Where the prophecy is over but there are still questions Geno wants answered. Only to end up with just… implications.

No one's POV:
-

What did Geno understand from all these? All the icons above his head, so alive and intensive, so ominous and threatening! All these words that like fire got stuck in his mind and at the same time… were slipping away like water.

He felt as if he was understanding and remembering everything and nothing almost. From one side he could hear the exact words of the witch inside his head. From the other side, he could hear only a few specific words.

"… Olissipo… Pendant of Real… Purple Moon's Ceremony… Pillars of Hercules…"

"Αλήθεια…"

Especially these words no matter what, they couldn't get out of his mind. Olissipo… from what he understood, that was Lisbon. Right where he was now. But what even were the Pillars of Hercules??? Was it even a location he even at least ever heard of???

"No matter where that is, I must go either way. I'll stick around the pirates for some more until I'm brought to the location to find what I need. The Captain at least must know, what kind of pirate would he be not knowing the seas and lands? Then perhaps, if I manage to repair the necklace, I'll escape and go faster by myself to the Tearful Cave. I can still remember where it was. And perhaps the wind and animals can help too. Problem solved." That was how Geno thought.

As a plan, it sounded simple. But he knew himself, actually doing it would be a little more confusing. Still it satisfied him. The idea of simply getting away from the pirates eventually. Yet again, that satisfaction was colliding with another undetermined feeling. Whatever that was it was making him feel… bad. Why though?

…

Αλήθεια.

Another word he couldn't understand. The way it was spelled as the witch talked though, gave him an idea of what language it was.

"It might be important, it might be not. But still, I better know what that word means… Maybe I can ask Adrian or even Yalin to tell me. The Cretan idiom, Alter said, is quite similar to Greek."

He snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at Echo. She had still her head lowered and seemed to not communicate with the environment. Was she-? Nonsense, she was still breathing! Suddenly the skeleton flinched. He remembered another question he had.

"Hey. Um, Echo…" He started looking at the woman uncertain if she would respond. "… thank you for revealing my future and what should I do, even though many of these things I don't understand them yet. But I want to know something else now that we're here…" Still uncertain if Echo was responding or not, he exhaled quietly and looked at her more stably. "… Is there anything you have to tell me about my brothers? Are they alive? And… will I ever see them again?"

The silence that suddenly prevailed was even more deafening. Any movement and color above Geno and Echo's head that seemed to make noise stopped. The small skeleton looked around worried about what would happen next. Suddenly he felt Echo letting go of his hands, which she was holding all that time.

He looked at her as she slowly stood up with still lowered head and her hands hanging on her sides as if there weren't bones in there to lift them. Not for long, as she moved her right and waving her index finger she signed Geno to stand up too. He obeyed. And the silence prevailed for some more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoHfJaK5kcI

The moment the small skeleton was ready to open his mouth again to ask his questions as he was wearing the necklace around his neck, some weird rhythmic music started playing and filled the atmosphere. Like drums. And the moment exactly they started playing, Echo started moving to the rhythm, dancing in a weird way.

"Cartouche…" She whispered soothingly. Geno raised bonebrow, but the very next moment the rhythmic music started getting more melodic. And when the sound of a violin was heard, Echo's movements became more free. They weren't irregular though. She was moving her whole body to the rhythm in a graceful way, almost hypnotising.

Aaaye aye aaaye aye aaaye aye aaaye aye aaaye aaah…

Voices from all directions chanted then. Pause there was for a moment but still the Amber-eyed witch kept blindly swirling and dancing to the rhythm of the music. Suddenly she started approaching towards Geno, but the smaller didn't get away from her. In fact he was if not more than confused, interested too, to see where this was going.

If I share this with you never speak a word
They would never understand if they ever heard
Gemini, Capricorn, rising in the east
Dancing through the witchwood we began to sing

Echo sang while making circles around Geno, despite seemingly not be able see where was she stepping. The small skeleton decided to focus on what that song was saying, despite he had the feeling he would have a hard time understanding their meaning later.

In between dark and light in the underworld
Wrapped around your finger like a string of pearls
Smiling face, empty hand, 7 golden rings
Dancing through the starlight we began to sing
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
still I hear the whiiisper
Cartouche

While singing, icons above Geno's head were appearing, leaving as fast the moment the song continued and different words were sang. It was kinda helpful that whatever was sang he could see them represented somehow.

Caramel colored leaves spiral in the air
Diving right into the ground 'round the winding stair
Stories carved out of wood, jester and the king
Dancing through the moonlight, we began to sing
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
still I hear the whisper
Cartouche

Echo slowly took the blindfold off her eyes. And while at first it seemed on her hands as a rag, when she swung it above her head it became a long, thin, transparent shawl that was gracefully dancing with her as she moved it. Her eyes were open, emitting golden, red and amber sparks.

As the music got more intensive she started dancing faster too. She approached Geno closer and wrapped the shawl around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. Geno almost lost his balance but looked up to Echo surprised and still confused. She was more serious now.

The music became more quiet almost paused and only voices could be heard clearly, chanting.

Memories, black and white, hide behind the glass
In the mirrors and the smoke, its all fading fast
Written word, turn the card winter into spring
Dancing through the witchwood we began to sing
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah a-a-a-a-aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah
still I hear the whiiisper

"Cartooouche!" As Echo said that word louder and more passionately she suddenly started running ahead holding Geno from his hand, who was barely managing to keep up with her. Where were they going? As Echo stopped singing at the same time the music did and as the last of sounds and music faded in soft echoes, a white light blinded Geno's vision temporarily.

He shutted his eyesocket tightly (read comment)

~

After practicing some more, he felt certain and ready. What was accidental at first, became another interesting part of his catoptristic powers after testing it. If it worked throwing small objects on the big mirror of the office and then them coming out of his hand mirror, then!

Technically if the hand mirror was bigger he could even enter the big one and come out of the smaller! Or for what he thought, bring someone else right where he was. In theory it could work! But if only his target was standing near glass. And if there was glass anywhere.

But that wasn't his biggest problem right now. It was the fact he had to locate mirrors on a land he had never been or see. The only mirror he had ever seen through was the big ceiling of the stadium in a secret village full of rebels. The one he had entered 2 hours ago or so. But none other.

"How should I do that?" He looked inside the big mirror and touched the glass, which under his touch started turning purple. "Estadio del Alderna." He said quietly and the familiar area of the stadium he had his focus on, for Bernard to pass his message to the rebels, appeared in front of him.

Now it was empty. There was no council anymore. He scanned the whole area, trying to find out what to do next. If only he could find access through other mirrors-! His eye caught movement down in the stadium and looked more closely. Some figures had entered, walking slowly.

Unidentified, they were all wearing cloaks and hoods. They seemed to be talking. Mentally he counted. 5 figures. Without knowing who these people or monsters were, normally he shouldn't even bother. But somehow, the one who caused him raise eyebrows was the 2nd tallest figure.

That one figure who had turned to the other 4 and seemed to tell them something. Whatever they said, the others nodded and turned their backs, leaving from where they had enter. Soon that figure was alone. When the others were gone, they faced the far end of the stadium and started walking for there.

He followed their movement carefully. What was he going to do? Suddenly they stopped walking, turned sharply and faced the ceiling. Now the Catoptrist got caught off guard as the other simply smiled and waved up as if they had a normal sentimental being in front of them.

"¡¿Cómo lo supo?! I kept my magic under control so anyone wouldn't be able realise I'm watching!" He murmured looking away. But he soon smiled. "Heh. That guy is pretty smart." He continued and shrugged his shoulders. He focused again on the mirror. But soon his eyes widened up, as the figure took off their hood and exposed their face. Despite he was seeing almost everything on shades of purple, he immediately recognised that face. Even if he didn't know them in person. "¡De ninguna manera! ¡Ese es el tipo que está protegiendo a-!" He murmured after a while still surprised but also interested. "Wow…" Of course. He had seen that face before. Twice. Not the real one though. The 2nd time rather somewhere he was not meant to see… or even enter…

Where else had he seen that face exactly? He shook head left and right. He had no time to think on facts he had no details or enough clues to progress. When the other on the stadium lowered his hand he kept staring up for a little longer and then finally turned ahead. He kept walking with hands behind his back.

Slowly his smile faded with every passing second. He was again thoughtful and serious. Focused and wondering. Because whoever he was truly looking for wasn't just any person or monster out there. Patiently he waited, staring down at the stadium's area. That was all he could do for now.

He flinched. Or maybe not. He didn't have to just wait. He remembered his conclusions from before. Right now a crazy idea got stuck in his mind. He approached the big mirror and stared down. Muttering calculations.

"Distance from the ceiling to the ground of the stadium: with how I'm seeing it, 20 meters. Or 65 feet. It could be more, it could be less. Chance of simply breaking my legs: 30%. Chance of simply dying the moment I hit the ground: 60%. Chance of surviving unscratched: 10%. Hmmm…" He looked away thoughtful placing hand on his chin and thinking about his calculations for a moment. But then he grabbed his hand mirror and smiling, stepped back until he was pressed against the wall. He moved a little to the left until he was in perfect alignment with the office's mirror. He bended his knees a little as if he was preparing… to run!

"10% chance to survive? I'll take it."

And he ran towards the mirror.

~

Geno looked around him surprised and then behind. They had come out of the tent. He looked up to Echo. She seemed exhausted and dizzy. Guess prophecies were draining her energy faster. The tall monster, the one who was sitting next to Geno before, approached with fast steps.

He wrapped an arm around the witch's waist and helped her stay up. After she murmured something Geno didn't prevent to understand, her and the monster walked towards some chairs left near a wall. Carefully he helped her sit down on one of them, then kneeled in front of her.

Even if his face was still covered, his movements showed concern. Also a little the tone of his voice as he was asking Echo questions, betrayed his worry. The woman was barely responding, mostly she was nodding and just giving one word answers. In all honesty, Geno was feeling kind of overwhelmed too.

After all these revelations, many more feelings and thoughts were mixed inside him. It was too much and he felt a little tired out too. Suddenly footsteps were heard from the corridor Geno himself walked together with the witch. Everyone's attention turned there.

A tall hooded figure entered. Immediately the instrument players seemed ready to attack, one of them asking the figure who were they. Instead of an answer, they pulled back their hood and revealed from around their neck a very familiar necklace.

What happened next, even Geno needed a few seconds to progress. The instrument players immediately backed off and in fact bowed down in front of that tall skeleton, with the expressive dark green irises, who was showing in front of everyone the golden necklace. Geno gasped.

"Al- Guido!" His round face was shining in excitement. It wasn't that long since they parted ways and yet he felt very happy to see Alter. "Damn, why though everybody fears him so much for wearing this necklace?" The taller turned to look at him and he smiled wide.

"Eugenia, mi bambina! Vieni da papà!" He said and opened his arms. Even though Geno didn't understand well what Alter said at first, the word papà was clear what it meant and from his mood and gesture he guessed he wanted him to come. And that's what he did. He ran towards the taller skeleton, jumped and hugged him tightly.

At that moment he didn't feel like he was acting as a little and adorable girl. His excitement to see Alter wasn't fake and didn't feel for himself exaggerated. It was genuine. As Alter prevented to hold Geno to not fall and the smaller wrapped his arms around his neck, he nuzzled his cheek against his.

"Daaaw. Despite you were apart for only about 2 hours as long as the council lasted and from the time it was over until now 5 minutes, you act like you haven't seen each other for 5 years!" The monster who was all that time close to Echo came to interrupt the reunion. Geno twitched his head to his direction ready to hiss.

"Mind your business gusano! It was at least 10 minutes I was in that tent!"

"How odd. For me it was 5 minutes indeed, after the council ended until now." Alter said confused. Geno looked at him surprised.

"Wait what?!"

"Time in an endless space can be almost meaningless…" Echo started talking, who seemed to come on her senses slowly. "… Time in these spaces are going faster. Some of these are going 2 times faster, other even 10 times more."

"Woah…" Geno did blinking many times. Alter walked towards the other tall monster and the witch. While still holding with one hand Geno, he freed his other hand and streched it towards the man, who responded by shaking hands with the priest. Ah yes. That guy did mention he knows Alter, right.

"Long time no see son. How are things going?" The skeleton asked smiling. The other seemed to roll his eyes behind his hood and damn, they were taller than Alter.

"Eh, it is difficult enough times having to come here and then return to the other boneheads. But I manage." He said and focused again on Alter. "What about you?"

"Oh, I believe it all is good. And as you probably know by now, I have my own important mission right here." The priest said and in the last words looked at Geno with a calm expression.

"Good luck then." The other monster laughed.

"The first part of my job is done here." Echo said raising her head to look up to Geno. "I am glad we saw each other from closer prince. But now take your guardian and go about your day." She completed. Geno looked at her thoughtful.

"What about you… Echo? Will you actually… find the chance come with me if it's something you were asked to do?" He asked. Echo smiled.

"You do not have to worry about that prince. I have my ways and I will eventually join your destiny. Just not right now. Don't think much about it." She replied. Geno signed Alter to let go of him and carefully the priest putted the smaller skeleton down, who approached and stood in front of the witch.

"Thanks… for all you've done so far." He said and streched his hand towards Echo. She hummed and closed the handshake with Geno but said nothing else. She just nodded.

After staring at each other for a few more seconds, Geno finally turned his back and in perfect sync grabbed Alter's hand the moment it was streched to hold his. Even then he kept looking behind him at times. Until him and the priest entered further into the corridor and the shadows swallowed them.

The 2 skeletons walked in silence on the ground of the stadium, heading towards the gate they first entered. Geno was looking down thoughtful and curious, thinking about the Pendant that he wore around his neck. Did Alter put it in his pocket? How and when? Unconsciously the small skeleton looked up and stared at the ceiling. The glass was bright white shining. Nothing weird about it.

And yet, he couldn't help but feel that something felt off. As if somebody was watching him.

~

"10% chance of survival was quite plenty after all." The Catoptrist thought as he watched from the shadows of the corridor the 2 skeletons who were approaching.

"Is something wrong son?" He heard the taller skeleton asking as he stared down at Geno showing some concern. Geno looked up to him.

"I-… I am fine. Just a little tired. No worries." He replied and looked ahead again. The Catoptrist couldn't help but smile.

"Ahí estás, Geno." He whispered, turned his back and ran away quietly, exiting the stadium. Part one of his plan, executed. It was time for part two. He had to hurry a little now and trust that he would find what he wanted. If not, he was possibly trapped in Vilanterna.

(if you're reading from laptop or have a 2nd device near, put this music playing 😂)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3EdjfUgfiU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBYdMrUd0w0

3260 words. goodbye small bembehs. see you next chapter and ya better buckle up tight, because there's gonna be some danger and action ahead 😈 *pat pet pot pit put*