Chapter 12 / Lies

December 10th, 15.003 Checkpoint Village, Ashveil Desert, Umbra [Vampire Continent]

It had been months since the last breach. The night of the massacre still lingered in some of their memories — the mercenaries who tried to pry their way into the garden ruins, the blood left behind, and Sukira slipping back into Elon’s apartment so he could heal her.

But since then, nothing.

The months turned quiet, summer passed, classes returned; peaceful times. The Yellow Alarm had not sounded again. Training ran as it should. The cadets drilled, the Triad kept the Civil Quarter steady, the magic "classes" were dictated regularly. La Paz seemed untouchable.

By December 10th the city was already breathing holiday rhythms — families preparing lanterns, children singing in the squares, garlands of crystal strung between apartments. 

Sukira was halfway down the corridor when the buzz tapped at the back of her neck. Two quick pulses. Security channel.

She tapped twice to answer. “Yes?”

“Happy to hear you, too, Commander,” Jeda’s voice — smug, always smug. “ I need you for an escort.”

“Who and when?”

“A small group arriving through the Checkpoint Village. Important people.” His tone carried that playful lilt he used when he was hiding details.

Sukira sighed. “And you’re not telling me who.”

“Because I like surprises.”

"But I don't."

“Don’t pout, Commander. Ryn is coming with you.” A pause. “And—ah—Sunshine, too.”

“...”

“You sound thrilled.”

“Sure.”

Is not that she wasn’t happy to see him; lately they have been on very good terms. But working together on a mission was playing too close to the fire. 

His chuckle rasped over the channel. “Try not to kill each other on the ride, that’s all”.

She cut the line.

♥︎

They met at the southern gates, where the desert track stretched forty minutes into the checkpoint village. Sukira’s truck idled, engines rumbling low. Another van was behind them, with two soldiers. 

Elon slid into the passenger’s seat, silent, the air around him cooler than the desert breeze. Ryn sat into the back — white shirt loose, tie askew, blade leaned carelessly against the seat. The trucks lurched forward, wheels crunching sand and stone. Sukira drove, as usual.  

Halfway into the drive, a muffled laugh carried from the back compartment. “…They didn’t even notice!”. Another giggle, sharper.

Sukira didn’t move. Ryn’s eyes flicked to the mirror but she didn’t comment.

Elon closed his eyes, sighing through his nose. “You’re not as clever as you think.”

The boys froze.

Then Sukira jerked the wheel hard, pulling the truck into a sharp turn.

“Ow!” came the twin yelps from the cargo hold.

Ryn’s mouth twitched, but she kept her eyes on the road.

Risha groaned. Reno muttered something about unfair parents.

♥︎

Elon needed to inspect the barrier he’d helped build more than two years ago. They had been walking the perimeter together, doing a round of checks, side by side without a word, and normally she would have let the silence stretch on for hours, but she finally decided to break the quiet:

“You’ve been ignoring me the last few days.”, she said playfully, expecting some kind of scolding to come out of Elon’s mouth — the usual spiel about how her presence wasn’t enough, how she was always in danger; the same old thing.

He exhaled, sharp through his nose. “I checked one of the books you were reading back at the library.” His tone wasn’t the simple, calm one he used when he taught, nor the worried, anxious tone he used when he begged her to stop. This was closer to judgment. “You’re planning to use him.”

“What book? What are you talking about?” She couldn’t hide her confusion. Her head turned a fraction, and the last words came out like a shot to the heart: “And what exactly are you accusing me of?”

“You want to use him for that mission of yours.” is voice was flat, but the bite cut through the space between them. “Risha.”

Her face changed completely — all the softness she saved only for him gone, her eyes cold as carved glass.

“I see it now,” Elon pressed on. “The way you train him, the way you let him tag along to every patrol. He’s not just your son to you. He’s a piece of the plan.”

Her head snapped fully toward him now, fury radiating in every line of her. She stopped him with an arm right into his chest. Her voice was a knife. “How fucking dare you—”

“You’re not denying it.”

“Because you’re not wrong,” her voice grew steadier and steadier without rising in volume. “A ‘Risha’ is part of the prophecy. Yes. But do you really think I would let our Risha get involved, if that’s the case?.”

“I don’t care about that prophecy, about any prophecy,” Elon snapped, louder now. The sound echoed. “If you want to throw yourself into death, fine. Make us miserable, fine. I’ll lose my heart and soul trying to stop you. But if for one second you drag him with you, I—”

“You what?” she demanded, leaning in, daring him.

“I will stop you.” The words came too fast.

Silence. She smiled, sour.

“There will be no need for that.” Sukira stepped closer, fury sparking off her in waves. “I would die before I let him be used. You think I don’t bleed every morning imagining the possibility he is that Risha?”

Now they were chest to chest, their voices low but sharp enough to raise the dead from the desert.

“You don’t get it,” Elon said, softer but somehow heavier at the same time. He tried to stroke her face, but she pushed him back with just a look; his hand ended up hanging in the air halfway to her. “You don’t see what it does to me. Every time you come back broken, every time you drag him into this… you’re killing me too. And you won’t even let me in. Not the way you let Jeda in.”

Her lips parted, breath sharp. “Why is Jeda involved now?”

“You trust him with everything you don’t trust me with.”

Her laugh was bitter, hollow. “Because I can’t trust you with that part of me. I tried. Do you remember what happened? You told me not to run to you. So I stopped.”

He tried to step closer, to touch her.

She shoved him back on reflex. “No. Fuck you, Elon.” Her voice cracked. “And then, a few months ago, you opened the door again. And I came back running to you, as on demand.” She sighted. “You’re the one who pulled me away and then pulled me closer, even when I tried to keep distance. You’re the one who made me believe you could handle me. You are always making me believe in you.”

Her eyes glistened but didn’t break away. “You promised. ‘I’ll be here. I’ll drag you back, blah blah blah.’ Remember? That shitty human promise you swore on?”

Elon’s breath hitched, but he didn’t look away.

“Yes,” he said at last. “And now I feel like you’ve twisted it. You didn’t want me to stay for you; you wanted me to stay useful. And now you’ll do the same with Risha too. You’re using us so you can march all of us toward death. I can’t allow it. If I can’t convince you not to do it, then at the very least I won’t let you drag him with you.”

Sukira’s anger dropped away, replaced by something worse — fear and grief spilling together. Her voice trembled for the first time in years. “You’re breaking my heart in a way I didn’t know it could break. You really believe I’m using you? That I’m with Risha only for my own advantage?” She needed the confirmation.

They knew how to share silence without discomfort, but the one they shared now was uneven, fragile, and felt like drowning.

Elon’s face was pale, unreadable. “You’re the one who told me you were a monster. That I should stop idealizing you. Maybe I’m seeing things clearly now.”

Her breath caught. There was only sadness now. She looked at him as if she could already feel everything they had built together starting to fade.

Finally, Elon turned, searching the camp until he spotted Risha. The boy came running when called, cheeks flushed from laughter, Reno still howling over some mischief.

Elon crouched down, his voice firm, gentle, but his eyes lingered on Sukira until he could look directly at the boy.“I need to go, Risha. But I’ll be back. Behave. It will only be a few days.”

Risha’s grin faltered, confusion replacing it. “You’re leaving? Now?”

“Yes. I just…” Elon’s hand pressed briefly to his shoulder. “I’ll see you at home.”

The boy nodded, trying to be brave, even as his eyes darted between the two of them.

And then Elon stood, turned away, and disappeared.

♥︎

December 11th, 15.003

La Paz, Ashveil Desert, Umbra [Vampire Continent]

By morning, Elon was gone, as he’d told Risha: a few days. The boy seemed steady enough, laughing with Reno as though nothing had cracked the night before.

Sukira kept her face still, her heart steel even though it was completely broken.

The small convoy was already waiting. Two teenagers climbed into their truck, followed by Ryn and the boys; an older couple slipped into the second car, driven by one of the lieutenants who had accompanied them.

Risha and Reno grumbled but squeezed themselves back into the trunk with Cloud. The teenagers took the middle seats, Ryn rode in the passenger seat. Sukira settled behind the wheel.

It wasn’t until the road stretched out under the tires that she noticed the familiar jawlines, the sharp brows, the hazelnut eyes with green sparks, the smirks that bordered on insolence even in silence.

“Damn it”, she actually laughed, “more Jedas?”

The older of the boys blinked an eye. The younger grinned wide.

“Tanmor brothers, reporting to duty,” one of them said.

“Of course you’ll be joining the troops.” Sukira shook her head, already tired. “And the old couple… your parents?”

“Yes, Commander.” The older one replied, even when trying to be polite he sounded… impertinent. 

Her grip on the wheel tightened. She remembered them — the couple that created her guns, years, years had passed. She saved Jeda’s father from some troubles, the woman was pregnant back then. That felt like lifetimes ago.

The desert gave way to the outer perimeter. The faint shimmer of the barrier rose up against the horizon — crystalline, almost invisible if you didn’t know where to look.

And then her breath stopped.

A figure stood just on the foot of the ward.

Not attacking. Not pushing. Just pressing his palm against the barrier like a child with a mirror. Sparks flared where his skin touched it. He leaned in, smirking, watching the light crawl over his hand.

At the same instant, the yellow alarm blazed across the Citadel — every lamp and ward pulsing bright.

The nano-tattoo buzzed behind Sukira’s ear. Three buzzes. Tech’s voice followed, sharp and thin: “Commander, confirm. Are you seeing anything?”

Her eyes locked on Vlad. “Yes,” she said flatly. “The worst of the scenarios.”

She cut the channel before he could reply.

“Ryn.”

“Yes”, Ryn slid into the driver's seat and gripped the wheel.

“Get them inside. Everyone looked down. Especially Risha.” Sukira voided instantly, boots striking the sand before the truck even slowed. 

The vehicle jolted forward again, Ryn taking control, accelerating toward safety.

Sukira didn’t look back. She opened the general channel, one very long tap. This channel was especially made to keep track of everything and facilitated for everyone that has been authorized by the Committee to join and listen. 

She walked straight toward the barrier, eyes fixed on the monster playing with it like it was a toy.

“Vlad, stop. You have my attention now. What can I do for you?”

The vampire turned his head slowly, palm still pressed against the shimmering ward. Sparks crawled over his skin like curious insects. His smile was wide, crooked, and far too calm.

“What you can do,” he purred, “is hand me the boy, my love.”

“I already told you the last time,” Sukira replied, smiling as if they were seated for tea. “A million times: no.”

He tilted his head, grin stretching wider. “You make it sound so personal. You know it isn’t. I don’t care about him, not really. I lost a bet, that’s all. A stupid bet, with a Calamity who collects names. Every Risha in the world, dead by my hand, or I forfeit.”

His eyes glowed faintly, catching the light. “This one is just another tick on a list.”

“You don’t need to repeat yourself every time we meet. I know the story. And the answer is still no.” There was no bite in her voice; she knew that for Vlad everything was a game, and she had to keep that tone.

“You’ve gotten stronger. Even I can see that.” He dragged his palm down the barrier, sparks screeching like nails on glass. “If we fought, you’d hurt me. I don’t enjoy being hurt. So maybe I will take this Risha later. Maybe I'll take him when you’re already on the ground.”

“What makes you think I’ll be on the ground? You know me, I can’t die. I tried so many times.” Sarcasm in her voice was sharp. 

“Mh, that’s true. You are a big pain in the ass, sweatheart”, Vlad’s grin sharpened. “Then I guess… we will have to fight. I’ll take that Risha by bad means.”

Sukira stepped closer, void stirring at her edges. “Contraproposal.”

“I’m listening.” He took the opportunity and caressed her cheek, pink due to the heavy sun on top of them. 

The last time we saw each other, he offered to let me turn myself in instead of Risha. Will that still be an option?

“Take me in his place.” She returned the affection and stroked his chin.

“You? Offering yourself?” That made him laugh — not loud, but low and delighted, like a predator savoring the scent of prey. “You must really love that kid.”

“With all my life”. She replied, proudly. 

“This is such not you”, he exclaimed, a bit disgusted. “Last time I told that boyfriend of yours that history repeats itself.” Vlad leaned forward, smile twisting even more. “Funny, it's happening again. That’s exactly what was promised to me once before. Do you remember? No, of course you don’t. But I do remember. A body for a wish. And you were the body. I guess… I should start thinking about my next wish”. 

Something in her chest went cold. Vlad was always chattering; it was part of his intimidation act; she wanted to ignore his words.

Tech’s voice cut sharp into her ear. “Run, asshole. Don’t you get it? They, whoever, already had you once. I don’t have all the information. But Vlad’s odd words are pointing to that. Don’t let them take you again.”

Another voice — Jeda's this time, raw and furious. “What the fuck are you doing out there alone? Where is Sunshine? Tell me he’s with you”.

Sukira didn’t flinch, eyes locked on Vlad.

“Stay away from Risha,” she said.

Vlad’s grin softened into something more terrible than rage: amusement. “Oh, I will. For now. But the bet still stands. And I always pay my debts.”

He lifted his hand from the barrier. The sparks died instantly. Then he brought it toward her, opening his palm like an offering, his long fingers stained black, veins crawling beneath the skin, heavy with centuries of overused dark magic.

“Let’s go,” he murmured. “This place stinks of fear. I hate the taste.”

“A second”, the words came out soft, like a child asking permission to eat a candy, and Vlad agreed with a chivalrous expression, his hand still extended toward her.

"Jeda?"

“I’m here.” The comm buzzed again almost immediately. Jeda’s voice was about to break. “Don’t you fucking dare, Sukira. Don’t you leave with him. I swear—”

Her lips curved, like she was smiling at a joke only she could hear.

“Your brothers,” she said softly, “are two tiny brats just like you.”

“Don’t you do this.” His voice cracked.

“I’m ready to go now,” she whispered.

And then she reached for Vlad’s hand. The black mist swallowed them both in an instant, a crack of space rot tearing the air apart.

The only thing left behind was the broken nano-tattoo — ripped by herself on the last second — and a thin path of her blood on the sand.

♥︎

The lab still whispered with half-finished projects, cables tangled like veins, crystals pulsing with unreadable data. Tech had dragged half the equipment into one cluster, transforming it into a temporary comms hub.

“Look at this,” he muttered to himself, deadpan, flicking at a floating schematic. “My lab. Reduced to a glorified call center.”

No one laughed.

Ryn's voice came in –“I was guarding Risha and guiding the troops. He’s safe. Everyone inside the perimeter is safe.”

“Good,” Ailin said, relief passing only briefly across her face. “Then we move to green protocol. Confirm to the civilians — the city is secure again.”

Sami nodded and tapped a sequence across the boards, and outside the Citadel the pulsing yellow glow faded, lamps returning to their usual calm but with a green, slow heartbeat. 

Axis didn’t wait a second. “I’ll check the barrier with Eloise, see if repairs are needed. And I’ll brief Dominique — she’ll be with the Triad by now.” Without another word, she left the room, her measured pace never faltering.

That only left the chaos behind.

“—Sukira!” Jeda’s voice cracked as he bellowed into the open channel.  “Maybe if I try another channel.” He tabbed the back of his ear as if it was broken. “Oi, Answer me! Where the fuck are you?”

“Move”, he pushed Tech from his chair and kept talking through the main microphone, the one used to talk across all channels, without the need of calling. A master voice, let’s say. “This is not funny, Commander, damn it!”

“She’s not going to answer,” Sami snapped, sharper than usual.

Jeda spun on her. “And how the hell do you know that?”

“Because she ripped it out,” Sami shot back.

“And how the hell do you know that?” He kept pushing buttons. 

“Easy with the tone”, she warned him before continuing “I don’t know for a fact but you are forgetting who she is. She’s an assassin. She’s trained. She’d never leave a live channel open, not if it risked anyone finding Risha or this place.”

The words hit hard. Jeda’s jaw worked, teeth clenched so tight the muscle in his cheek twitched. He stopped trying to make her appear by the magic of Tech’s machinery. 

“We will find her”, Ailin said evenly from the corner, arms folded “Now you need to calm down”.

“Calm down?” Jeda whirled on her. “She just disappeared in front of us—she took his hand—and you want me to calm down?” He slammed a fist on the console. He took again the master microphone. “Ryn! Tell me again Risha’s safe. Tell me again right now.”

Ryn let out a sight, big enough to be captured by the nano-tattoo, her voice was even. “He’s safe.”

“Swear it, damn it.”

Her voice sharpened. “I just did.”

Jeda’s chest heaved, then collapsed. He ran a hand through his hair, muttered, “Forgive me. That was too much.”

Silence stretched, broken only by Tech’s hands organizing the console Jeda just punched.

Jeda turned on him. “Nothing? Aren’t you going to tell me to shut up? To stop losing it? To stay in line?”

For once, Tech didn’t. His red cherry shade eyes flicked up, tired and unguarded. “No.”

Jeda blinked. “Uh?”

Tech leaned back against the table, folding his arms, turning directly at Jeda. “You’re right. There’s no way we will find her. Not without a few deaths at least. And you won’t trade lives. You know all of the facts, you already scanned every possible situation and… and that’s why you are behaving like an angry child.” He turned again to the console. 

Sami’s mouth tightened, but she didn’t argue.

Tech went on, voice low, clinical but heavy. “Even if we tried, it’d be suicide for whoever we sent. Worse — it would expose La Paz. She’d never forgive that.” He paused. “The only one who could bring her back is Elon. But he’s not here. And it's not certain that he would go and look for her, even if we found her location somehow.”

The words settled like stone over the room.

“Too many variables. Even for the great Jeda”, he added that with a dry tone. 

Jeda dropped into a chair, head in his hands “We lost her”, he murmured. 

♥︎

The lamps of La Paz burned steady white again, the city returned to calm. But calm was a mask.

They walked in silence through the main corridor toward the Civil Tower, steps echoing against polished concrete.

“How do we manage the kid?” Jeda finally muttered, voice low.

Axis didn’t hesitate. “He can’t be left alone. Not now.”

“You volunteering?”

“It seems I’m going to throw a pajama party.” He tried to laugh. “Reno will be happy.”

Jeda nodded slowly.

Axis met his look evenly. “Reno is loud enough to distract, reckless enough to keep his friend busy. Between the two of us, Risha won’t notice the gap as much.”

Jeda exhaled, almost a laugh but not quite. “That kid noticed already, he’s sharp. Also, he can sense them. Don’t forget he is a sorcerer. And their fake parents are two shouting lights of power impossible to miss. He’ll have questions.”

“He always has questions.”

They reached the dining hall. The sounds inside were the usual, even tho that the adults knew better. 

The table was full, but the air felt thinner. Eloise passed bread across to Dominique, who was in silk pajamas as though refusing to acknowledge the gravity of the night. Reno was already slouched, muttering under his breath about the food. Haru picked at his plate, quieter than usual.

And Risha — Risha leaned forward, elbows on the table, blue eyes wide open, shinning like two lanterns.

“Where’s my mom?”

The question cut across the room like a thrown knife.

No one answered immediately. Dominique cleared her throat, forcing a smile. “She’s… on duty, obviously.”

“For how long?” Risha pressed.

Axis’s voice was steady. “As long as she needs.”

Risha frowned but accepted the answer. 

“Not asking about Sunshine?” Jeda said. His tone was too rough, too final. 

“He told me he was going to be away for a few days, and it's only been one”, Risha replied, natural. 

“Uh?” Jeda realized that the one with questions was him, not the kid. “Wait, when did he tell you that?”

Risha understood that Jeda’s tone wasn’t playful as usual. “Um… Yesterday, when we were at the Checkpoint Village…” 

“Why were you at the Checkpoint Village??” Jeda barked.

“He was there, too!” Risha pointed out at Reno.

“Hey!!! It was a secret–” 

“It does not matter now.” Jeda stopped Reno, already half foot on the table ready to jump at Risha. “Risha, pup, please… did something happen before Elon told you he was going to be away?” He grabbed his own forehead as he might lose it soon. 

“Em– they were arguing. Not as usual, but it felt like–”

“Like if they were breaking up!” Reno interrupted.

“And how would you know what a break up looks like, silly?” Haru asked him immediately. 

The three kids kept talking nonsense but Jeda was deep in his own thoughts, trying to put the pieces together. 

Risha’s gaze darted between the adults, ignoring his friends. “So when will they be back? What if something happened—”

“Eat,” Jeda snapped, sharper than he meant.

The boy froze, wide-eyed. Eloise reached across the table, patting his hand lightly. “It’s alright. They’ll be back. You know them, Riri. Nothing takes them down.”

Risha swallowed, looking down at his plate.

The table buzzed back into shallow conversation. Reno cracked a joke about the bread being hard enough to break a tooth, Dominique teased him into laughing louder, Haru rolled his eyes. Eloise carried the tone higher, brighter, smoothing the situation.

The dinner ended and the kids, included Haru, were dragged to Elon’s apartment to have a movie night. Axis on the head of the little squad. 

Jeda stood in the Civil quarter’s square, near to Elon’s apartment street, smoking cigarettes all night, waiting. 

“Where the hell are you, Sunshine?” 

♥︎