Mirrored Shadows

Mists upon the world

   In Monika's round salon, a table for two was set up. She stood in front of a mirror, dressing up. The reflection stole her glance for a moment. She has changed so much. So empty, lifeless... When did that happen, she wondered.

  Zana came in and cleared her throat.

- Zana. Has my guest arrived yet?

- He did, madam.

- Alright. - she turned to her. - Go to receive him. After that dedicate yourself to Bruno.

- As you wish, madam.

  A carriage pulled over by the gate. Zana rushed to open it. Two black horses pulled the carriage through the yard and stopped in front of the house. The nanny could see her unwelcoming face on the carriage's polished surface. The doors opened and a man in a long coat came out. A crescent moon jewel kept the collar of the coat close together. Two dark eyes fell upon Zana and made him slightly frown. 

- Sir. - she greeted coldly. - Madam Monika awaits you.

- Zana, if I'm not mistaken? Your madam mentioned you in her letter.

  Judging by the way he looked at her, she knew that Monika didn't write anything good.

- This way, sir. - she lead him to the house.

  He walked inside and looked around, surprised by the melancholy and darkness that ruled inside. Monika stood on top of the stairs, surrounded by black like a cursed princess. For a moment, she was unrecognizable.

- Dion. - she smiled softly. Seeing an old friend in her depressing home made her feel warm around the heart.

- Monika. - he smiled back and walked to her. They hugged.

- I'm so glad to see you, my dear friend. Thank you for answering my invitation.

- And I'm glad to see you as well, it has been a while.

- Come, you must be tired and hungry from the trip. We have so much to talk about, and a lot of catching up to do.

  She took him down the hall and into the salon.

- What happened to the lights? - he asked, looking around. - You always had so many candles lit.

- There's no more light in this house, Dion... - she sighed. - It bothers my boy, as much as he's bothered by me.

  Dion looked at her worryingly and sat by the table across her. Monika opened a bottle of wine and filled up their glasses.

- How's the family? - she asked.

- Everyone is well, thank you. Where is Lazarus?

- He... We don't live together anymore. - after seeing the confusion on his face, she added: - We broke up. He did find it fitting, however, to drop by yesterday and raid my storage room. Then he left, mentioning something about... ah, I can't even pronounce the country's name. The farther the better.

- I'm sorry, I had no idea...

- It's alright.

- So where are the other kids?

- They are not here anymore.

  He wasn't sure if he should ask more about it.

- I hope they found great homes.

- They did. I made sure they do.

- I'm sorry for asking, but what happened here?

- Bruno happened.

  Her friend felt sad to hear all this. He knew how much she gave to this place.

- Yes, I've read your letter... Is it really that bad?

- It's worse than you think. - she stared absently at the candle on the table. - When Bruno was left at my doorstep... Even then I felt something. Something wrong. That baby, with purple eyes, looked at me with so much hatred. I started wanting him away from me, yet it's the only thing I could never do. Abandon. - she paused, wiping her eyes. - He never cried. Nor laughed. I believed that love can change everything... The troubles began when he started walking. One night everyone was awaken by a horrible scream. A bed was on fire. With Bruno's nanny in it. He just stood next to it and watched like some kind of a... We couldn't leave food in his reach. To this day I don't know how he kept coming to a possession of dangerous substances, which found their way to our plates. We had 14 cases of coma... But he never tried to kill me. At least not so directly like he did with the mentioned nanny. He wants me to suffer. I think he finds no pleasure in ending that. There were nights when I couldn't sleep at all. I dreamed about him. Everyone was terrified of him. Kids became distant, depressed and, most of them, traumatized. The staff just left one day. Then Lazarus left. Everything was destroyed. The boy... He brought darkness into this home, Dion. Changed us. Changed everything. Changed me.

  While listening to her, Dion's expression changed from shock, to sincere sympathy.

- Maybe it's this place, Monika. He is growing up in this god forsaken home, surrounded by all this darkness, without other kids around.

- Kids? I cannot dare myself to let him near Crumb, or a dog, let alone other kids. No, he is this way since birth...

- Do you think you could do something about him, to help him?

- I don't think so, but I won't stop trying. I won't abandon him like his parents. Like my parents. Although I'm the one that needs help now...

- I'm here... You also mentioned in the letter that his new nanny is good with him?

  Monika waved off her hand.

- I suppose I didn't express myself well in the letter. I'd rather say she has... a way with him. They spend a lot of time together. He has never been so close with anyone.

- Maybe she can reach him then, influence him positively?

- If she can, then she's not trying. In fact, Bruno is even worse since she got here.

  Dion looked at her in confusion.

- Then why is she still here? What do you even know about her?

- Considering the situation, I couldn't afford myself to be picky. I don't like her, but Bruno does. At least he's not alone...

  Looking at Dion's face, she could tell that he doesn't quite share her perspective on the matter.

  Zana knocked on the door and entered at Monika's approval. She was holding the boy by the hand. He was in his pajama.

- Madam, the young gentleman is ready for bed. Do you need anything before I take him to his room?

- No Zana, you are free. Thank you.

  Bruno looked at Dion.

- Hello, Bruno. - he smiled. - You've grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you.

  The boy turned around and left the room. Zana bowed and went after him.

- At least he didn't drop the chandelier on your head...

- So tell me now, how can I help you?

  Monika got up and quietly walked up to the door, checking if Zana or Bruno are still around, then came back to the table and started whispering:

- Lately, Bruno mentions some kind of a pet. At first I thought he's just playing around, until I started finding dead rats all over the house. Last night, something attacked Crumb. Through the locked door of my room and through the locked door of his cage.

- That's horrible... Crumb didn't tell you what it was?

- He is traumatized, he made no sense when I asked...

 Dion took a minute to think.

- Monika, have you heard, by any chance, what's going on far on the east?

- Where could I possibly hear any kind of news, Dion, closed in here?

- Well, strange things are happening over there. Disappearances of people, unexplainable deaths... At first, people thought that someone is leading a secret war against them. But then, both the church and the mystics agreed on something for the first time: they claim that the Veil that separates Hell from our world is being worn out.

- But... - Monika looked at him, unsure if he's being serious. - That's impossible... The Veil...

- Has been torn apart before. So is it really that impossible?

  She remained silent for a brief moment, looking at a dark corner.

- So you are suggesting that... something demonic is at work in this place? - she whispered.

- Not suggesting. Merely guessing. Given the circumstances, it's the only explanation that makes sense. It sounds like you're having a Parasite Demon.

- You think so...?

- Probably. No ordinary demon can pass through the closed doors. They are typical mortals like ourselves, except the high tolerance to fire. So whatever it was, it had to be something less... material. But none of the creatures from the spiritual realm would cooperate with your boy. They cannot be tamed and called a pet. But a Parasite Demon would do precisely that. Still, nothing is certain. We should visit the Mystic's library in the capital. We might find some scrolls or books about all the known species of demons, from noble ones, to the ones at the lowest rank.

- This is your area, so I guess we should check. We'll go in the morning.

  After dinner, they both went to their rooms to sleep. Dion locked his door as Monika suggested. The room he stayed in was dark just like the rest of the house. He thought about the colors of the outside world and how difficult it would be for him if he had to spend his life here. But a painting next to his bed made him smile. It was a painting of him, Monika and some other friends from good old days.

   In the meantime, Monika walked on her toes to check if Bruno laid down (she knew that he's not sleeping). Once she saw him in the bed, staring at a dot on the wall, she went to sleep.

  Dion couldn't close his eyes that night. He got up and took a book in hope that reading will make him sleepy.

  Around midnight they both heard noise. The paintings on the walls were slightly vibrating. Dion carefully approached and leaned his ear against the wall. There was a buzzing sound inside. The wall was shaking under his palms as if someone's drilling it from the other side. Monika was doing the same in her room. She got out in the hallway, only to see Dion getting outside too.

- Did you hear the buzzing? - he asked.

- I was on my way to your room to ask you the same.

- What was that?

- I don't know, but it sounds like a swarm of bees or flies.

- Did this happen before?

- Never.

  Dion placed his face against the hallway wall.

- I don't hear it in here....

- Well... - Monika sighed. - Let's go back to beds. If you hear anything again, feel free to come and tell me. I don't think I'll be sleeping this night...

  They went back to their rooms. Dion locked the door. When he turned around, he was startled by Bruno next to his bed.

- Bruno? What are you doing in here little fellow?

- Go away. - he said.

- Excuse me?

- Go away and never come back.

- You don't want me here Bruno? I'm a good friend of your guardian.

  The boy wasn't showing any sign of understanding or care for what Dion was saying.

- Go away.

  He pointed his little finger towards a wall. The buzzing sounds were there again, but much louder.

  Suddenly, a swarm of huge flies filled up the room. The wild cloud of wings buzzed all over the place, seeking to drown Dion. He couldn't open his mouth nor eyes, as arms helplessly flailed in attempt to send them away. He rushed to the window and opened it. Most of the flies escaped outside. The rest of them were still flying around. Dion was finally able to breathe. Bruno was no longer in the room. There was a pile of dead mice on the floor.

                                                                                        ***

   Monika got up first thing in the morning and dressed up to go to the Mystic's library with Dion. When she came downstairs, Dion was already there, all dressed up and ready to go.

- You are already prepared?

- Yes. I wasn't sleeping at all...

  He seemed upset.

- Is something wrong?

  Dion told her everything about what happened last night. She was astound.

- That's it! - she turned around, ready to go upstairs to Bruno, but Dion stopped her.

- Wait! Hold on, Monika. We don't know if Bruno is under the influence of something like we talked about. He might not even be aware of what's going on.

  Monika tried to control herself.

- Please, calm down. Look, I'm alright, okay? Let's go to the library and see what we can find.

  Dion's carriage was waiting for them. Monika took Crumb with her, knowing it's not safe to leave him at home. Seeing Zana at the front door, Monika had to look away, because she was ready to vent out on her.

- Are you not afraid to leave Bruno alone with her? - Dion asked upon entering the carriage.

- Please, they can't wait for me to leave. At first he almost killed her, and now they are inseparable.

- It's strange how their relationship has changed so drastically and so fast.

   The carriage slid down into the rainy street. During the trip they haven't spoke much, watching the dark scenery through the windows as they line up. Crumb was peeking from the pocket of Monika's coat.

  Roofs of passing houses were just blurry stains behind the rain covered glass, while each carriage that passed them by looked like nothing more than a mere shadow.

- I forgot to tell you something. - she said, staring through the window. - I had a dream about Bruno... with an iron cage on his head. Do you think that Whisperer has anything to do with all this?

- But Monika, we have defeated him.

- Did we? He was coming back before... And what better time to do so again now that our gifts are gone?

  The village stayed behind, offering them to the long and wide wasteland between its border and the faraway capital.

- Do you remember when we first met? - he asked with a smile.

- You mean do I remember the time I had to run away from my home because my parents had this fun idea about dissecting me?

- And you came to the Dolmanor academy for the gifted. That wasn't so bad, was it?

- It was literally the only happy time in my life.

- We had so much fun... Do you remember what our teachers used to say?

- ''Talent is not something you lose. It is something you sharpen or neglect.'' - she quoted.

- Perhaps we didn't lose ours. We only need to be reminded.

- Both of us? That's too farfetched, Dion.

  Finally, they have arrived. Before them stood the Mystic's library with numerous cone-shaped towers, looking like a horned monster. Its gothic facade was like a reflection of what was stored inside. It was clear that the Mystic's library keeps far more than classic bestsellers. Even the people who were coming and leaving the place had an aura of confidentiality and suspicion in their demeanor, checking twice who is behind them before they enter, and storing what they came out with deep into their coats. 

  The doorman gave Monika an unfriendly glance before opening the door.

- As you can see, I'm very popular around here thanks to my orphanage's colorful reputation. - she said ironically.

  The Mystic's library was a labyrinth of endless rows of shelves, filled with ancient texts and books. The shelves were stretching all the way to the far ceilings of the unreachable towers. Fat candles were resting on skulls, illuminating scrolls filled with all kind of content. Most were forbidden anywhere else.

- Keep your eyes opened; we are looking for either the ''Occult'' or the ''Species'' section. - Dion reminded her.

- Dusty words in dusty books,

dark secrets of ancient crooks,

cobwebs hugging moldy pages,

guarding darkness of dark ages. - Crumb was whispering, looking at faraway tops of the shelves that looked like giants in his eyes.

   With candles in their hands, they wandered through the sections for a while, occasionally getting lost on their way. The air was thick with the smell of mold and old parchment. All kinds of sections were lining up before them: noble family trees, war history, spells and alchemy of long forgotten civilizations, even necromancy, which is the blackest and the most strictly punishable reading to possess.

- Found it. - Monika called.

  A sign with an inscription ''Demons and species'' shined on the weak light of the candles in one of the sections. They began to pull out the old books and read the titles, separating each for which they thought it might help and pile them up on a desk. Then a long research begun.

- Some of these texts are written in the ancient language of Dozmer and Dozori; demonic tongues. Can you read them Dion?

- No... Let's hope we'll find something we can actually read.

  A clock was showing that two hours have passed since their arrival. A crypt-like silence reigned in the library. Their section was completely secluded. Only bats would occasionally disturb the silence by flapping their wings.

- ''Demons hierarchy''. - Dion read a title and opened the book. - Let's see... ''The society of Hell is strictly divided into classes, and each class is separated by plains or, as most people call them, circles. These circles represent the vertical structure of Hell. The nobility dwells on top. Nobles are recognized by long horns that curve backward. Beneath them is the elite army of Hell, also known as the demons of Weaknesses, which are lust, rage, lies, gluttony, and the Contract demons. Their horns are somewhat shorter and are pointing forward, for the more practical purposes, such as attacking. Then comes the plane of free demons. They have no titles, but they answer to no one. They live in a big town called Heaven in Hell where perversion and lawlessness rule. And all the way down are slaves, beggars and vultures; they are the scum of their society.'' Hm. I was hoping they would include other species that dwell there as well.

- After all this research, I don't think it's a demon at all, but a powerful creature which Bruno calls his pet.

- I agree. - Dion took another book with a title ''Fauna of Hell''. - Now this is much better. It contains the names of all known creatures of the underworld. Moloch, House Burners, Harpies, Succubus, Ghouls...

- Check if there's a creature that can walk through walls.

  Dion kept turning pages.

- No, nothing like that... The closest thing to it is a Key Thief, a mischievous little devil that can open any door and steal treasures. It doesn't sound like anything you described...

  Monika laid down her head on the desk.

- What kind of a creature did my boy befriend?

- Have you tried to simply ask him?

- I did and he said I'll see.

- In that case, - Dion stood up. - that's exactly what you should do.  I, on the other hand, will consult myself with the church's archives. I doubt I'll be allowed inside, but I do not intend to ask.

- What do you hope to find there?

- The last known location of the Seer Janaduri.

- Are you serious? You'd have an easier time finding gods. Some say she's just a legend.

- She is busy with the ''cosmic stuff'' and keeping the Plains in order, but it's worth a shot.

   The sky was much darker when they left the library. It started to rain again. Dion helped Monika into the carriage.

- I guess that's all we can do... - she sat down in disappointed. - What if it's too late, Dion? I'm really scared for him.

- Keep an eye on him. And Zana. Hopefully I won't take long, maybe a few days, if I'm lucky. If not, I'm coming back and we'll think of something else. Will you be fine without me until then?

- Yes, I... I think I'll be fine.

- Good. 

  The sky was strange that evening, filled with red clouds.

  Each rural area they passed through was empty. Not one carriage passed them by. Streets were silent as well. They spotted several villagers running and screaming something about black carriages.

- Strange...

  The carriage pulled over by the orphanage's gates.

- Do not take any risks, wait for my return. - Dion warned her.

- Alright. But you be careful too... - she kept looking up toward the clouds. - Something is wrong.

  They said their farewells and Monika walked to the house, feeling like she's coming back to a snake nest. The windows were resting in the dark.

  She opened the front door, only to feel a wave of cold air brush off her face. It was colder inside that it was outside. All the candles were out.

- The foul air fills the home,

the voices float, but you're alone.

- What are those two up to now...

  Monika climbed up the stairs into a dead silence. The sky was getting darker, with several rays shinning through the red clouds and tossing bloody rays over the marble floor. The clock wasn't ticking anymore. Bruno's room was empty. She proceeded down the hall.

  The wind was slamming dead leaves against the windows. Some unnatural force was in the air. A smell of burning came from Monika's rounded salon. She quickly opened the door and found a cloud of thick smoke rising from a mark on the floor.

- A summoning circle... - she whispered.

- I don't see them,

I don't feel them.

- That's because they are not here anymore, Crumb. - she said, looking at the circle on the floor. - They are gone...

  That night, Monika sat on her chair in a complete dark she was so accustomed to. But in that moment, right there, she could found no comfort in light anyway. There were no tears for Bruno. Not because she didn't care. It was because she knew that Bruno never belonged in this place. But is he well, she wondered. Has she failed him?

  The house felt... lighter. As if something heavy was lifted from it. But there was no peace. Bruno's departure was inevitable, and the nature of it was fitting, yet so wrong. Monika had to know where he is.

  She waited for Dion. Two hours, four hours, ten hours... Then a day passed, accompanied by another.

- Where is he...?

  - Silence took over the world... They said it terrorizes the east. I guess it's finally here. Dion won't come... I can only hope he's alive.

  She put the sparrow into the cage.

- Rest, Crumb... We are leaving this place first thing in the morning.