"Where is Damira?" Gabriel asks.
Terra looks at her sister. Eila's eyes are wide, and she takes a step back. The professor may have lied to them, but they don't want to see her harmed.
"It sounds like we need to talk in private," the king says, but it sounds more like a demand than a request. "Guards, take them to the interrogation room."
"Yes, sire," Angelo says. They unlock the cage and gesture for the sisters to go down the hall. They do not resist.
Terra and Eila follow Gabriel down the hall, past the imprisoned fanice, and into that grey room with that rickety table in the center. Gabriel sits in the same spot as Michaela, lights a lantern, and gestures for the girls to sit across from him. Terra holds Eila's hand, her heart pounding through her chest. She never thought it would come to this, but here they are, and instead of lying being their only way out, it's the opposite. They have to make Gabriel understand their perspective, or they're doomed.
The sisters sit down, still holding hands under the table. Terra squeezes her little sister's hand, letting her know she's here to support her. Eila stares blankly at the wall.
"Leave us," the king tells the guards. Camael and Angelo nod, closing the door behind them.
Gabriel leans forward, clasping his hands together. For a moment, he doesn't say anything. He just stares at them.
Terra bites her lip and shifts around, avoiding his scrutinizing gaze. She wants to say something but is unsure where to start. More than anything, she doesn't want to mess up.
"I ask again. Where is Damira? Or do you prefer to call her 'professor?' Whatever that means."
"She was one of my teachers," Terra explains. "She saw we were struggling and took us in. The professor was the reason I even got into college. When we said she was our mother, it wasn't a complete lie. She was… is like that to us."
Gabriel glares at her. The way he conducts himself is more terrifying than Michaela. While she was shouting and losing her cool during the interrogation, Gabriel is still calm despite knowing everything. It's impossible to tell what he's thinking. "Go on."
She's not sure what he wants her to 'go on' about, but Terra tries to expand as much as possible. "When The Vanishing happened, we didn't even know what was happpening. The professor told us to go to the mall because that building would be sturdy enough to hold up against the crashing ships." She flinches, reminded of the horrifying screams. "W-When we emerged from the rubble and realized everyone was gone, I-I tried to ask the professor what was going on, but then…" Terra looks up at Gabriel, shaking. "I had never seen or even heard of anyone like you. I didn't know what to do, so I copied Professor Faramund."
His eyes widen. "You're telling me you had no idea fanice existed until you saw me?"
Terra nods.
"It's true," Eila adds. "We've just been doing what she says."
"And you don't know how Damira managed to fool our systems?"
Terra raises an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what that means."
He sighs. "I supposed your ignorance is making sense now. When I first came across you three, I used telekinesis to ask the system what you were, as a precaution. It said all three of you are half fanice, and that you'd been living on the surface most of your lives. This is why I brought you three to the village despite your suspicious demeanors." His eyes turn red, and he stands up, looking closely at their faces. Pink particles float in the air. "Even now, it's still telling me you are both fanice."
"I don't know how that could be," Terra says. "All I know is that we hid under a stage of mannequins, and everyone disappeared but us."
Gabriel sits back in his seat. "That doesn't make any sense. The system is everywhere. It wouldn't miss you two because you hid."
"Again, we don't know anything. We've been tools in her scheme. Nothing more," Terra states.
"All the more reason to find her," the king says. "I have many questions to ask."
At that, Eila tenses. "When you find her, a-are you going to kill her?"
Gabriel doesn't answer.
Eila begins shivering.
Terra steadies her sister's hand. "We're not going to rat her out."
The king leans back and takes a deep breath. He's clearly not happy with that answer. Terra didn't want to say it, but it's true. Despite what the professor put them through, she's still family. They won't give her up to be slaughtered.
Gabriel exhales, and he meets Terra's eyes again. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement, then."
"What kind of agreement?" she asks cautiously.
"Let's both be completely transparent. You will tell me everything you know, from what you talked about when you arrived in the village to every plan and machination she deemed appropriate to tell you. In return, I will answer any questions you have, and when we find her, I will try my best to vouch for her sentence to be lighter."
Now it's Terra's turn to stand up. "No. That's not good enough. Imprison her if you have to. I understand that, but don't you dare hurt or kill her. When the humans return, we'll make sure she goes with them, and that she never bothers the fanice again. I need your word that she won't be harmed. Promise us that right now, and I'll tell you whatever you want." This is a massive gamble, but if Gabriel gives her his word, there might be hope. After all, he may have imprisoned them, but he hasn't hurt them. The king also hasn't told anyone who she and Eila really are. Despite everything, he's still protecting them. That's got to count for something.
Gabriel's eyes flicker red, and the lantern fire gets bigger. "Still as naïve as ever, I see. Look, the last thing I want to do is put a half fanice to death. That will surely set my primary goals back, but what, really, am I to do here? You two haven't seen what's going on outside. The people are panicking. They all felt that attack on the system, and they want to know who did it. My political standing with the people is shaky enough, but now it's hanging by a thread. Someone needs to take the fall."
Terra sits back down. She didn't even think of the fanice outside. They must be bloodthirsty. Not to mention, Michaela was there when they tried to shut down the server room. So were two of her guards. Their involvement will become public knowledge. It's only a matter of time. Still, they can't let the professor die. Eila would never forgive her. Terra would never forgive herself, either. She wracks her brain for solutions, thinking of everyone they've met, everything the professor has done thus far… searching for something, anything that could absolve her, or at least buy some time.
She can't come up with anything, though.
"Honestly, you're both lucky I still hold some care for you. Michaela wants to put you all to death. She thinks all three of you orchestrated the assassination of my father."
Terra opens her mouth to correct Gabriel again. They need to set the record straight. Only the professor was involved. Somehow, when they were all up on the surface, she managed to kill the previous king. She's not sure how…
Then, it hits her.
Terra stands again, her eyes widening. "What if I told you the professor wasn't the only one involved in King Azrael's death?"
"What?" Gabriel asks. Then, his expression grows enraged. "Were you two—"
"No. I was telling the truth. We didn't know about it, but remember how Michaela couldn't arrest the professor because she had been watching her the whole time? I asked Professor Faramund how she managed to do it, and she dodged the question. After that, she became much more secretive. Still, I continued to wonder how she could have done it. She can't be in two places at once. There must have been someone else involved."
Gabriel gets up and slams his hands on the table. "All the more reason to bring her in! She is dangerous to fanice kind, and as long as she's out there, we can't guarantee she won't attempt to kill us all again!"
Both the girls freeze, taken aback by the king's sudden shift in tone. Looking at them, his eyes shift with realization, and he sits down again. "I'm sorry. I lost my composure for a second."
More like you let your true fears slip. Terra thinks. She doesn't dare say it out loud, though.
"What I mean," he continues, "is that this is an extremely dangerous situation. I have fanice searching for her around the clock, but we've turned up with nothing. I wouldn't be…" he grits his teeth. "I wouldn't be here if things weren't dire. With each passing hour, the citizens grow more restless. We have to find her."
This time, Terra leans in, clasping her hands together. "Then listen to what I have to say."
Terra explains what Professor Faramund is like: the woman's reserved nature and laser focus on her goals. She argues that if they execute her, she'll likely withhold the name of her accomplice out of spite. However, if they agree to let her live, the professor is much more likely to talk. As long as she believes there's still a chance to achieve her goal, she'll do almost anything. Explaining all of this, Terra feels sick to her stomach. She never thought she'd be negotiating with her mother figure's life. It feels dirty, but this is the path she chose. There's no going back now.
"So, you're saying…" Gabriel starts. "that we should spare Damira in exchange for whoever she was working with?"
"Yes," Terra says, trying to sound as confident as possible.
"And what if I refuse?"
"You can. My sister and I have no way of stopping you, but if you do, the professor will never talk. She won't give up the person who helped her, and they could continue to do bad things. They might even attack the server room again. Is that what you want?"
Eila looks at her sister, her jaw dropping. Terra knows why. She's never been this merciless with her words before.
The king clasps his root-covered hands together. He seems deep in thought, and from the look on his face, they aren't pleasant. Terra can't tell if it's because he's furious or terrified. Then, finally, after several agonizing seconds, he speaks. "Very well. If she gives up her partner in crime, I will not execute nor harm Damira. You have my word."
Eila exhales in relief, and Terra squeezes her hand under the table. She's happy they negotiated a deal, but they're not out of the woods yet.
The next part will be up to the professor.
…
After the interrogation, Terra and Eila are escorted to Faecliff Village, where Michaela and a crowd of guards are waiting. They keep looking between the surface and the ground, and when they spot the girls, their faces fall. Some begin using magic. Others even reach for weapons strapped to their backs.
"At ease," Gabriel commands. "They know where the fugitive is and are willing to talk."
"How can we trust their word?" Michaela asks. "They're traitors."
"Well, we haven't had any luck finding Damira on our own, have we? They know her the best. If anyone could find her, it's them."
All the fanice look to them. Terra swallows. After everything, she's unsure how well they knew Damira Faramund. They spent three years with her, and they had no knowledge of her past as a fanice nor her plans for The Vanishing. She has no idea where the professor could be hiding now, but she has to give them something. She'll start with places they're familiar with. "She might be at home. It's at the base of the mountain where I used to go to school. She could also be at the grocery store near the college. She might want to get supplies if she's hiding."
The fanice do not look satisfied. Gabriel moves his hand in circles, signaling for her to keep talking.
Terra hesitates to say the next location. It feels wrong revealing this to the people responsible for ending the world, but she doesn't have any other choice. "There's also the college itself, Meleager University. Come to think of it, if I were her, I would go there. All her inventions and research notes are in her office, and it would take a little over a day to get there on foot."
The fanice's eyes glimmer with realization.
"Can you tell us where that place is?" Michaela asks.
She nods. Meanwhile, Eila looks terrified, but she doesn't say anything.
Her resolve strengthening, Michaela orders every last guard to accompany her, saying Professor Faramund's tricks "won't work on them twice." Gabriel insists on checking the school with them, and although Michaela is reluctant, she eventually agrees. They now have a massive search party.
After getting ready, Michaela asks Terra where the college is. She shakes her head. "We're coming with you. I'll show you."
"What? No. You two aren't citizens of Faecliff anymore. You're prisoners," the captain of the guard counters.
"That's my offer. Take it or leave it," Terra demands.
Michaela crosses her arms and looks at the king. "Don't let them disrespect you like this. Just say the word, and we'll throw them back in the cells."
The king shakes his head. "Let them come. They could be useful. We do not know the ins and outs of the place, and when it comes to finding a fugitive of this much importance, we need every bit of information we can get."
The captain of the guard scoffs, but she lets the girls come anyway. She turns to her guards and tells them to bring "transportation crates." Two men grab one large box. Then, Gabriel orders them to grab one more. They aren't sure why, but they do as they're told. As the group makes their way to the surface, Michaela glares at the girls the entire time.
…
Getting through the waves of disgruntled fanice is extremely difficult.
They gather at the mountainside entrance to Faecliff Village, begging for updates on the "half fanice traitor" situation. It seems word has already spread. Before they are spotted, Michaela makes Terra and Eila hop into the transportation crate, which is big enough for both of them. The second crate remains empty, but they take it with them anyway. Gabriel and the guards smuggle the girls out of the village, and they explain that they will find the perpetrator soon. Many of the fanice citizens express doubt about the king and his military, citing that he couldn't even find his father's killer. That's when Gabriel reveals that the fugitive and his father's killer are one and the same. He urges the people to wait one more day, and their greatest enemy will be punished. This seems to calm the people at least a little bit, and they let the search party through.
The army of fanice flies the girls in the general direction of the college until the seas of voices quiet, replaced by the sound of the local species of Planet Viatrix, chirping and chittering in the twilight. Then, they land, and the crate opens.
Terra lets Eila get out first, and they both stretch their legs. That box is cramped, and it smells like rotting wood.
"Which way now?" Michaela asks. She looks as if she's on the edge of her patience.
Terra immediately recognizes their surroundings: a giant vintage brick building resembling a fairytale castle. It's filled with ruined ships and giant plants now, but these are the ruins of the mall. They stand in what used to be the shopping center's parking lot, and Terra feels a wave of nostalgia hitting her.
This is where it all began.
She looks in the direction of their home, remembering the flying buses and the crowds of people who used to frequent this destroyed building. The mall is halfway between the college and the place they used to live, give or take. However, when Terra gazes southeast, the general direction of the school, she spots smoke billowing into the air.
"What is going on over there?" Gabriel asks.
"I don't know," Terra answers, her heart dropping. "but that's where the college is."
Realizing what could be happening, the fanice urge the girls back into the crate, and they rush toward the fire.
As the air in the crate begins to smell like a mix of wood and burning debris, Terra wonders if this disaster is just a coincidence…
Or if it was done on purpose.
"Do you think Miss Faramund is okay?" Eila whispers.
"I don't know." That's not what she's worried about.
She's wondering if this is a trap.
…
When they land, the girls are let out of the crate again, and it is as Terra feared.
They stand in the center of the courtyard of the Meleager University campus, staring up at what used to be the biology building.
And it's on fire.
Eila holds her sister's hand, tears welling in her eyes. "Why is this happening?"
The fanice seem to be wondering the same thing. Michaela orders the guards to separate and search the campus in groups. Surrounding the courtyard are several modern white buildings with long tinted windows. Each building is for a specialty at the university: from English to Engineering. At least, they used to be.
Now, they're overgrown with plants, just like the rest of the city.
"She could be in any one of these buildings. Her devices are powerful, but they don't have a lot of range," Michaela states. "With this many soldiers, we will certainly catch her off guard. Start searching!"
Some fanice fly into the intact buildings, shattering the glass windows to get to the higher floors faster. Others attempt to quell the fire. Meanwhile, Michaela and Gabriel stick with the girls.
"Why would she burn down her own base of operations?" Michaela asks. "You don't think we're walking into a trap, do you?"
Terra meets the captain's violet eyes. So, they suspect it, too. "It could be," she says. "I don't see any other reason why she'd do this."
They scope out the place without getting too close to the fire. Terra and Eila walk toward a courtyard bench near the burning biology building and sit down. They watch the flames destroy what used to be the lecture hall Professor Faramund would teach lessons in: a long, wide room on the third floor. Three months ago, this was where Terra first learned about the fanice. She didn't believe they were real back then. Now, she's helping them.
The guards have trouble putting out the fires on their own, so Gabriel and Michaela fly up to help them. They put out the fires, starting from the fourth and final floor and moving downward. Gabriel's magic is especially potent. With the wave of a hand, the flames immediately bend to his will. This must be the power of a royal.
Then, Terra spots an open stairway leading underground. Next to the collapsing building, but the fanice haven't checked down there yet. It, too, appears to be undamaged. That's the basement. The professor's office was down there. If she'd be anywhere, it's there.
BOOM!
But then, a massive explosion shakes the ground.
Gabriel and Michaela fly in the air to see what's going on, but it doesn't take an arial view to figure out what happened. The Space Technology building, one of the biggest structures on campus, appears to have suffered from an explosion and is collapsing. Multiple fanice are blown away. Others have been trapped underneath the rubble, screaming and writhing as they attempt to use magic to lift if off them.
"Oh no!" Gabriel shouts. "Not another one!"
Immediately, all the fanice in the area head to the disaster, and they work together, quelling the blazing inferno resulting from the explosion.
And as if on cue, the someone comes up the stairs from the biology building's basement.
Professor Faramund emerges, holding a finger to her lips. The girls stare at her open-mouthed as she pulls them off the bench and leads them to the moss-covered bus stop a few buildings down. It consists of a metal bench and a silver, triangular roof. This awning provides cover, making them harder to spot from the air.
Terra wiggles out of her grip and grabs Eila, backing away from the professor.
CRASH.
Meanwhile, the fanice have successfully moved the rubble that was trapping their friends. Gabriel's voice echoes in the distance. "Terra? Little one? Where are you?" She thinks of calling out, but the look on the professor's face stops her.
She stares at the girls with relief. "You're both okay. Thank goodness."
"Miss Faramund!" Eila screams. She leaps into her arms. "I thought you got trapped in the fire."
"No, of course not. I lured the fanice here on purpose. That explosion in the building was also planned. I knew they would try to stop it from collapsing completely."
"What was that? A nuclear bomb?" Terra asks.
The professor chuckles. "Hardly. It was once a standard explosive, but I modified it with some science and magic. I must say, I've outdone myself, but not even this will stop the fanice for long."
"Why would you do all this?" Terra asks. "Why did you lead us here? Why did you set off a bomb?"
When those blue eyes settle on Terra, the professor frowns. "Because you decided to side with the fanice. I didn't want my inventions to fall into the wrong hands. I have grabbed everything I can carry and destroyed everything else. Now, I'm going to escape deep into the mountains. I was hoping you two would show up when the fanice saw this fire. I'm glad I was right. Come on. We don't have much time."
Eila lets go of the professor, and Terra stays rooted to her spot. "What do you mean, 'come on?' Aren't you mad at us for betraying you?"
Professor Faramund's eyes flicker red, but then she takes a deep breath. "Of course. I'm furious. We could have saved the world if you just—" but she stops herself. "That doesn't matter anymore now, though. We will never get a chance with the server room again. I cannot stop the fanice. I have no more plans. They've won," She looks up at Terra. "but, despite your foolishness, I can still save you. Both of you, if you come with me right now."
"Terra!" Gabriel's voice echoes. She glances behind them, wondering how close he is.
"We have to go!" the professor shouts. "There's no time to second guess yourselves. Are you coming with me or not?"
"I can't," Terra says. "Gabriel promised he'd help me save the people of Nadura City."
"Do you seriously still believe that? What has happened to you two in the past twenty-three hours?" She looks them up and down. "You're both filthy. Did they throw you in the dungeon? They did, didn't they? Yet you grovel at their feet, begging for scraps."
"It's not like that!" Terra shouts, although her hands are trembling.
"Humanity is doomed, Terra. You made sure of that. The king will not help you bring them back, especially since he stands to benefit from our downfalls. Now, I will ask only one more time: are you coming with me?"
"Yes," Eila answers. She makes her way to the professor.
"Eila?" Terra asks. "What are you doing?"
"If you think Gabriel can save the world, do it, Terra. Go back to the fanice, but I can't come with you. I won't betray Miss Faramund again. We'll run away together. We can be a family, even if the world is ruined."
Professor Faramund smiles and tousles the little girl's hair. "You're a smart one. Always have been."
"Please, Terra," Eila begs. "Come with us. Things won't be the same without you."
"Guys…" Terra tries to say, but she trails off. Eila has to remember the deal they made with Gabriel. Without the professor, he won't help them. Yet now, she's telling her to either return to the fanice empty-handed or go with them. Either way, they fail. Her sister knows this, yet she still wants to leave?
Then, it occurs to her what Eila must be thinking. She, too, is skeptical of Gabriel's promise. Plus, she doesn't want anything to happen to Professor Faramund. To her, escaping with the professor is the best option they have. It carries the least risk.
But Terra has come too far to give up now.
"Terra!" Gabriel's voice echoes. "Where are you?" He sounds furious, now.
"I knew it!" Michaela shouts. "They probably ran off with her. You've been played for a fool again, King Gabriel!"
Realizing what she must do, chills erupt up and down Terra's spine, but she steals herself.
Then, she takes a deep breath.
"Over here!" Terra screams.
In that moment, both the faces of the professor and Eila fall. Professor Faramund takes the little girl's hand and tries to run away, but it's too late. She can already hear the fanice's wings flapping, finding the bus stop immediately. Michaela lands behind them.
And Gabriel lands behind Terra.