On the eighth floor of the Organization's building, the air shuddered as if the walls of the place had breathed in once, and the faint lights in the giant hall began to dance on the grey walls, revealing a circular council surrounded by seats adorned with mysterious emblems carved into black wood.
The hall was silent,save for a faint sound like the whispering of wind through corridors — (Whooosh...) — as if the place itself was testing those who arrived.
Above them,a massive chandelier in the shape of a glass eye hung, slowly rotating, producing a mysterious hum (Hum... hum...) reminding those present that they were in the heart of the Organization, where no coincidences existed, and everything was meticulously ordained.
Edgar raised his eyes towards the stone slate hanging at the council entrance, engraved with the newly assigned team names in a dark purple hue. He read them one after another, until he stopped at a specific name, uttering it with a strange deliberation, like someone who had stumbled upon a relic from the past reminding him of something not yet finished.
"Elizabeth..."
He muttered the word,his voice carrying a mix of astonishment and nostalgia, then added quietly, contemplatively:
"It seems our meeting was destined...And now she's with me on the team. This means—"
He was interrupted by Duncan's short laugh, saying:
"Look,we have Alexander, and Ronny, and that dreamer boy Alfred... What do you think, Edgar? It seems our team will be the strongest in the Organization!"
Edgar replied with a grim face:
"I don't know...But it seems we won't be working as a single team, and that's because of me. I'm still at Level E."
Duncan patted his shoulder and smiled a confident smile:
"Don't worry,everyone started from there. We'll work hard and reach the top together. And I think the rest of the team will hold on until you catch up... because they are truly strong."
Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp sound suddenly erupted from behind them (Fsssshhh... zzzzz) followed by a fleeting blue flash that tore through the hall's silence.
Everyone looked towards the source of the light to see the Gate opening slowly,as if splitting the air in two.
From it emerged a pristine white horse,with majestic wings like those of a mythical bird, shimmering with a faint golden brilliance, its mane flowing interspersed with pink roses swaying with its steps. On its forehead was a tattoo of a celestial crown, symbolizing nobility. The horse pranced and danced at the feet of its rider, announcing her arrival, and on its back sat a girl with an unmistakably regal presence.
It was Olivia, the girl belonging to an aristocratic lineage, one of the most promising Cleaners in the Organization, and even an icon of elegance in Britain, where the newspapers talked about her strange style more than her mystery.
She wore a unique hat shaped like a steamship adorned with roses,and a brown dress whose leaf-colored gradients went from the greenery and freshness at her shoulders down to the wilting browns at her feet, like a tree representing the entire cycle of seasons. Her leather trousers were wrinkled like an old trunk, and her belt was a metal coil wrapping around her waist in the form of spiral roots pulsing with a faint energy.
When she stopped before Edgar and Duncan, she turned her bright eyes and looked at them with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. Then she said in a haughty tone:
"A donkey,huh? Stylish... truly stylish."
Duncan was momentarily flustered, then smiled sheepishly and said:
"Thank you...."
Olivia let out a soft, quick laugh before adding, pointing at him:
"This donkey of yours has golden teeth,it seems I'm not the only one with a flair for fashion!"
Then she burst out laughing(Hahaha...) with a musical sound that made Edgar exhale in annoyance, while Duncan looked confused, unsure if she was mocking or complimenting him.
Olivia took calculated steps towards Edgar, raised her slender hand before him, waiting for him to kiss it as nobles do, but Edgar simply took her hand and shook it.
A faint smile touched her lips,and she said in a cool tone:
"As expected...the manners of commoners differ from those of kings."
She let her gaze wander around the hall, then stopped at the slate containing the team names, and began reading them aloud:
"Hmmm...Alfred, The Dreaming Boy... Elizabeth, The Bone Crusher... Ronnie, The Furious Steel... Jack, The Silent Killer..."
She paused for a moment,then tilted her head slightly and added with a biting smile:
"Not bad...but we have some rot at the bottom."
Her glances were directed at Edgar, who felt a pang in his heart. For him, it wasn't an insult, but a truth he had to accept. He was the weakest on the team, and that was the fact, however bitter.
Olivia paused at the last name on the list, 'Alexander', then muttered in a low voice carrying a hint of mystery:
"No classification?Strange... Is this a mistake... Does anyone know this person?"
Edgar answered coldly:
"No, I don't."
She turned towards Jack, who was sitting in the corner flipping his metal coin in the air (Tink... tink...) without looking up, receiving no answer from him. He remained calm, silent as usual, his eyes unreadable.
Soon the hall gradually filled with the rest of the members — Elizabeth, Ronny, Alfred — except for Emmanuel and Alexander, who were delayed; one searching for answers and the other about whom no one knew anything.
Everyone sat around the circular table,later named the "Council of Shadows." It was simple in appearance, but Olivia was unimpressed, so she stood up and said:
"It seems the hall lacks taste."
She lightly stretched out her hand and touched the center of the table, whereupon the wood vibrated (Grrrrrr...) and a magical trunk split from it, from which grew a massive tree with branches of light and others of darkness, scattering red leaves from the tree, distributing lights and droplets of shadow like liquid night, filling the place with a sacred and mysterious aura.
Duncan whispered in awe:"Wow..." while Edgar remained motionless.
Olivia sat down again and said with satisfaction:
"That's better."
The meeting began, and they exchanged talks about the new team and each one's classification. It quickly became clear that Edgar was the weakest, and that he had a long road ahead to catch up with the others.
Some,like Ronny, supported him sincerely, saying:
"There's a suppressed strength in you,boy. Just don't let it die."
As for Elizabeth, she looked at him with her calm eyes and said:
"We have no problem with waiting perhaps that's make us more United!."
But Jack remained silent, observing everyone's eyes with his sharp gaze, while Olivia turned to the glass window, uninterested, and Alfred... had dozed off in the middle of the meeting, emitting a light snore (Khhh... zzz...) that made Duncan struggle to suppress his laughter.
At the end of the meeting, Edgar stood up and said in a firm voice for all to hear:
"I will reach the required level as soon as possible.I promise you. I don't know why they placed me with you in the first place, whether it's a test or revenge, but I will catch up to you no matter the cost... just wait for me."
He pressed his silver wristband, and faint lights emanated from it (Beep...) before his body vanished in an instant, leaving behind a trail of blue sparks, exiting alone without Duncan.
He headed back to his home on foot under the light rain,his footsteps echoing in the streets (Plip... plop...) while his thoughts boiled in his head.
He contemplated his hands and his body,weary from battles, and said in a soft voice mingling with his breath:
"I will become stronger...No, I will become the strongest. I will become the next King of Keys."
And when he reached his doorstep, he opened it slowly, entered the interior where silence resided, then climbed the wooden stairs to his small room. He opened the door and whispered:
"I'm back...Father."