Downgrade

Level Two

Second Level, Everdeen’s Residence

A man wearing a foppish, navy blue coat paired with his rationally thick leather boots stood still in their balcony, mesmerizing the charming, intrepid level, the Elites. People were busy minding their own business. Purely conventional. Slowly, a thin obscured image appeared and for a while a young woman displayed herself. She knelt in reverence, as her dark hair curled into circles. Her emerald green eyes stayed hidden. Her pallid shadow was barely seen. She smirked in contentment and slowly reared in her foundation. The man turned himself and faced her.

“Welcome back, my darling.” Mr. Zyrender Everdeen embraced her around his arms. The girl hugged him back, resting her face on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Dad. I missed you.” She planted a soft kiss on his cheek, making his eyes arched in a bliss.

“How was it?” The man inquisitively asked her.

They headed to the center of their house where two chaste, life-size statues of a woman and a young boy stood still in admiration. She wore an old silk that was wrapping a part of her chest and her thighs. Her lithe body was purely captivating.

They stopped and looked beyond the great woman and her child. They were happy. Her hand was held up high as if she’s praising the sky and the bountiful gifts that were bestowed upon her land. The boy was holding his mother’s other hand as he brought a flower on the other. They were smiling. The man gazed upon the statues, holding his daughter closed.

“We’ll be giving them the justice soon.” The man uttered.

“Yes. Dad, I talked to him.” The girl raised her head and looked at his father, gazing into his eyes.

They bowed to the sculpture.

“What did he tell you?”

“The thing that you have asked for.”

The young girl remembered everything that had happened as she responded to an agreement with the Informant. She had traveled from their level down to the man’s place, in precise, for information.

The girl was alone when she arrived, packing all her things in her shabby, bloated grey bag. Perhaps, a connection is a must to build better relationships at all levels, and her dad is a great example of such a thing. He is one to be proud of. Mr. Everdeen is fond of talking, whether it is useless or the contrary. She was a clever one enough to know where’s the person she had been tasked to talk with.

A Flashback (Before Old Mill):

Carmilla Everdeen’s POV

It was a restless night, and there was no one home. Did I just shove myself into a different territory? No. I’m quite sure this is the location Dad had given me. He shouldn’t make fun of me right now or I’ll definitely give him a thump when I go home. Tugging my decorously, woolen sleeves, I patiently waited for him to arrive home. I probably want to surprise the man. I grabbed one of the old swivel chairs. It was dark. Damnit. I shouldn’t have come early. Well, it’s no use, I’m literally here. Taking a rest, I crossed my feet as do as my arms.

There was silence. I thought. I’d never see or have a glimpse of it, not until right now. It was mere beautiful and peaceful just to hear its whispers and melodies. I slowly closed my eyes. There was nothing to unfold here knowing that the man has all the information through his mouth. I’m certain he’s not the type of person that will leave something so prominent.

After a while of drowning myself with obscurity and taciturnity, there was a low humming sound coming from the outside. I opened my eyes and focused on the doorknob. It was slowly twitching and slowly a man with his black beard, the first thing I spotted, went inside the house. He slowly lifted his feet and grabbed the light’s switch. Immediately, I hid myself using my power. So he’s the Informant…Well, I was hoping to be seeing someone else, more like a ‘manly’ one. Too vague, but not the right time. He rubbed his nape. He’s probably tired from work, well not that I know where he headed this day.

The chair caught his attention that was facing him. He stared at it for a while. Rubbing his chin as his fingers touched his fuzz, he mumbled, “I didn’t remember I left this one like this.” He pushed it back to its original position. I kept my presence almost unrecognized by slowly moving to the wall just beside the door.

So, how did I get in here in the first place? Well, the door is absolutely unlocked when I arrived, so I did. Leaning my back on the cold, resilient wall. The Informant removed his damped shoes with a pile of dust. Eventually, he went to the kitchen and got water from himself. I saw a dragon tattoo on his neck. I just had a perfect time to examine his face. Oh, look at that piercing on the nose. That’s so beguiling. And oh, his earring on his right ear? It’s definitely enticing. I can say this man has his way to deal with fashion.

He pulled one of the chairs and sat, opening a box of mashed potatoes. He licked the side of his lips and dug in his food. Then suddenly the other seat just moved. I clearly saw how his eyes went round, pausing his spoon in mid-air to his mouth. I laughed in silence.

He looked around, trying to figure out what’s happening. And there was a glint of annoying misbehavior from myself. I slowly slid the plastic cup and it rolled over the floor. Now the robust looking man yelled horrifically. He swayed his fork all around, shielding himself.

He gazed upon the kitchen, trembling. Of course, I want to give myself a grand, affluent entrance. I sat on the chair and as soon as he turned to look again, I appeared myself in front of the Informant.

“Hi!” I delightedly said as my eyes curved in you. This man is totally screwed.

His eyes tremored, stumbling back several steps. With a frenetic curse, he grasped on the wooden table.

“Holy Goat! W-Who are you?!” He said drastically. His eyes shifted from a thin, double-edged dagger, which was laid just beside his food. He immediately grabbed it and pointed it to me. That’s rude.

“Oh hi. Sorry to interrupt you with your…uh dinner, but I need something…valuable from you.” My fingers were playing as my lips curved.

“I-I don’t have something that you needed.” He pointed it back and forth to me. I sighed. He was definitely holding his breath. I slowly walked to him, a bit disappointed. Several steps were made. I raised my head to face him and suddenly disappeared again and popped vivaciously on his side, making him jumped. Oh, did I make him pee too?

With a swing, he pushed me so hard that I tripped. Man, he’s going nuts and I’ll probably stop. I cleared my throat, just like how my father does all the time – to be formal. Elegance. Well, it was a bit frantic for me, but I should try.

I slowly turned to recognize his reaction. His face became pale as he held his chest in fear. That doesn’t look good.

“Uhm…obviously I’m not a ghost…Hello?” I waved my hand in front of him. He stared at me for a long time. His lips trembled and said, “Y-You can talk?! A-Am I getting insane?!”

I bit my lip to hide my laughter.

“I’m not dead okay.” I said and took a seat once more. I scratched my head, trying to refigure what I was tasked with here. “Oh, right. You’re the Informant right? My Dad told me that…I should go here to know something…like the truth.”

His face suddenly turned into calm and it was then, curiosity.

“Who’s your dad?”

“Oh…Well…I can’t say that, but have you heard about sea salt?

The man suddenly burst into tears. “Oh gosh. Zyrender. That man is really full of surprises!”

“Uh…you know my dad?”

“Of course! We’re close.” I wasn’t sure what I saw, but I should say that he made a smirk. He’s proud to know my Dad.

“So…now that you know each other for a long time. I need your help.”

He composed himself and sat across to me. He was serious. Now, that’s just a shift of emotions.

“Spill the tea, child.”

“Well…I need to know the exact location of Era.” I answered attentively.

His face shew hesitance. “But why, dear?”

This man really knows about them and maybe their whereabouts too. I'll definitely make Dad proud of me again. “Well,” I crossed my arms, stumping my foot. “Because I have a message to relay to them.”

Dad told me that the Informant is not a fan of lies, so I should be mended with the truth.

“You don’t have to worry anything. My dad has nothing to do with it. You know him more than I…I think. Anyways, we won’t harm your friends. That’s a promise. We just want to know where they are, and leave them at rest after. And oh, we won’t tell anyone…even the Royals, about their location.” I smiled.

The man thought for a while and sighed. “I see truth over there. I want to ask one thing from you.”

“What is it?”

“Can I trust you?”

“Yes.” I answered directly. Our eyes were locked, and it was a bond.

“Then we have a deal. My information is not free as you see. So, what can you offer in return?”

That’s it. “Well, I don’t have any money here. But, I have valuable information for you to have.”

“Mhmm…That’s not too useful –”

“Of course it is! Information will be always useful to those who need it. You give me the information, and I will pay you with the information too. I’m quite sure you’ll earn more from others after you hear what I will be telling you.”

"Okay. Okay. You're not lying there. But when I find out that you betrayed me, I'll surely hunt you down." His words showed authority, and he was serious about it. I swore I don't want to fight him. I gulped and made a laugh. "O-Of course. It's not like I can't handle you. But... I don't want to deal with a fight, especially to you that father knows. He'll surely give me a scold if I try to harm you."

"Good."

"So, can you tell me where they are? '

"They are in an abandoned house, near the Long Range Fountain. East, Fivia St. Block 6. You'll know it's the place if you see thick, raggy bushes surround it." He said and took a spoon of his mashed potato.

I pouted as I felt bad for interrupting his meal.

"Do you want some?" He uttered between his munch.

"No, thank you. And, thanks for the information. For the payment, I want to tell you that a new gate had been opened for now reasons these past weeks. The authorities still don't know about the thing, except for those in positions. Well, they surely don't want to let anybody know about the situation. What's more intimidating was, people who're eliminated used the passage to get inside the city once again."

His ears twitched, and he's really paying attention. "Go on, dear."

"We still don't know the reason about them going inside. Yet, Penelope is going by herself right now under the shadows with her troops. And we thought, they already captured those who were able to make it through here."

"Where's the location of the new gate?

"In the Old Mill."

"That's strange. I thought that place isn't working anymore." The man uttered, digging deeper with the data.

"It's true. It's not operating. After we send the message to Era, we'll give you the exact points of the place, time and date they'll be going to close it." I added.

"Did your father know about this? Is he responsible?"

I shook my head and stood up. "Penelope took a hold of him, and the Committee agreed with her. Well. it was her best way to stop Dad from becoming a hindrance to her once more." I sighed in discontentment.

I walked towards the door and help the knob firm. "Anyways, thank you so much for your time, Informant. It was nice meeting you. I'll be seeing you soon. " I opened the door.

I was about to go outside, when he stopped me.

"Wait. What's your name, child?"

I turned myself to face him again, giving him my warmest smile. "Carmilla Everdeen."

He smiled back, offering his hand to me. "Just call me, Mr. Elikai."

I gently shook his hand and said, "That's a nice name. My Dad said hi by the way."

He made a soft chuckle. "Thank you. Say hi for me too."

"Sure. Take care. Goodbye, Mr. Eli."

___

Zyrender chuckled, brushing his fingers through his hair. His eyes were surrounded by dark brown circles. He had barely had a good sleep for himself. He was occupied with paperwork and conference meeting. He placed his red bow in order and cleared his throat. His guards greeted them both as they walked in the narrow pathway, leading to the main entrance.

The woman exhaustedly yawned.

"By the way, Mr. Elikai said hi to you. He missed you though. You should probably give him a visit too."

Her dad happily laughed. "I guess he still remembers about the sea salt."

“I can’t believe, he gave you such crucial information. Did they go to the place?” The man added, taking his hands inside his loose pockets.

“They did. They even talked to us…but there was a miscommunication. They got both places…in the Old Mill and the….” She gently tucked her hair and rubbed her nape.

The man’s eyebrows curved a bit. “And then what?”

“U-Uhm…they kinda went to Neatherock St.”

Mr. Zyrender froze from his walk. “What? But how?”

“They got someone who has the Memory Power. We didn't expect it. We had a conversation about the street when we’re delivering the message to them, and somehow they have seen us talking about it in his recall.”

“So they have seen the graveyard.” The man whispered.

His daughter nodded and looked down. At some point, she had failed a part of the mission. “I-I’m sorry, Dad. We tried using Anton’s power, but they already got the details of the place.”

The man suddenly budged and locked his gaze to his child. “Don’t tell me…you also told them your name?”

“Uhm…Yeah?”

“Is that a question?”

A lady wearing a maid’s uniform passed them and smiled. The man waved at her and smiled. Mr. Zyrender Everdeen, among the leaders of the levels, he’s the most punctual and accommodating.

Despite of the dissimilarities, he is indeed giving care to those who’re in need and he somehow believes that the system is obsolete. But Penelope’s supremacy is beyond veracity. Someway, the man clandestinely acts more often these days.

"Well, they asked for my name."

Mr. Zyrender tucked his tongue above, making an annoying sound.

"Don't worry... I didn't tell them my last name." The girl forced a smile enough to calm the tides from her father.

He sighed and held her on the shoulder, turning her to face him. "I know you're good in hiding, Carm. But, as far as I want you to have reliable connections with the others, I don't want to lose you just like how I've lost them."

His face showed sadness. Carmilla hugged her father. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll be fine."

Thundering, wild footsteps dashed and broke the moment. Carmilla pulled from the hug and shifted to face a slender man with long silky hair, broad snd thick eyebrows and luscious lips. His jawline was a defiant, visible figure. It was his asset, but eventually fell from his clumsiness.

The boy utteredly greeted the leader. "G-Good morning, M-Mr. E-Everdeen."

He couldn't meet his gaze, and the papers he was holding suddenly fell on the ground. Butterfingers. The man directly knelt to get the papers again.

"I-I'm sorry."

Carmilla scratched her head and knelt to help him. Eventually. they get a grip of themselves and stood. Tapping dirt from her black pants, Carmilla locked the guy with her cold stare.

"What do you need, Dickman?"

"Y-You don't have to call me by my last name." He replied.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. So, what's up with you, Trench?"

"O-Oh that," He reverted his gaze to Mr. Zyrender, who's obviously having fun with them. The man cleared his throat and acted seriously. "Uhm...M-Mr. Everdeen, the Committee called you for an emergency meeting."

Mr. Zyrender stomped his right foot, taking a scene from the distance - the Long Range Fountain. "They should have told me earlier. I should have get myself ready. What's with the sudden rush?"

"T-They told me that they...need to have a word from you about...about Carmilla, regarding on what happened in Neatherock St."

"You should go, Dad. It's not like they won't force you to come if you insist." Carmilla said with a deep sigh.

'Dear..."

"It's okay, Dad. I'll be waiting for you here. I won't go." She smiled.

Mr. Zyrender rubbed her head and smiled back. He gently placed a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead, hugging each other.

"Promise?"

"Promise, Dad."

"Then, I'll be going. Take care of yourself here."

Mr. Zyrender left Carmilla together with Trench. The young lady stared at them as they eventually turned left, heading to the other gate to the Committee Hall, leaving her alone. She turned her face to watch the kids roaming around their residence. They were enjoying as they tagged along.

"I should probably give them a visit soon and clear things with them." She said to herself and went back to see the statues once more.