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“What are you doing, Sonetto?”
Two children in crisp white gowns sat side by side at a table a bit too big for them. Their legs dangling off the sides of their chairs, feet barely touching the rungs. They were in the corner of the school library, away from the usual traffic of people coming in and out.
Sonetto flipped a page, not looking up, “Reading.”
“Can’t we do something fun? All you do is read.”
A sigh.
“Vertin. There’s an exam tomorrow. We already played yesterday.” Sonetto’s tone had a hint of annoyance, as if this exchange had happened more than once already. In fact, Vertin had been bothering her for the past hour, trying to get her attention and make conversation every few minutes.
Kicking her legs, Vertin rested her chin on the back of her hands on the table. The shaking irked Sonetto enough to make her lift the book from the table and into her lap.
“What’s the point of studying? The tests are always so easy…”
No response, only the sound of turning pages. Sonetto had long since learned that Vertin was different, a ‘genius’ as the adults called it. Everything taught in class was easy for her to grasp, so easy that it bored her. Sonetto inhaled deeply, pushing back the urge to point out that Vertin was terrible at arcanum. It was something of a sensitive topic for her, after all, this was as school meant for arcanists.
Seeing that Sonetto was still ignoring her, Vertin reached into her pocket and pulled out a small stone, “Look here.”
Sonetto looked, frowning.
Finally getting a reaction, Vertin grinned. “It sparkles when I turn it like this, see?” The small thumb sized stone glittered as Vertin tipped it. It was indeed quite charming, especially the slight blue coloration that made it a little different from the gray rocks that are usually found in the forest.
“Many rocks have some minerals that allow them to reflect light. It’s not that interesting.” Sonetto was deadpan, returning to her reading.
“Did you read that in a book too?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever see one in real life though?”
Sonetto paused. Did it really matter if she saw it in real life? “The book I read had pictures and diagrams.”
Vertin hummed, leaning back into her seat. She held the rock up into the air, admiring it, “Why see things through depiction when you can see them with your own eyes?”
What was the point of caring for these trivial things? If it was not taught by the Foundation, then it was only a waste of time.
Sonetto wanted to say these things, but stopped when she saw Vertin’s expression.
Just why…did she look so happy?
“Seems like you…won’t be needing my notebook anymore.”
A quiet moment in the bunker. A great ravine between the two children who stood mere meters from each other. One in the darkness, the other in light.
Sonetto gripped her wand tightly, feet cemented behind the black and yellow caution line painted on the smooth stone floors, not daring to take a single step. She could still remember the whimsical days, but even she wasn't as naive to think that it would go on forever. This was a result she had long accepted to come, ever since that day when Vertin's eyes sparkled, pebble in hand.
She glanced at the paralyzed body of Lilya, the spell will wear off in less than half an hour. Like Vertin, Sonetto too had resolved herself in an act of rebellion, however small. Even if she wasn't able to follow Vertin out, she tailed the children to make sure that they could leave safely.
After all, that was Vertin's wish...her greatest ambition.
Brave, perceptive, smart, and curious. A star so bright that no one could possibly compare. Beyond comprehension, beyond all logic.
That was Vertin.
From the other side of the blast door, Vertin looked straight at Sonetto, her familiar green eyes shining in the shadows of the tunnels. As if she knew exactly what Sonetto felt, her every thought, every question, laid bare.
“...We chose a different future…But future has no right or wrong, Sonetto.”
An assembly, not hours after the escape.
Sonetto seated herself in her usual spot, with a clear view of the podium.
Next to her, Matilda made herself comfortable, “I wonder why we’re having an assembly now…especially with all the rain and thunder earlier. Do you think Vertin and the others got caught…?”
Sonetto shook her head, “I saw them leave, they shouldn’t have been caught so quickly.”
“Je le savais. You would never follow them. I stayed behind too, because unlike them, I chose to come here.”
Sonetto lowered her eyes, staring at her hands in her lap. “...Matilda, is the outside world really so amazing?” She couldn’t help but think about Vertin now that she was gone. Was she safe? Where was she now? Questions that would likely never be answered. After all, their paths diverged from the moment they arrived at the caution line in the bunker.
Matilda furrowed her brows, seeing Sonetto’s troubled expression. She had never seen her so pensive about the topic before. “Well it’s quite amazing, yes. But I think it’s far better here. You kno-”
Matilda suddenly stopped talking, similarly the rest of the auditorium fell silent as the principal walked onto the podium. Behind him, a soldier pushed a trolley covered in a white cloth. The mustached man looked around and cleared his throat before speaking.
“Children, you are the future of mankind. Each and every one of you, talented, chosen by the Foundation to maintain peace and order for all of humanity. I’m sure all of you recall the accident during the choir, but please know that it was a reaction with your best interests in heart.”
The principal motioned to the soldier behind him, who nodded and unveiled the trolley. It was a pile of odd shapes, like the three dimensional models used in math class, and crumpled white gowns. Among the pile, one of the shapes caught Sonetto’s eye.
That ring…Was it not worn on the head of one of the kids that went with Vertin?
“Just hours prior, a group of students went outside the fence and into the ‘Storm’.” A wave of murmurs washed over the auditorium. Each child wide-eyed at the blatant use of the forbidden word. “Yes, the Storm. It is what we’ve been protecting you all from all this time and the reason we keep everyone within these walls. This is what all of you have been training to save humanity from. To bring an age of peace, and to stop the Storm from taking more lives. These children may have had the opportunity to make great strides, but that day will now never come…”
The principal had more to say, but Sonetto couldn’t hear the rest of it as her head spun. Before she knew it, the assembly was over.
Matilda asked her a question, she looked worried, but Sonetto couldn’t make out her words.
In a daze, Sonetto returned to her room with terrible nausea. Her legs were weak, hands trembling as she fell at the side of her bed. Her stomach twisted and churned at every memory of the wet ferrous prisms, the soaked uniforms, the muddied shoes.
What was wrong with her?
Did Vertin herself not say that she had no regrets? Then why?
Her vision blurred, as a lump formed in her throat. A tear, followed by another, spilled out as a sob wracked her body. The saline drops stained the pristine white surface of her bedsheets with gray spots.
No.
It was her fault.
She helped them escape. It was only thanks to her that they were able to subdue Lilya and leave the bunker.
If she had steeled her resolve then, would they…would Vertin, still be…?
“Are you sure this is what you want? As the top of your class, you have the opportunity to choose any position you’d like. Are you aware that it is the dream of many of our graduates to become members of the Foundation’s parliament?”
In the dimly lit room of the principal's office, Sonetto stood upright, heels together and hands clasped behind her back. The newly pinned medals on her cap glimmered in the late afternoon sun streaming through the windows. In her grasp she held a rolled up diploma, having received it during the graduation ceremony just hours prior.
“Yes, I am certain of my decision. It is through becoming an on-field investigator that I will have the opportunity to serve mankind first-hand. My choice…it is one that I have already decided upon long before today.”
The principal shook his head, “Very well. Do note that the training to become an investigator is the harshest in the Foundation. If you have readied yourself for such a path, then I wish you the best.” He moved his pen to sign off on the transfer permit and handed it to Sonetto who received it with both hands. “You’ll be picked up from your room tomorrow morning at nine to go to the training facility. May the peace be with us.”
“May the peace be with us.”
Exiting the principal’s office, Sonetto was stopped by Matilda who jumped up from her seat in the hallway. She too was wearing the standard graduation garb. A gray capelet coupled with white uniform and shiny black shoes. By the looks of it, she was waiting for Sonetto to leave the office the entire time.
“Sonetto! What was your decision?”
“Investigator.”
Matilda’s eyes widened, “What!?” Despite her disbelief, she was able to control her volume so as to not alert the principal.
While just as important as any role in the Foundation, investigators were by far the most plentiful and expendable. Many arcanists who join the investigators are killed in action, leaving behind nothing but a legacy.
Sonetto smiled, “I was raised by the Foundation, and everything I am is because of their efforts. This is the way I can best repay them, and to best serve mankind.”
“But…We will not see each other for a long time...” Matilda trailed off, deflating for a moment before getting back her usual energy. “Sonetto! You must work harder than ever to catch up to the great Matilda! I am now ranked higher than you as Monitor Assistant. Maybe if I’m feeling kind, I’ll even allow you to become my assistant after you finish your studies!”
Sonetto laughed. She had known Matilda long enough to understand that she was much kinder than she let on. It was still quite a mystery as to why she always insisted on competing with her.
The time they shared in school would not be forgotten.
“Thank you Matilda…For being my friend.”
Matilda’s face blossomed pink, but she still smiled smugly despite it, “O-Of course! I am the Matilda Bouanich after all!”
After exchanging a few more words, they bid each other goodbye, each separating off to their own respective paths.
Sonetto returned to her dorm to gather her belongings. Tonight would be the final night of her stay at the SPDM. While training to become an investigator was still under SPDM jurisdiction, the facility was different.
She didn’t have much aside from the standard amenities provided by the school. The room was tidy, so tidy that it hardly looked like anyone lived here. Going to her bed, Sonetto crouched down and pulled out a shoebox sized container. She opened it to reveal a collection of medals, ribbons, and certificates. These were awards accumulated over the years, some for academics, others for parades and competitions.
Buried beneath it all was a small box.
Sonetto took out the blue rock stored safely inside. It glittered as she brought it into the light, just as it did so many years ago. If Vertin was still here, what would have been her choice, where would she have gone?
That night she fell asleep, pebble still tightly grasped in hand. Dreaming of the past and things that could have been.
Sonetto’s fingers were so numb that she couldn’t even feel her wand in her hand. The mist from her breath was stark white, like the snowflakes that fell gently around her. It’s been a little over two years since her enrollment in the Investigators Academy. Her once short hair had since grown long, past the small of her back.
There were many training regimes, each more extreme than the last. Yesterday was the sweltering heat, and today the freezing cold.
Each time they were allowed nothing but their uniforms and wands.
Each time, a test of both mental fortitude and physical resilience.
Before her stood her opponent, he too was shivering, his shaking could be seen even from this distance. It must be at least below 20 degrees, the biting wind penetrated their uniforms without remorse.
Five paces.
A light flickers at the corners of the arena, signaling the start of the duel.
Both arcanists raised their wands, a battle of both speed and composure.
“ Sempre caro mi fu que- ”
Her recitation was interrupted as a ray of light hurtled towards her, she twisted her body, avoiding a fatal blow. A sharp pain. Her opponent was faster, his arcanum without need for a chant. From where she stood, she could see his concentration as he prepared to aim another shot. Ignoring the blood flowing from her right shoulder, she strafed sideways, dodging the next blade-like projectile.
This battle was a difficult one, especially for her who relied on a combination of spoken and written verses to cast spells.
Another miss, her opponent seemed to have trouble hitting moving targets. Based on his previous shots, there was approximately a one and a half second delay between casts. There was no way she could use her pen in this situation, given the lack of preparation time.
She had to do something before her fingers lost the dexterity to write.
“ Ekbrilo, kompreno de fulgoroj. ”
The most basic spell that even children knew. It was one that could be cast even without a wand.
Hearing her utter the incantation, her opponent moved to cover his eyes but it was already too late as a burst of light erupted between them. Blinded, he stumbled backwards in confusion.
“ Regna sereno intenso ed infinito. ”
It’s over. Marking a successful incantation, the point of her pen glowed brightly as she wrote the final word. The sparkling mass of arcanum flew towards the blinded man just as he recovered his vision, striking him square in the chest before dissipating in a flurry of sparks. As if in a daze, he dropped to his knees and slumped over, his wand clattering as it hit the pavement.
Duel Complete - Victor: Sonetto
In the next instant the world melted away into a sea of darkness, her consciousness pulled out of the simulacrum and back into reality.
Opening her eyes, she saw the familiar ceiling, the incandescent white lights far above, the exact same wires and patterns as always. Removing her helmet she sat up, shivering as the phantom cold from the somnambulism remained.
“Miss Sonetto?”
Sonetto stopped her pen, “Yes?” She had just returned from a mission, and was working on writing a report of her findings. The fresh cuts and bruises on her hands could be seen without her usual white gloves on. It has been three months since she officially became an investigator, and she hadn't had time to stop working since. With each Storm, the Foundation lost more members. The severe lack of combat-ready manpower meant that no one had time to rest.
Even now, she was the only one in the library besides the delivery man, who was flipping through the sheets attached to his clipboard.
“A package. Addressed to you.”
A package? She stared at the parcel wrapped neatly in brown paper as the delivery man walked away. Flipping it over she looked at the postage, gasping when she lay eyes on the sender.
Vertin
The name was written in curved lettering, a far cry from the messy handwriting that she remembered.
Was she dreaming?
No. The package as real as the wounds on her hands.
The Vertin who disappeared alongside the children all those years ago? The Vertin whose pockets were always full of frogs, stones, and toffees?
It was impossible, but the hope that welled up in her chest overcame all doubts. Just how many nights has she dreamed of Vertin magically appearing, having somehow escaped unscathed?
Her greatest regret, her greatest mistake. With this, would the painful contrivances be finally dispelled?
Heart pounding, she unwrapped the package, forgetting about her report entirely. Inside was a hardcover book, Adrogué, con ilustraciones de Norah Borges by Jorge Luis Borges along with a postcard from Japan. It only had two words written.
Happy birthday.
She could only stare, reading it half a dozen times in disbelief. Even she herself forgot that it was her birthday today. The day that she was adopted by the Foundation. For Vertin to remember even that...She flipped the card over to look for more.
A small arcane return signature. With which she could write back.
Abruptly, Sonetto stood up from her seat and gathered her documents. Ignoring her aching muscles her thoughts raced as she rushed to return to her room. She was supposed to go to the infirmary to get herself checked for serious injuries, but she didn’t care about that, not now at least.
Vertin…She wanted so badly to see her, to see how she was doing and how she has changed. There were so many questions that she wanted to ask, a single letter would surely not be enough.
Just what had happened that day? Where did she disappear to? The questions that weighed on her mind since childhood, the questions that sprouted just now. There were so many that even Sonetto was overwhelmed by the sheer number.
Finally entering her room, she pulled out a piece of parchment from her desk.
No, she should start simple.
The answers will fall into place naturally.
What mattered most was that Vertin was still here. Still alive.
Picking up her pen, Sonetto began to write.
On the windowsill, the blue sodalite glimmered.