Aeries feels dizzy and clumsy to get up. He gets up from his bed annoyingly, having no intention to open the door. He wants to shout out from the interior. But the knocking sound gets louder than before. Finding no way, he goes to the door rubbing his back of his head and finds that the wound has been cured and there is no sign of wound at all.
A yelling voice now can be heard. "Hey, are you dead again?"
Aeries realizes this voice.
"Coming."
Aeries opens the door and finds Varion standing in front of him. Varion hurriedly enters into his house without uttering any speech. Varion is looking different from few times ago.
Varion continues, "Aren't you dressed at all?"
"I have just got up."
"Fresh yourself and get ready as soon as possible."
Aeries observes the behavior of Varion. He is totally different from Aeries.
Varion always bears a restless energy in his mind as though his thoughts run slightly ahead of his steps. He dresses with deliberate effort tonight. A dark coat fitted at the waist falls to his knees, its buttons polished through the fabric itself is worn at the cuffs. Beneath it, he wears a pale shirt colored with dark drench blue, collar slightly stiff and tight. A thin chain hangs from his vast pocket located in front of his right chest. He wears a bracelet type element in his left hand which perfectly suits in the dress combination. His boots are looking new, yet some parts having drenched with mud. Most probably it is because of the street.
Varion is forcing Aeries to get dressed instantly or the else it is gonna be late tonight. Findin' no way, Aeries goes to washroom to change. After a while he comes out of the washroom.
Aeries comes out of the washroom with a black polo shirt. Over the polo shirt, a dark long coat rests over his shoulders, plain and unadorned, its weight hanging naturally as he had worn it for years. The collar of the black shirt tilts upward, shadowing his circular scar above his left eyebrow. Beneath the body, a fitted trouser like pant allows easy movement, practical rather than elegant. He tightens the leather strip in left wrist, checking it once, and again – out of nervousness. His boots are clean and polished, prepared more for distance rather than appearance actually for this unknown sect, he is gonna attend.
For a moment his hand pauses on the doorframe. His eyes lower, thoughtful, as if listening to something only he can sense. The distant hiss of steam engines reaches even here, echoing across the sleeping streets, yet it barely seems to register. He knows where he is heading.
They walk off to the street securing the lock in the wooden door. They don't take any carriage this time. Every time Aeries sees the environment and city carefully, he feels an unknown pressure resisting to be happy.
Varion notices this. "Is there any matter?"
"No, nothing."
They walk for nearly half an hour. They reach at a big hall illuminated with lights and flowers. The guards are there in front of the entry point but not in formal dress. It seems like they are hired to do this work only for this time. It is a medium hall for gatherings.
The guards check them and ensure the entry after being all clear. Aeries is thinking in his own mind, "Why is there so much security just for a sect? Is something wrong going to happen?"
Anyway they enter into the sect. Aeries gets shocked finding so many men and humanoid creatures at a place together. They are all busy in their own fantasy. Some are dancing, some are singing, some are drinking alcohols. Aeries thinks in his mind, "So it is a bar technically."
Varion meets Aeries with his friends at the sect. Suddenly there is an announcement declared from the authority.
"There is a special meeting going to be held after half an hour. Those who want to participate is requested to buy a token from the counter pricing two Hellicon. It is gonna be a secret meeting so a mask will be provided to the participants, yet participants can choose which mask he wants to choose."
Varion doesn't pay any heed to this. He is busy enjoying the moment. But this announcement has created curiosity among Aeries. He wants to find out what the meeting is about. The price is bothering him mostly. It is specially for high class middle family or something credential is going to discussed.
Aeries goes to the counter to collect the token. He hands over two Hellicon to the counter. The counter representative gives Aeries a silvery token marked in Lethari language meaning twelve. He collects it and goes to another portion of the sect to choose the mask.
There are various types of masks hanging on the board. He finds three mask missing from the board, having twelve out of fifteen. He understands only three accepts to enter into this meeting. He chooses a mask in bottom corner lying in the left of the fifth column.
The mask does not have a typical looking. Aeries turns the mask before putting it on his face. The porcelain is black, not painted. Its surface is cold and dull as a night-cooled stone. A thin crack runs from the left brow down across the cheek. He ties it behind his head and the world narrows to two quiet slits of vision. His breath brushes the inner curve and returns to him faintly warm. He waits for the time come.
After waiting for a few moments in front of the counter, Aeries is looking the people and reading people's emotions through the eyes. He is trying to understand how actually these people express their emotions. He sees Varion dancing with his friends and enjoying the moment, having no interest in this meeting.
Aeries is becoming annoyed finding no trace of the starting of the special meeting mentioned before. He is tapping his thigh and rubbing his forehead out of his frustration. He is wondering himself, "If this is not a special meeting! If this a typical higher middle class family get together!" All these thoughts are hitting his mind in a single moment.
Suddenly a whistle has been blown and a sound is heard, "This is the time."
Aeries understands the meaning of this. He gets down from the chair and follows the man who blew the whistle. He finds other four following the same man beside him. All are going to the same direction like Aeries. Aeries understands another has collected a token after him.
All are covered with masks. Their faces are fully covered. Of them there is only a female. All others are male. They are all brought to a room. They are instructed to go to the left corner of the room. The entry of the room has been shut automatically. They all go to the left corner. They all stop in front of a steel door. The door opens instantly they come in front of them. The reactions of five persons hardly are possible to read.
They all enter into the interior part. It is actually transportation door. They stand on it. It starts to move after a few times. It descends with a high speed. After the departure, the door again closes.
After descending for nearly one minute, it stops. The door opens again. They all start to move forward as instructed. They find a large room having an enough large table in front of them. They are all instructed to sit instantly.
Aeries, all the time, is following the instructions given. This time he has become baffled with all these arrangements. He starts rubbing his forehead and sweating.
Suddenly a voice comes from the right upper side. "You are all welcome in today's meeting."
Aeries doesn't recognize this man. He seems to be a powerful man by look.
The man continues, "You are all instructed to sit in the chairs."
All the participants do exactly what they are ordered to do. The man sits in front of the long chair.
He declares in a farm and powerful voice, "Let the meeting begin instantly."