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"What a restless fellow…"
Jade skillfully concealed his irritation: Dist's stubbornness was nothing more than a source of irritation. The same old story over and over again.
"You don't understand, this is different!"
Exhaling heavily and closing his eyes, Jade scratched the bridge of his nose, pushing up his glasses. When he lowered his glasses, his gaze became unusually menacing. At that very moment, Dist was thrown back against the humming machine. The very same one that had once given birth to Luke.
Sparks flew in all directions, but the device didn't stop, only rattled louder. It struggled with all its might to fulfill its purpose, literally falling apart in the process. One of the bolts actually hit the hapless Luke in the forehead, briefly incapacitating him. Just scratch the bruise.
Guy was luckier—bypassing Luke, who had inadvertently shielded him from the absurd blow, he attacked the device, hoping to destroy it completely.
"No!" Dist practically shrieked, shielding his perfect invention. And who cares that it was based on another. Practically a reassembly. "It's not even a replica, what are you bothering me about?!" Dist steadfastly endured several blows in a row, catching an arrow with his shoulder. However, he still dropped to one knee, blood dripping onto the floor.
"That doesn't give you the right to play with life," Jade said sternly, approaching menacingly. His glasses flashed frighteningly, causing a wild attack of arrhythmia in Dist.
"I just want to give her the chance she deserves…"
"You just want to bring her back for your own selfish whim," Jade said confidently. He knew that feeling well. He'd made the same mistake before. "That desire will only give birth to a monster."
A silent, unconditional blow, as if it had pierced not the machine, but Dist's heart. So much work… So much time…
His eyes watered.
"I… built it from scratch," Dist said hoarsely. "I checked every fonon for compliance… Every single one! It was supposed to be reborn perfect! And you…"
The device emitted a final beep. Smoke mixed with the steam from the opened capsule. It gradually dissipated, revealing a human figure to those present. A short young man with shoulder-length blond hair. His icy-turquoise eyes stared blankly ahead.
"So, you checked every fonon?" Jade grinned wryly.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't broken the machine, everything would have gone according to plan!"
"I'm afraid the basic structure formed long before we arrived. Otherwise, 'it'," Jade emphasized with a harsh, cruel intonation, "wouldn't have appeared."
"I… t…" the young man repeated, spelling it out.
His hand twitched. The second. With uneven movements, he slowly raised his open palms in front of him. His gaze focused, as if the blurring had cleared. He clenched his fists, observing. Listening to the sensations.
"H-hello," Luke spoke hesitantly. His heart was beating unevenly. Not being human, he couldn't help but feel empathy in this special place. “I’m Luke,” he began affably, pointing at himself and approaching cautiously.
'Oh, I'm an idiot!' he panicked slightly. 'Why am I introducing myself? He doesn't have a name anyway! He has nothing to say!'
"I… t…?" the young man looked questioningly, pointing at himself.
"No no!" Luke waved his hands in protest. "That's not a name! I… We… We don't know your name yet…" he sadly gave in, lowering his head. But his spirits immediately perked up: he couldn't give in to negative emotions, after all, a new friend had just been born. Luke really wanted the young man to be a friend…
"Luke," Jade's warning voice sobered him.
'Kill… He wants to kill him,' Luke sensed. The unfortunate fruit of an experiment with unknown "settings."
Jade remembered his attempt to revive Nebilim well. Its horrific consequences. And he definitely didn't want to repeat it. But he wouldn't dare show his cruelty in front of Luke.
"Jade…" Luke involuntarily shielded the young man with his body. "No need… I'll take care of him. Raise him," he said, sounding almost pitiful. Luke knew he was too childish to take on the responsibility of caring for someone else. But he couldn't help it. He couldn't leave him.
"And you'll kill it if it gets out of control?" Jade said with a piercing smile, his voice confident and melodic, almost singsong. "You don't know where that idiot," he didn't even spare Dist a glance, "went wrong, and how catastrophic the consequences could be. If it's stronger than Nebilim…" Jade trailed off; even he didn't want to imagine. "It's dangerous, Luke."
"You can't know for sure," Luke said confidently, shuddering under the oppressive gaze.
"And if I can?" The glint of light on his glasses made him uneasy. "I need to analyze the fonon code. Just a few drops of blood, and we'll free each other from this dilemma."
Luke flinched, feeling his clothes tighten on his back. He tugged gently at "it," drawing attention to himself. He looked at Luke, who had turned around, with a clear gaze.
"Dangerous?"
He didn't understand the meaning of words, but he was good at grasping moods. He learned by grasping things quickly, analyzing them effectively.
"No!" Luke worried. "No, not at all…" Luke trailed off. He couldn't say for sure either. "Sorry, we'll have to hurt you a little so uncle Jade won't think you're dangerous anymore."
Blood… The deprived Dist continued to stain the floor, restrained by Jade's spell, which threatened to unleash heavenly judgment upon him if he dared move. He looked quite sad and pained. "It" studied him with a glance, then looked at his hand again, puzzled. Unsure of his conclusion, he nevertheless extended his hand toward Jade, palm up, offering him what he needed.
Jade only sighed resignedly, giving in.
"We're going back to Tartarus."
On Tartarus, Jade planned to conduct a full analysis, keeping an eye on the seemingly harmless but suspicious "it". Luke never left his new friend's side, not allowing him a second to be alone. If he had to leave unintentionally, Guy, Natalia, and Tear were always there to help.
"So, again?" Guy would joke, laughing when it was his and Natalia's turn. The nostalgia for old times was truly overwhelming when "Luke" returned home after the "abduction".
Following their instructions, Luke gave his charge paints: a standard developmental activity. Together, they taught him to read. Luke was especially diligent in reading stories, pointing to the text with his finger. They learned the letters incredibly quickly: the young man was extremely talented. However, he was reluctant to speak, nor to actively display emotion. He wasn't entirely unemotional. Rather, he was reserved.
They picked up a new book. A magical story about a mage capable of creating something out of nothing—an alchemist. Luke read the story, and the young man kept his eyes glued to the picture. He covered it with his hand when Luke tried to turn the pages. The character in the picture reminded the young man of himself. The one he'd seen in the mirror. Only neater. His thin, light hair hung shoulder-length, like the boy's once had: it had already grown out. Two braids on the sides joined into a small ponytail at the back of his head.
"Al-be-do," the young man read syllable by syllable. He ran his fingers over the picture, then touched his chest. "Albedo," he said, looking Luke in the eye, seeking understanding.
"Albedo? You want to be called Albedo?" Luke beamed. He had been puzzling over a name for a long time.
The young man nodded.
"Excellent!" Luke smiled happily. "Now your name is Albedo! Would you like us to try giving you the same hairstyle?"
Albedo ran his fingers through his hair, pulling aside a strand of hair, looking questioningly at Luke: it was too long.
"We'll trim it, don't worry!" Luke continued to radiate cheerful enthusiasm.
Albedo smiled softly in response, further provoking Luke: for the first time, he showed an emotion other than surprise and curiosity.
"We need to tell the others!" Luke jumped up and ran out of the room, dragging Albedo with him. Even from the outside, it was hard to tell which of them was the bigger "child".
* * *
Luke and Albedo's room was noisy as usual: Guy and Natalia had dropped in to check on their two charges, like caring parents. Although they treated Luke only as a friend, no one stopped them from joking about the two charges.
Comfortably settled on the bed, his back against the wall, Albedo scribbled in a wooden-lined sketchbook with a simple pencil. No one disturbed him: his "parents" were having a wonderful time with his "older brother". Albedo glanced at them every now and then, focusing on Luke, then returning to his drawing. Luke often frowned and expressed indignation, and Albedo frowned along with him. Barely noticeable. No one was arguing, just overflowing with emotion. Laughter, jokes, indignation. Idyllic. Family.
Finally, the noisy conversation broke off: Natalia noticed how diligently Albedo was poring over his drawing. His concentration was astonishing, even inspiring. And it aroused curiosity.
"Al-chan, what are you drawing there?" Natalia leaned down to be eye-level with the seated Albedo and reached for the sketchbook.
Albedo immediately clutched the treasure to his chest, wary.
"No. It's not ready yet."
"And when it's ready," Luke asked him with interest, "will you show it to me?"
"Of course," Albedo nodded.
"Then I'll be waiting impatiently."
Luke's beaming smile warmed his heart again. Albedo's eyes seemed to light up, though the rest of his face remained expressionless. His hands, however, began to draw lines on the paper faster.
And so, the drawing was finished. Albedo handed the sketchbook to Luke. Silence fell. Luke simply stood there, stunned. A gray-and-white version of himself looked back at him with a happy smile. The very smile Albedo so loved. Despite being drawn in pencil, the drawing was full of life.
"Don't like it?" Albedo worried. "I was going to add color later, but if the drawing didn't work out, then it's not worth it…"
"What are you talking about?" Guy chuckled, peering over his friend's shoulder. "Luke is speechless. You have a natural talent," he winked at Albedo.
"Let me see!" Natalia snatched the sketchbook from her friend's hands.
"Hey, be careful!" Luke finally found his voice.
"Wow!" Natalia forgot how to speak for a moment. "This is amazing! So beautiful! Can you draw me too?"
"Yes. Of course," Albedo smiled calmly.
No one noticed the door open. Another guest enter.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Jade smiled with a hint of hidden mischief, glaring at Albedo. There was always tension between them. This time was no exception.
"Come on, don't give me such a cold shoulder," Jade said, spreading his arms dramatically. "I just brought a new book for our… mutual friend. He can read already, right?"
"Yes," Luke replied, instinctively shielding Albedo with his body out of habit. "He's a quick learner."
"I don't even know whether to be happy or sad," Jade's words rang out without a hint of irony. "Be that as it may," he said, slowly approaching Albedo, holding out the time-worn book, "I want you to read it. A very dear person once gave me this book to teach me something important. I hope you'll learn the lesson better than I did. Especially with such a teacher," Jade glanced at Luke with a sly grin.
"Okay," Albedo agreed calmly, accepting the book. "We'll read it together."
And they did. That same evening. Luke easily grasped the meaning of the book. He remembered Jade talking about his teacher. About this very book. And also something dark, something that made him involuntarily feel fear—a faint echo of the horror he'd once experienced.
"Is something wrong?" Albedo noticed his anxiety.
Luke pursed his lips, hesitating to speak. And when he finally gathered his strength, his expression was pained.
"Never… kill," he began quietly. "Please, if possible, never stain your hands with blood and never kill. It's a terrible feeling. Disgusting. I still hate myself for the lives I took. I didn't mean to, but… Don't. I don't want you to feel the same way."
"Okay," Albedo replied, still indifferent.
"Never…"
* * *
Albedo developed quickly. Much faster than Luke. Having learned to read without assistance, he absorbed knowledge book after book. He reached Jade's library, full of clever things, including books on fonic artes. He quickly moved from theory to practice. Everything seemed to come easily to him. He was especially adept at handling the second fonon, earth. And having absorbed everything he could, he began his own discoveries—research and experimentation. Like the historical alchemist whose name he took, Albedo strove to create something new from essentially nothing. Fonon after fonon.
"Don't get carried away," Jade reminded him. "Everything in moderation."
Gradually, Jade accepted Dist's creation. But his intense, uncontrollable thirst for knowledge was alarming. The experiments were no less frightening. Or rather, the restrained obsession with them.
"Are you afraid I'll start experimenting on living beings?" Albedo asked bluntly. He never prevaricated, never concealed anything. He looked straight into his eyes. As if peering into his soul without actually seeing it.
"And would you?"
"I'd rather create life than harm it. I remember well that book you gave me. Your first gift. I treasure it. An important lesson."
"But do you understand it? Playing god is no better. You can create as many intangible things as you like, but not living beings. You never know what kind of monster you'll create. Even if it's something harmless, it won't survive in this world. It will be rejected by people."
"…True," Albedo said, barely hesitantly. "It," he gently emphasized the word Jade had once used to describe him, "is alien to this world."
"I'm glad you understand."
Jade adjusted his glasses, smiling warily.
Albedo understood what Jade was trying to convey. He'd heard the truth from Luke. About his origins. About Jade and Dist. About Nebilim… But he still saw no reason to abandon harmless experiments. He had no desire to create intelligent life, to condemn anyone to suffering, even though he wanted to understand all the secrets of the universe. A flower reaching for the sun would have been enough. Or one capable of surviving without its warming rays.
For Albedo, Luke was the sun. His savior and teacher. Though Albedo rarely smiled, as he rarely showed emotion, Luke made him feel at ease, as if his positivity and carefree spirit enveloped him from head to toe, energizing every fonon. No matter how different Albedo was—not human, not a replica—with Luke he felt ordinary. Happy. Real. And not as if ready to crumble to dust, as he did under Jade's oppressive gaze.
Everything was going as usual. Albedo loved life. He valued it like no one else. That's why he kept all his fears deep inside. His anxieties. Even when a small crack formed on his hand, but no blood came out. Albedo touched it with his fingers, ran them over it. A white mark remained on the pads.
'Chalk?'
Something tugged at his heart. A thought formed in the back of his mind, but Albedo refused to give it free rein. Nor did he give in to the oppressive feeling.
* * *
Although the world gradually got used to living without Lorelei's revelations, surrounded by replicas of those once dear to them, it now felt alien. Not everyone liked this state of affairs. The particularly zealous blamed Luke for the "destruction" of the world, for having encroached on their established order by freeing Lorelei. The attacks weren't always premeditated, but they were regular. They often waited for the least amount of support, or at least for Jade, the most terrifying of them all, to be absent. He always spotted an ambush before it happened. So the members of the "resistance" order considered it a godsend when they discovered Luke, accompanied only by a strange youth, brushing across a canvas on an easel. He was painting a landscape, bringing it to life with strokes of oil paint.
Despite being engrossed in the process, it was Albedo who first noticed the enemy, sending the group flying backwards with a tremor in the ground. A flower of metal drawn from the soil grew beneath his hand. It absorbed the energy transferred into the earth for another thrust before crumbling to dust.
Luke reacted with lightning speed. They attacked in unison with Albedo's swords, covering each other's backs. They knocked each other out with swift attacks, condemning them to an eternity in prison after a brutal interrogation.
The organization of the attack and the sheer number of their numbers made themselves felt—the pair were being pressed. At some point, Albedo, riding his flower, rose above the enemies and leaped into the thick of the crowd, attacking with fonic arte as he fell. He struck many. But not all…
'Luke!' he cried out in his mind.
His body reacted faster than his brain.
Luke managed to notice death approaching behind him, but he didn't have time to turn and defend himself. A chilling fear ran through his whole body. The enemy and Luke froze. As did Albedo. Just for a moment.
Albedo was the first to react, pulling out a bloody sword that pierced the attacker without even twitching an eye. He slashed the throat of the next, no longer caring about the lives of his enemies: it all happened too quickly.
Jade, who had arrived just in time, saved Luke from another enemy, dispatching him with a precise arte.
Luke was too stunned to think clearly. But the first thing he did, when the wave of enemies ended, was run up to Albedo, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him in the eye. He spoke worriedly:
"Are you okay?"
Albedo didn't answer, not daring to look away. Then Luke hugged him tightly.
"It's okay, I'm here. Everything will be okay."
"Luke, stop it. He doesn't feel guilt," Jade said in a menacing, warning tone, piercing Albedo with condemnation.
Luke pulled back slightly to look at Albedo. Without letting go, he continued to support him physically and mentally. However, Albedo seemed unconcerned.
"That's true," he answered calmly. "I protected what's dear to me. And I would do it again." But at the next question, there seemed to be a hint of concern in his voice that only reached Luke's heart. "Are you disappointed?"
"No! Of course not!" Luke was now worried. "You protected me. I'm sorry you had to… I'm sorry that because of me you…"
It was hard for him to speak. Some words were especially difficult, so they stuck in his throat, unspoken. And Luke's emotions, his pain, fear, and guilt, made Albedo feel regret. He didn't want Luke to experience all this. Because of him. Because he'd lost control, not using all the tools available to him—the variety of fonic artes. He could. But he didn't. He didn't think of it in time, giving in to instinct.
Albedo looked into Jade's eyes, as if searching for an answer.
'Perhaps he's right? I'm a monster? It…'
Albedo looked away, lost in thought.
* * *
For over a month, Albedo avoided contact with his friends, especially Luke. He immersed himself in himself and his experiments. Experimenting on himself. Trying to understand who he was. And how much time he had left… More and more cracks appeared in his body. He began to resemble a monster more and more. To feel like one. Wrong.
Friends visited him often, but he always found an excuse for his distance. Time after time. But he didn't expect to see one guest.
"You're making Luke sad," Jade began the conversation teasingly, deliberately using Luke's name, the most important one, rather than mentioning everyone at once.
"Is that really what worries you?" Albedo looked up from his work to look at his interlocutor. The only one whose gaze he hadn't ignored for the past month.
"It seems you do care about what happened," Jade said, cutting straight to the point.
"I care that I hurt Luke."
"But you understand and accept the fact that you did wrong. Perhaps," Jade paused, admitting with feigned reluctance, "I was wrong about you."
"Or," Albedo took his time answering, rolling up his hands to show the cracks from which chalk was splattering as he moved, "you were right all along. I'm not human. And not really a replica. I am it. Something that shouldn't have existed."
"Look at that," Jade drawled, openly teasing, "it turns out you're even stricter with yourself than I am with you."
"I know…" Albedo resisted the provocation, but still couldn't bring himself to express his thoughts frankly. But he knew for sure that no one would understand him better than the genius Jade. "I know about Nebilim and about Asch. I'll either turn into a monster or disappear. And there's nothing I can do about it. The process is uncontrollable and irreversible."
"Isn't that a reason to spend precious time with those you love, instead of rejecting them?"
"Then it will be harder for them to say goodbye…"
"Not at all. That way, you'll leave them with more regrets about wasted time."
They both fell silent. Jade looked at Albedo, who looked somewhere at his feet, lost in thought.
"It's strange to hear that from you. You were the first one to want me gone."
"But in the end, you managed to convince me that Luke spared your life for a reason. You're not a monster. But you're dying—that's a fact. So what will you do?"
Albedo looked at the flasks of material and the laboratory instruments. Then at his hand. He clenched and unclenched his fist, testing its mobility, then moved it in a circular motion.
"I was thinking of asking you to take me to Nebilim's Crag. To spend the rest of my days there. Far from everyone, without posing a threat. Even though you said I'm not a monster, you can't guarantee that. Neither can I. I think that would be the best decision."
"Rational," Jade corrected. "But rational, oddly enough, isn't always the right one. However," he adjusted his glasses, "I think we could give you a tour. Luke has avoided that place on our travels. But if that's your wish, he'll comply."
And he did give in. Reluctantly, but meeting the determination in his charge's gaze, he gave in. He twitched the entire way, hesitantly asking Albedo again and again if he was sure. But he was the only one unsure. Frightened. He sensed that something was wrong.
The lonely cave in the snows of Mount Roneal had remained virtually unchanged since the battle with Nebilim. A cold, crusty layer of ice shrouded the secret of these places, known to few.
Albedo reached the halfway point. He stopped to close his eyes and take a deep breath. He smiled. His heart calmed. Everything fell into place.
"I'm home," he said quietly but confidently. "Let me stay here," Albedo asked, half-turning, addressing everyone but looking only at Luke.
"Won't you get cold?"
Albedo activated a multitude of small lights around himself with the fourth fonon.
"That's definitely not a problem."
"And food?" Luke persisted.
"That's also not a problem. With my abilities, I can easily cross the mountains if necessary."
"But…"
"Just as it's not a problem for you to visit me from time to time. Right?" Albedo interrupted Luke with a convincing, short speech.
They had been together long enough. Their journey together was over. Here, in the fateful place where one copy of Nebilim had once lost her life. Her unwilling home. Albedo had accepted it voluntarily.
They had to accept it.
The friends silently helped carry Albedo's important things: simple furniture, laboratory supplies, art materials. For a long time, they couldn't say goodbye, couldn't believe what was happening.
"There's no point in mourning the fledgling who left the nest. Instead, rejoice in its newfound independence," Jade encouraged as best he could. He couldn't say much without touching on sensitive topics, so he spoke with restraint, choosing neutral words.
"Uh-huh," Luke replied sadly, trying to keep his composure. "We'll be back," he promised.
"Yes, we'll definitely visit you!" Natalia replied.
"Certainly," Guy smiled.
The farewell ended with a warm embrace.
After watching his friends depart, Albedo began setting up his things, preparing his work area. He set up the easel last, so he could begin painting immediately, without distraction. Not the cold landscapes he saw before him. But the warm smiles of those dearest to his chalky heart, securely cherished in his memory. And himself among them. So that this painting would be the first thing they saw when they returned to this cave again. Under whatever circumstances they would have found it…
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