At night, certain roles can perform certain actions, such as werewolves voting to eliminate the player of their choice. In the morning, the players know who the eliminated players were and can discuss and vote to eliminate the person of their choice. It's a perfect game of lies, where you learn more about each other.
- "Oh, it's a bit like Among us!
- It's surprising that you know more about this video game than this old game.
- I can't help it, I'm not thirty!
- I'm twenty-five! I'm younger than you!" Fred laughed. "But anyway, this game doesn't play with five people, it's a grand minimum of six and a narrator... I wish Skarl was here at least....
- It was better that he wasn't there.
- You know, Leon, it's only because of your stupid work that you were told to stay away from him, and as far as I know he hasn't done anything wrong, otherwise you'd have arrested him already! But anyway, I'll calm down... Everyone understand the rules? We're going to play with just one werewolf, and since we won't have a narrator, we'll use this mystical device called my smartphone, into which you enter the name of the person you want to eliminate. For the witch, she'll write a second name if she wants to kill someone, or erase the previous name if she wants to resurrect. The clairvoyant can take the card she wants herself. There's also a hunter who can eliminate the person of his choice when eliminated, and a simple villager. And don't reveal your role, it'll be easy enough as it is. I'll try to be a narrator who talks in his sleep so you'll know what to do." Léa then looked at Léon and whispered, "And don't cheat, okay?"
While Léa dealt the cards, Desta wasn't sure what to think. A game that required lying and acting differently and detecting what was wrong with others didn't really suit her, but she was willing to give it a try. Playing with her discretion could help her win, it all depended on her role. Only Léa and Léon, who had played the game before, knew the ropes. Everyone took note of their roles and Léa began the narration.