Downgrade

Tainted

It was getting dark as we welcomed the moon again. Someone just poked me by my shoulder. I faced him and witness an exhausted face of Trench. His hair was scruffy and his shirt was about to lose.

“What happened to him?” I fancifully asked.

“We played wrestling.” Cody pondered as he caught his breath, brushing his hair through his fingers. His shirt was covered in sweat. I fanned the air using my hand and shrugged. “You stink.” I reverted myself to Kinzel who’s sitting over the couch, placing her things inside her bag. The last time I saw her was when she lost consciousness. I glanced over her wrist why I supposed that she had sensed my stare.

“Curious?”

I acquiesced.

“Well…I was trying to figure out if I still got my power.”

She was hit by the nullification potion. “Oh. How did it go?”

She pointed a plant on the brown ceramic pot and over the window. “You see that? It’s still alive. I just poured my blood on it a while ago, but it just killed some of its leaves.”

“So your power was slackened. Did you try to use a power-up?” I commented.

“I just took one a minute ago. I’m still waiting. I hope it will work this time.” She added and closed her back. She stood still. Her brother just went outside from a room together with Loshiana. I remembered her. She’s one of those who’re taken by the Royals before. I hoped we’ll get along too. But I just backed off in a sudden as I witnessed her cold stare at me as she passed me.

I felt chills down my spine and rubbed both of my hands.

Miguel clapped his. “Are we going now to the Informant?” He uttered.

Guilbert nodded and moved towards the centre, placing his hand in mid-air. Eventually, all of us gathered around. This is quite exciting. I’ll finally know what it feels like to be transported to another place. Bringing all of our important stuff, we placed our hands on top of one another.

“Man, it’s been a while.” Guilbert chortled a bit.

“You can do it.” His sister said. He looked at everyone and smiled. He slowly closed his eyes and eventually his hand glowed and in a blink of an eye, we were in a different place – the Informant’s house.

The cold, rancid breeze welcomed us. The chopped logs were still there at the corner. He didn’t light a fire outside. That’s strange. Everything was in total darkness. Is he not home? But it’s the same time when I visited him last time. Cody roamed around, looking over the windows, but there was no one. The place was peaceful.

Where is he?

“Is he taking his job seriously?” Loshiana pondered.

“Maybe. Maybe he’s getting an overtime pay lately.” Vixen uttered as she headed to the tree and looked around the borders from the distance.

I gradually moved myself to the door. Holding the knob firm, I slowly twitched it. Everyone gazed on me as I completely made it. There was a creaking noise as I opened the door. I couldn’t see anything. I stepped inside, but the floor was wet. Did he forget to turn off the faucet? The moon’s light entered the place and I was able to have a glimpse over the man’s table which is a bit messy. Suddenly a variant light appeared from my back, letting me see an indescribable scene. I turned my gaze back and saw Hannah glowing wholly. I was struck as by her power. She looked like an angel giving us light in the darkness. But then I felt a prick on my nape as I saw Mr. Elikai lying unconsciously on the floor. It wasn’t…It wasn’t water that was wet. It was his own blood. Everyone panicked and hurriedly went to help the man.

“I-Is he…dead?” Hannah asked as she witnessed the man. She was shaking.

A beast will never tell a truth unless it will be witnessed with the blood in its mouth. It wasn’t water that wets the ground. It wasn’t. It was blood that stained the floor. I halted as I saw the man unresponsively lying his gut on the surface. His feet were tightly tight with a rope. His left hand was kind of reaching out on something.

Hannah was glowing. I startlingly gaped to my shoes. They were covered in blood. His body was tinted with obscure, large bruises and some of his hair was on the floor as if someone vigorously pulled it through. His eyes swelled from those clouts.

Vixen saw how I stiffened in my spot. She stood up from the ground as Guilbert and Miguel lifted Mr. Elikai to his bed. Vixen snapped her fingers in front of me to take my senses back. I watched her. She tapped me by the shoulder and carried Hannah.

“W-Were…behind again.” She passed me and went to the door to lock it.

Loshiana moved towards the corner and lighted the lamp. Everything was clear. All clear that I was able to see everything that hideously happened to the Informant. They were ahead of us. But, why? Why would they want to deal with Mr. Elikai? What do they want from him?

Trench assisted me as I grabbed the chair. It was the same one where I sat before.

The wooden table was a mess. Shattered ceramic plates, glasses and utensils were infrequently scattered on the floor. The door to his kitchen was flung to the side, barely taking a grip of itself. His drawers were ruined. There was a large, ominous c***k on the wall, almost leaving a whole, where an abstract painting of Embreal City was hung. Mr. Elikai was a fine, virtuous man and he wouldn’t let his household be like in this current state. I walked towards his room and heard a deep, silent mourn from the siblings. Kinzel was clasping his cold hand as her brother held her on the shoulder, rubbing it.

It was heavy. Every step was in weight as I shifted to them. His face now turned into grey. What if we went earlier, will he still be alive? There was no answer, even myself couldn’t be so sure if we have come earlier will make this evitable.

“We…didn’t make it.” Kinzel wiped off her tears.

The death of Quinten was still fresh and now Mr. Elikai had also left. Their lives were taken in an obnoxious way. They could have live more, explore more but then, they were stopped by those filthy hands, willing to shed someone’s blood to fill their desire to harm.

Vixen rushed in together with Trench. She was holding a piece of crumpled paper with bloodstains.

She looked at us with her eyes wide opened. “T-There’s a note we discovered just below the table’s leg. I think Mr. Elikai left us a message. Loshiana and Cody gathered around as Vixen placed the paper on the table. She carefully opened it, without tearing it down. There were words written by blood.

Protect the flower no matter what.

That was the only thing the man gave us. What flower? What does he mean?

“It doesn’t make sense…Why would he give us this?” Vixen uttered, staring at the message.

“The Informant dwells with the information and that is the most important of him. I think he’s referring to something that would mean a lot…not for him, but…also for us. We have to find it.” Kinzel said as she slowly covered Mr. Elikai’s body with a white cloth.

Cody, Miguel, and Trench lifted him to the lake. We followed them silently. The moon was shining bright, enough for us to see our reflection on the lake. They started digging.

“You should have come early.” Loshiana suddenly stated from behind.

I turned my head to face her. The cold breeze was there, letting us feel poignant.

She walked towards me and stood beside me, looking over the dark side of the lake.

“Do you think time is unjust?” She asked, rubbing her hands to feel warm.

“Why would you ask that?”

She didn’t answer my question, instead, she laid another one. “Do you think being ahead will always have the advantage? How about those who’re behind, those who are still on the track, still running to the finish line? Will they still be getting what they’re longing for, if there’s someone already ahead of them?”

I sighed. Looking over the lake, it was peaceful. Yet darkness filled it in during the night. I stared at what lies on the other side. I couldn’t see anything but the shadows of those sable, old trees. But then, I found the answer, letting myself voiced.

“I guess not. Time will always be relevant. We can’t force it to move fast or act slow. Instead, we’ll be the ones to lay our rest and use it according to what we need. Surely, being ahead will be advantageous and strategic, but it doesn’t mean that moving from behind will be a failure. Sometimes, being not in the first will let you see what’s in front of you and what it does. It will be an advantage if you know how to use it. It will be a lesson,” I gave her a cold stare. “For you to know your next move to be ahead of what's ahead of you.”

“That’s so nice. I hope everyone will hear it.” She tapped me and went to the others.

Trenched walked to me. He took off his dark blue scarf and gently wrapped it around my neck. “D-Did you get a fight with her?”

I shook my head, placing both my hands inside my pockets. “We’re not clicking. She’s bitching me.”

“Y-You don’t have to.”

“Yeah.” I held his arm. I was getting comfortable with Trench lately and I didn’t bother to ask any questions from him. Pulling him over, I said, “Let’s go.”

We went to them and eventually, they carried and placed Mr. Elikai. They started to plow the ground back, covering his body. Cody was making a cross and engraved the man’s name on it. As soon as they finished, he placed the wooden cross on top.

“He didn’t deserve to die.” I whispered. I gazed to my side. The dragonfly was still there. I sighed and lifted my finger to it. Fifi landed on my finger.

“I guessed, this will be the time that you’ll let Dad know. Please tell him, that we’re going back home and we’ll be bringing Era with us…And tell him…that...his old pal had already left the world.”

Fifi flapped its wings and eventually, he soared high and went back to the second level where Father is waiting. Trench looked at the tiny creature and longed for it to deliver the message safely.

We offered a prayer to Mr. Elikai and we promised him that we’ll have his justice. We went back to his house. It will never be the same again. Just how fast it changed. I scanned the house from the entrance. Everything is not in order. Cody was able to wipe the blood off a while ago and cleaned the floor.

“What did you want to ask him?” I heard Guilbert asked his sister who was sitting on the rock outside. “Remember when we got separated from the Old Mill? He told me that those people who’re outside the city cannot use their powers, and he thought that it was the reason why they needed to get back the city to search for something to solve their problem.”

“So it was still related to those who’re outside.” Guilbert pulled his sight and looked at the cut woods being piled in the side. Kinzel nodded silently as a response. Vixen and Loshiana, together with Trench went inside the house again to search for something that might even serve as a clue. Cody, Miguel and Hannah were gathering woods for us to burn and for our dinner.

I reverted myself to them and sat across Kinzel. “Do you know something about the forest and those who reside in it? When you delivered the message to Mr. Elikai back then, did he mention something about the matter?” She shifted her stare to me.

I tried to recall it in my memory the time when I went back again here to tell him the exact time and told everything to the siblings.

A Flashback: Mr. Elikai Bryson’s Residence

“Is this everything?” The man asked splendidly, resting his back on his door.

“Yes. That’s it. Just make they won’t see you there. You’re the Informant, so you should know how the information goes around the city. And it’s relevant. Please don’t harm yourself.” I said.

Mr. Elikai folded the paper which got the Old Mill’s address and the exact, most reliable time to enter.

“As what I promised. Everything you’ll see there will come in handy. But I have one last thing to ask you.”

He lifted his head to meet my sight. “What is it, dear?”

“The moment you’ll see everything in the Old Mill…I know it’s hard and it will surely take you time…will you spread out the word in the first level that there are gates other than the three? And that Penelope is killing those kids and adults who’re already eliminated, and that she forced to close those new gates…And Era is moving forward to stop the system…that they don’t need to fear. Eventually, the news will scatter and it will surely go to the next levels, especially the Royals.” I said.

“But, before it will step on the third level, we’ll make sure that Era had already stepped its feet in that place.” I added.

A sigh escaped his mouth as he scratched his head. “That’s heavy, my child.”

“I-I know…We just want to buy much time to execute the plan. Please…” I held his hand. “Please, Mr. Elikai…help us.”

He stared at me as I begged for his help. “Okay. Okay. But, please make sure that they will make it to the top. The cause had been fighting for years, and the only Era was able to bring it into reality. They should go to that level no matter what.”

“I promise.”

“They’ll surely be mad at me for telling you their address.” He chuckled. “If anything will happen to me, please tell them that it was fun to work with them. And, please tell your dad that I already found a lead to where the flower is. I’m happy to meet all of you.”

___

“So, your father basically knows about the flower that Mr. Elikai was talking about.” Guilbert pondered, rubbing his chin.

Kinzel stood and stretched her arms. “These days are so heavy, that I’m not sure if I can get myself out of bed.” She let a soft sneer out.

I rubbed my neck as I felt frustration pounding down. “Yeah…”

In a sudden, Loshiana, Trench and Vixen went out of the house. They have turned off the lamp and everything seems to reside in the darkness. But I recognized that Vixen was a bit off, she was so pale. Hannah placed the grilled fish on the plates.

We gathered around and dug in. Taking a bit of my food, Miguel suddenly blunted something.

“What did they really want from the old man? Did they ask for our location? Or they are into something else more? To think that Mr. Elikai hates lies, then they have forced him to tell the truth.”

“They forced him to tell it, or they just get rid of him…” Cody added.

“Because…Mr. Elikai won’t say something.” Vixen said almost in a whisper.

“Why did you come up with that, Vix?” Kinzel asked.

She bowed her head and stared at her bracelet. “Because…I saw everything!” She said and burst into a cry.

“Why did you do that? You could have gone wild again.” Cody blurted out.

“You know you’re not allowed to pull that thing off on your wrist.” Kinzel added.

“You know the limits-.” Guilbert was not able to finish his saying when Vixen answered them immediately.

“Because I want to know the truth! I saw everything. I saw how they treated him. I saw how Mr. Elikai suffered until his last breath.”

Kinzel moved from her seat and rubbed Vixen’s back, trying to calm her down. There was a bottle of water inside my ragged pouch. I grabbed it and offered it to her.

“What’s happening to her?” I curiously asked.

“She is forbidden to pull that thing off in her wrist. She still can’t fully control her powers, so she needs to wear that bracelet all the time to help her…if she’ll lose it, then she will go nuts…just like before.” Miguel uttered.

“H-How come she can’t still control her powers?”

“Her strength overcomes her…It triggered when she was a teenager and that time…we had to lock her in her room for days just to keep her calm. We’ve done it many times, not until Kinzel found a solution for her agony. She had given her the bracelet that Mr. Owen got from one of his transactions, with a nullification potion stored in it, enough to let her control an amount of her powers.” He added.

So she’s a high level then, just like what I thought. That’s why Jack is hooked on her. That’s why they needed to capture Era…

As soon as Vixen calmed down, we let her finish her food. There was silence, not until she broke it.

“I-I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have don’t it…but I really want to know.” She said.

“Vixen…” Cody stated as he held her hand.

“W-What did you see back then? What did they ask, Vix?” Kinzel’s eyes showed that she was worried for her.

“T-They asked for our location and about the flower too…I-I…saw Jack together with five officers. They waited for the man to arrive from his work. And, when he did they welcomed him with punches all over his face, smacking and kicking him over his abdomen. They forcefully tied him on the chair. Jack tried to keep himself calm in asking questions to the man, but Mr. Elikai was keeping himself shut. He didn’t want to tell anything to them.” She said.

“They played with him. They untied him for a while and gave him a chance to escape. They counted…They counted till ten, but Mr. Elikai couldn’t move and fell on the floor. He was staggering. He did his best to stay away from them, moving his limbs, crawling to survive. But one of the officers deviously stepped his back as they gave him hideous laughter. And…And…They beat him up until his last time… In the end, Mr. Elikai was loyal to us…to his friends…and he didn’t sell us to them.” Vixen added.

“They should really rot in hell for what they did to him.” Cody clenched his fist.

I heard several repugnant sighs. There was silence. Everyone was in their deep trenches of mourning. Kinzel shifted her gaze on the other side, as if she was longing for someone and hoped that the person is alright. Guilbert rubbed her head. “He’s fine. If anything will happen, he’ll surely contact us using that walkie-talkie.”

His sister leaned her head unto his shoulder and rested.

“Do you have a way for us to get in the tunnel?” Guilbert intently looked at me all of a sudden.

There is, the main road, but it will take us a day before we arrive at the first gate. The sewers is another passage, but I’m not an expert in such a place and it’s risky and maze-like. If only I have someone who travels or roams around in that location, then it would be easier for us to take that route.

“The tunnel is not safe anymore, knowing about what happened to you back then. We can take the main road, but it will take as a day to arrive…The alternative one will be the sewers, but I don’t have much information about it.”

“Do you mean you need something for you to help in that place?” Cody asked, clasping his hands.

I nodded.

“Then I know someone to help you.”

___

“Did you find it?” I asked Cody who was busy moving the files to the side.

It had been thirty minutes when we arrived back in their hideout. Everyone was scattered and searching for something. Guilbert and Loshiana were in the kitchen, hoping to find the paper. Hannah and Trench examined the living room, while the siblings were at the office, I supposed. Cody and I were in Quinten’s room which was totally a disaster.

I was piling the books that Cody had already checked, on his wooden, crackling bed when I saw a paper being attached in the middle of those pages of a dusty, ragged book that had thick stitched all over its side. I slowly pulled it out. I glanced at him as he continued to check the other books and things of his old pal. I sat on the edge of the bed and carefully flipped the paper. It was a tiny bite from a mouse on its upper and the dust had overwhelmed the entire room, making me cough a bit, which had also caught Cody’s attention. He turned himself and saw the thing that I was holding. He moved towards me and sat beside me.

We intently looked at it and there were drawings. This could be the map that he was talking about. Cody snatched the paper and keenly stared into every detail. There were lines which looked like a passage. He exclaimed a laugh and patted a hard one on the back.

“You did well here, Carmilla!” He joyously uttered as if he had won in a lottery.

I twitched as I rubbed my back. Man, why do you have to pat me like that? I’m not a guy here. “Y-Yeah…”

He grabbed me and pulled me out to the living room, waving at his top the paper that we have found. “We found it!” He announced to everybody.

Era assembled in the living room once more and carefully looking at the map. Quinten was the only one who got a lot of time and fun exploring the sewers. He had a lot of time back then and it was his own way to dwell with peace. He loves silence and the tiny droplets of water coming from above, the time that they hit the ground, were his melodies.

“Is that really it?” Loshiana muttered.

Cody nodded. His face told us that he wasn’t mistaken. “I remembered he drew this when we were looking for wool one time. He told me that he had found another way in the sewers, and it was lovely, lively and far way different from those that he had already gone for.” He said, spreading the map to get us a clearer view.

“Look.” He pointed something from it. “It tells here that this is our entrance to the sewers…in our underground. And there,” He pointed another one. “This symbol…it looked like the Long Range Fountain. And look at that.” He pointed something at the very tip of the map, and the last one. “Does that look like an abandoned building to you? It was the nearest to the gate, and it was the last spot.” Cody said.

I still couldn’t believe that Quinten had been traveling with his own in the sewers. He had surely got some guts there. He amazed me.

“Then we just have to follow these red lines, so we can arrive there and find the Butcher.” Guilbert said and suddenly paused from tracing it. “Why didn’t we take this route in the first place?”

“The tunnel was more convenient than this one and more efficient to take. If you didn’t encounter Jack and his men back in the Tunnel, then you should have already passed it.” I pondered. I caught everyone’s attention.

“We don’t have much time. Elimination is coming and waiting for us. We have to hurry up.” Guilbert said.

Cody grabbed the map and rolled it. He’ll be the one to take the lead. Miguel opened the door to the underground. We followed them. This is my first time to enter an underground place. I’m quite excited that I could feel thrills shaking vigorously my knees. We stopped by the wooden wall just behind barrels filled with vegetables. Trench and Miguel moved it to the side. I saw Kinzel moved at the corner and grope an amount of the slime from a container over the table. I was holding Hannah’s hand. I turned to look at her. She was staring at the wall and in a while, her eyes went bigger in amusement. I gazed upon what she saw. The wall was slowly moving to the left side and a secret passage had been opened.

Guilbert lighted a torch and followed Cody, making a way for us to see the path much clearer. As soon as everyone was able to step on the other side, the wall slowly moved to its original place, closing our way back to the basement. I heard Hannah made a gulp, her hold was heavy and tighter.

“It will be fine.” I whispered at her, which made her at ease.

“This gives me creeps.” Trench said continuously as he rubbed his arms with his hands. We put on our scarves and hoods enough for us not to smell the malodourous, reeking stuff floating on the pitch-black water.

“Why is he not uttering?” Vixen suddenly asked in curiosity.

“He can speak normally when he’s worried.”

“Ohhh.”

We heard heavily muffled, squeaking sounds from the distance. The atmosphere was getting heavier as we went deeper in the shamelessly foul-smelling sewers. We eventually turned left and heard a gushing vibration above.

"We're passing the Long Range Fountain." Cody exclaimed as his eyes revolted on each side. Our crucial, jerky steps can be heard as they echoed the place.

"How did he even enjoy this area?" Loshiana inquired.

"He's not an ordinary guy." I uttered almost in a whisper.

"As if you knew him for a long time." She shrugged and focused on her steps.

Vixen rubbed my back. "You'll get over her. She's just like that to those new."

"I guess she has another way to welcome us." We both chuckled.

We turned again to the right side then to one another, then again to the left and for the last time, we arrived in the most narrow part of it. It was pitch black. It was almost an hour and a half, and we're still walking.

"Are we almost there?" Kinzel asked.

"This is the last part. Above us is the tunnel. And at the end of this, there will be an opening to the abandoned building.