{Baumkronenpfad}

Birds crying aloud.

Flying above, painting streets with their feathers.

North, as South.

One collective breath.

Inhale, then exhale.

"God, again?", eyes snatched away from sleep were wetting, "I can't do this anymore, why..? Why me..", he sat upright in bed, tried staring out the window, looking right into the ominous moon. His pillow, as well as blanket, had both become too hot just as his blood felt like it was boiling him from the inside. He wanted to get up, wanted to throw his sheets onto the ground and cry ice and scream blood, or possibly just open the window and let the caput hang out for a while and get hit by that fresh nightly air. Yet, instead, he sat there, upright, his gaze alike drawn to the ceiling and tears were crawling down his face. "Yeah, school in the morning, school in the morning, I know, for God's sake but I don't know what I'm doing this for..", his hands slowly left his throat. "I just want to rest already." Then he finally stood up, waited for the rushing images to vanish from his sight, calmed a little, and pictured his best friend, another male student whom he had a crush on, while wating. It was dark, yes, but his eyes would soon accustom and feet would soon make their way to the window after. Wanting to open the window, his hand tapped against the glass, rather than gripping the handle. "I hope mom didn't hear that.", he thought. This was a time where he could finally feel alone. Living on the fourth floor, he could see the streets of Londinium. Before fully opening it, he felt his legs shaking, hands trembling. "I wish I could be free. Run. Just run from school and live-" Did he hear footsteps? Stopping his breath, he turned around quickly, awaiting anxiously for the light to shine in from under the door. No light. He was sweating, the footsteps were getting louder and louder. "Please, don't-" He turned around again. And what his eyes witnessed was the astonishing sight of a thousand running students at night. "If someone told you today had been your last, would you spend your last night simply sleeping?", those words didn't ring out from his mouth, however his lips were forming the syllables as his fingertips drove back from the window's glass. The air inside his room was so still and quiet, very unlike to the air when he was standing outside, watching this mass of teens run together. He knew that Londinium had a circular layout, halved into nothern and southern parts by the river, but still, even though they were running in circles, "Who would ever come up with the idea of running in the middle of a weeknight, we got school-", he spotted his crush's face in the mix, passing him but within the seconds he saw him, his feet were already magically drawn forward. Having at least grabbed a pair of shoes on his way out, his feet felt alive, his thorat was stung by fresh gasps of oxygen, his gaze drawn heavenward. "Forget about school", he thought,"I just wanna run. Be free.", getting faster and faster, trying to catch up to the one person he took a personal interest in. "Thank you. To whoever started this.", tears were once again crawling down his face's cheeks. "Reality can change if you will it!"

Torches were held by more than just a couple of hands.

Glowing orange in the blue dark aside from the moon's shine.

Chants chorused and sung enthusiastically, accompanied by the street musicians instruments.

Pathos.

"For God's sake, what? It's still nightfall, correct?" "Mr. Atrox, Sir. You should take a look at this.." "Oh, this better be worth it, Commander, sleep is important resource." "Here, Sir. Pictures taken by our men, of the current situation within Londinium." Atrox' eyes accustomed to the brightness emitted from the flashlight. "Oh my dear Lord.", he gave the images back to his Commander, "I wouldn't have expected the entirety of Londinum's youth to go braindead like our three targets. See? This is just what happens, if you don't do as you're told, dammit." "What are your orders now, Sir?" "Oh, they're obviously protesting against us, hell, who am I to say no to an invitation like that? That brown-haired brat wants to play at night ? Fine then.. I'll cut off his long hair- That's the first thing I'll do with him.", he laughed away and ordered his men to gear up and start the infiltration of Londinium. "Well, Mr. Cherrywine, I hope you're prepared well, you might have to end the lives of your former students." A smal pause. Daniel spit out his cigarette, then stood up in a slow motion:"Well, even if that may be the case... One has to make sacrifices to the past in order to forge a new future.", thus his eyes opened.

It started raining. Birthed as a slight drizzle grew slow, hard drops of water falling down from the dark sky, down between the spaces of wood planks, onto Leo's face. His magenta eyes were smiling back at the ceiling, his head laying still on Ray's lap and Leigh was keeping watch. The three of them were ready as ever. Her sword between her palms, the bottle of Shanna's wine in Ray's new rucksack, Leo was concentrating, his focus shifted to reality only, relying on his friends to protect him. The moonlit atmosphere of the night played in harmony with the raining sound and the World Military began moving, there before the great entrance gate, they made a small halt to acknowledge the rumble of the students to which Atrox could simply scoff. He gave the sign to infiltrate and soldiers were moving in as squads of five. They ran in with assassination on their mind. Atrox was standing alone now, pointing a gun toward the moon and firing a bullet that left a trace of green as it made its way up. The colour's hue was amplified by moon and served as a signal for Atrox' Commander who was being pulled up by machinery, on his back a sniper rifle. The building's roofing was nice and flat, near enough other roofs to change positions quickly, too. The rapier attached on his waist was Atrox' main weapon he'd use albeit carrying fire arms on him. But not this time, no, he was sure he could shoot down three teens, especially with the amount of manpower on his side. The soldiers were running with the students. The squads of five had four subordinates and one superior each. Their gut feeling was telling them that their targets would be somewhere betwixt this mix of youngsters. In order to find them, they ran along, firing smoke signals to make sure every group was far away enough to cover different ground on their search, however some superiors gave their men the order to bring this riot to a full stop and hence there were gunshots fired in rapid succession. Screams echoed aloud, nobody was hurt but terrified nonetheless. He slowed down, his breath hurt so much and there was a huge guilt building inside his consciousness ever since sneaking out. His mother must have noticed this huge commotion already- "NO! KEEP RUNNING, THIS IS OUR FREEDOM!" "WE'RE RENEGADES!" His shoulders were hit by those running past him. Feet beginning to pick up speed again. All faltering belief tiptoed into the darkness again and rising was the will of rebellion. "For Freedom!" "FOR OUR YOUTH!" He, too, wanted to shout, but there it was again, a feeling as if there was a rock stuck inside the throat. Running. He ran. With everybody else. He saw the torches sticking out at the ends of the roads, up above everyone's heads, so he finally shouted:

"FOR LOVE! I WILL LIVE!"

Red smoke signals were clibing the aerial ledder, the targets where nowhere to be found, it seemed. Daniel led his squad to the small castle-house. He had checked every other building from both South and North via Will, if there was one place which had its presence concealed, it had to be the Roseblood Manor, he was sure of it. Steps getting louder, nearer. Leo was smiling, Daniel halted, held out his hand and closed it, forcing the windows to splinter. Ray moved his hands away from Leo's ears and Leigh walked up to the broken remains of a window. Noctis moon between them. Standing higher than Daniel and his WM-squad. Slowly unsheathing her white sword, eyes focused on the emerging blade, not letting them hear the scabbard fall toward the floor, they saw a phenomenal flash of brightness in front of them in which Leigh covered herself, almost standing 180° in mid-air, having a strike already in motion to cut off one of the soldier's heads, particularly one right next to Daniel. The blade cut through the neck smoothly whilst Leigh's and Daniel's eyes met. He read her lips:"Been a while, eh?", after which a transsonic bang and lightning followed. The four soldiers were fixed to the ground by Daniel's quick reaction, he saw how Leigh was being pulled away from them by the draugth, all the way to the start of King's Way, thus he let himself and his men go with the flow which turned out to be a fatal decision: the bang returned again, this time in the opposite direction of their trajectory, paired together with another flashing strike- "GODDA-", Daniel saw how a straight line of white lightning cut through his squad, decapitating them one by one. This wasn't his fault, those attacks were fully intended to only land on his men and not on himself. When he hit the ground again, sitting on it, the smell of blood was swirling around the air, red pieces atrociously littered the walkway with a rage. He held his breath, his glowing eyes fixated on the girl standing a few steps before him, with her back to him. Step back, blade pointed outwards, turn around and cut, Daniel rolled backwards, palms touching the ground pushing him upward, Leigh faced him again after her 360° slash, then came in with another swift strike Daniel was able to block by going in himself with bare arms, his right enveloping the blade and tightening around it, his left pushing Leigh with an enforced push away, making her loose her grip on the sword's handle, forced to step backwards, however enlightening a string between her open right palm and the sword, a white tremble growing like a scream - electricity. The shock was clinging to Daniel alike the sword between his right armpit until it was pulled back and welcomed by Leigh's right palm again. A tight grip. Aim. And Fire. The bullet left the rifle's steam, travelling amongst drops of rain, atween the branches' leaves, passing the stuttered Daniel and cutting into Leigh's field of vision.

"Bang."

A small cloud of flames set the bullet afire, melting away before it managed to hit Leigh who started bleeding due to overuse. She simply smiled. "Ah well, those arms ain't lookin' too good, now, huh?", he jumped off of the roof of the manor and landed swiftly, creating multiple clouds which were shining in a warm orange hue, as if there were hung-up laterns. "But don't let them fool you, these are highly incinerating.", Charles said to Daniel. This was truly the art of fire by the Blackwoods. "Took ya a little", Leigh scoffed. "Don't worry about it.", he turned his face to look her in the eyes:"You ready, though?" "Bet." A multitude of flames were fired, Daniel saw them coming closer and closer, after he realized there were too many to erase, he just dodged into the grass beside the asphalt, hitting his head against the hard dirt. Leigh used the opening to escape from King's way without using any Will. She ran. "Ahh, What a night., what a night", Daniel whispered to himself and snapped his fingers to recreate the former situation to force Leigh back, but reality wouldn't revert. "Sorry, Cherry, but not this time", Charles spoke, standing in front of him. "Hah. Fuck.", Daniel laughed, "I see, not today, then." Whilst the soldiers were in belief of being the hunters, they were the actual ones being hunted. Leigh was ecstatic. She sought after them, like a maddened devil, running during this blood hunt. The Commander fired a yellow smoke signal, every squad was informed that the Godsent was on the loose and Daniel had let her get away. Naturally, the students hadn't known about any military operations or co-occurring combat in their vicinity but none of them had really something to fear in terms of getting harmed, Leo made sure of that as King of Londinium. And so beside the fellow teenagers was a white-haired girl with bleeding arms, carrying a white Katana stained with red in a position ready to draw, should she see soldiers who were currently trying to quell the rebellion by order of Atrox himself. Shouts and screams, chanting and singing, loud and noisy instruments were fighting back. There they were, "Five nobodies in uniforms", she thought, she closed in from behind, then she drew with precision, carefully not to paint others red too, or worse- harm them. Those were another five down, even if Leigh made only little noise and was basically being covered by their rumbling, the soldiers had been given the order to fire a smoke signal at least every five minuted as a sign, which gave it away several heads had been missing for ten minutes now. The visor provided better sight for targets from afar but blinded out that near you. "What now, Charles?", Daniel sat on the ground still, looking up to a former partner,"Gonna take me finally out, eh?" One step forward, albeit carrying no sheath, from her left hip she drew her sword, going for the Commander's neck who was sitting still, having his gaze fixed into the visor. He suddenly pointed the rifle a little higher and the next thing she knew, her blade was- "Relax."- cutting into Charles's right hand which was stopping the strike. "Fuck was that?", her arms shivered. "Your ex-teacher switched positions. A little trick he must've learned by watching Jack." "Tsk, for fuck's sake, sorry about that, is your hand okay?" "Nah, don't worry about that, your arms have it worse. Are you holding up, or do you want to go back?" "Beats me- The better question would be how long will he hold out?" "I'd say we have plenty of time still, and actually-", Charles sat down and snapped his fingers, Leigh's eyes were immediately drawn to the inflamed Roseblood Manor,"I think our job here, is done." "Those latern-things were explosives?!", she asked enraged. "Didn't I tell you to relax? Obviously I wasn't going to set them off while we're both down there, but Daniel really played himself, right now." "I don't gettit. Are Daniel and that sniper-fucker both burning to death now, or what?" "Leigh, either that, or they're simply encircled, maybe they'll die because of asphyxiation.." Her golden eyes stared at the orange rage, she thought about what Charles' blue fire must look like or rather, how powerful it must be. "Ray always switches to blue fire-" "Yes." "Why?", she asked. "See, blue flames burn hotter, they more powerful in that regard, actually-" "Oh, okay-" "If you've been wondering, that over there is actually my blue fire.. but- I manipulated it to look orange, so those folks who know about me, think I still have another ace up my sleeve", Charles lifted his left arm and chuckled with poise. He was wearing a longer black coat and Leigh saw that both his hand and her arms were healed by him when it waved at her, simply reverted to a healthierr state and condition. Although, her arms still felt a little numb, this was a success on their end.

The noise the students made was unbelievably loud, Atrox stood inside a small alleyway between two buildings, he didn't know what just had happened but the missing smoke signals were giving him the impression that all of his men had died under his command, which he still refused to believe. His head was leaning against the wall behind him. Stillness, but the walls seemed to be shaking. His senses felt odd and off. He felt betrayed by his own capability. What was real? In the corner of his left eye he saw a figure. A person, there at the end of the alleyway. Oh, he was so sure. His eyes lit up, a faster heartbeat rose in him, grabbing the gun and running towards the person. It was Leo, he was sure of it, he chased after him, there it was the blinding light of the sun was, finally, shining through onto road and river. On the pedestrian way again, the students were nearing from left, yelling and singing, in front there was Leo standing, afore the river, halting and smiling. He didn't have time to think, regardless if his men were actually killed, he wanted this operation not to be in vain. Atrox didn't care for how Leo was going to defend himself, his look like a madman's. His trigger finger itching, ready, aim, laugh- A bullet pierced first through air and dust, then tore through skin and bone. An echoing report in slowed version. The impact pushed Leo into Londinium's river, Atrox's smirk widened and became even bigger, he laughed out loud, he couldn't do nothing but laugh, when he saw how when Leo fell, reality fell with him as well: His sight thrown aback tearing everything like a linen with him, destroying this reality, making seem all surreal. Atrox saw how the the things in his sight were ripped open, those wounds screamed alike no other and time passed you as if you were dying to be reborn yet again. When Leo touched the water's surface, a transition of worlds, all turned 360° and the sky shattered to pieces like a dead rose's petals, coming down as black raindrops, the lacunae were filled with the bright daylight, a night's death, just like that, and a brand new day arose in Londinium. Atrox couldn't move, couldn't comprehend, nor began to fathom just what sort of miracle was unfolding before his very eyes, he was getting jumped by the students. He was like a cold corpse, getting pushed around by teenagers. As reality had been twisted and turned by yours truly- Leo's already opened eyes were filled with blood for he'd been laying there on Ray's lap the entire time. The blonde let the blood get sucked up meticulously by some tissues he held near enough Leo's eyes. "Did we pull it off?", Leigh's breath was loud and drained. "I think so, yeah.", Leo wanted to hold Ray's hands. The wagon's door opened. "Oh hey, Charles." "Is everyone fine?", Charles asked. "I think my back's bleeding, actually", Leo said unbothered. "Oh shit, it is", Leigh pointed out. "Ooh, here we go again.", Ray spoke in a calm voice. Shanna came in: "Explain. Someone, now. Come on." "Well, our little Leo here, managed to pull off the biggest prank in Will-history", Leigh said while cooling her right arm. "She's kinda right.", Leo said weakly, "Imagine having a forced split sky, in one city. Both halves will live differently. If you take one half and expand it for the whole town and do the same for the day-half, you'll end up with to realities, so to speak.", Shanna looked over to Ray,"Leo took the night and manipulated it to make everyone near Londinium think it was actually night.", he finished the sentence for Leo. "And since those WM-fuckers wanted us dead, they thought we were still in there, in that mansion, tho, we been here in this train for.. what, two hours? So, Leo switched our real selves with the imaginary ones of the WM, and boom, we were able to teleport and fuck everyone over." "Leo, you were holding two realities concurrently?", to which Leo nodded approvingly. "Ah by the way, the manor didn't actually burn down, right?", Charles asked. Leo shook his head:"No, it didn't, don't worry." "The only ones who were harmed in that false world were the WM. None of those students too, then?", Leigh wanted to know. "Yea.", Ray said,"Also, Leo-" "Leo, honey, how the hell did you know what was going to happen and when?", Shanna interrupted Ray. Leo closed his eyes:"I don't know why, but I was able to foresee some things. It's prolly because of the King's Will, at least, that's what it's most likely to be the answer. When I was shot and landed in the river-", Leo opened his eyes and looked at Ray,"I would've died there, actually." "Fuck you." "Dammit, Leo." "Honey.." "I know, I shouldn't have bet my life on this.. but it seems there was no other way to escape... my death was willed to be absolute by someone who doesn't want me to live outside that church." A minute of heavy silence.

"Ayo, where the wine at?", Leigh cut in.

"Oh right here, don't worry", Ray's hand was stopped from its throwing motion after having it pulled out of the rucksack. "I don't recommend throwing my wine, Ray, dear.", she said in a calm tone, and went over to Leigh on the other side of the wagon where she had been sitting on a wooden box. "Sorry..", he whispered. Leigh whistled when Boss gave her the bottle. "I think that's the first time I seen it up close.. chic.", she commented, "Go ahead and have a sip, Leigh", Shanna said. "Don't mind if I do", and she took a hit. Her tongue was drowned in the taste of dark chocolate combined with the bite of blue berries and brambles, a note of coffee and a hint of tobacco altogether. "That's complex.", she coughed. "But?" "But it tastes real good", she hugged Shanna. Ray was still healing Leo's wounds, stopping his blood from leaking all over the wagon's floor. Shanna expressed a joyous tone once she took a hit from her wine, passing it to Charles who was stopped from drinking half the bottle on his own. "Ray?", she held out the bottle to him. "Nah, thanks, I'm good." "Aw, bummer, but don't worry, I'll make you something non-alcoholic once we get back to my tavern." "That sounds lovely, Boss", he smiled at her. "Oh, but ehm.. Leo, how about you, sweetheart?" All eyes on Leo. "I just want a bath with Ray, for real."

"Tsk." "Don't 'tsk' us!", Leigh shouted at Leo while the adults were sharing a laugh. "Tsk, obviously this wasn't ment to be heard by everyone, they call it uhhmm a slip of the tongue", Leo responded calmy while Ray was turning bright red. "Where did that come from?!", Leigh walked over and bent over Leo. The sweet magenta colour of his eyes was staring against the girl's gold. "Oh, please, can't you be at least a little quieter, I'm in pain, you know, plus my wounds hurt more than yours." "Oh, wanna test me?", Leigh pulled a small knife out and held it close to her wrist's veins, "If you do that, I'm not sure if Ray's Will alone will be enough to keep my body from flooding the entire floor with my blood." "What a sweet way of saying that you care about her, Leo", Charles spoke and went back to check on the dishes they had ordered for brunch, Shanna went with him after warning the teens not to fight while they were gone. She exhaled. The exhaust was more than blatant. "Man, whatever", she stuffed the knife back again, "Imma go, use the bathroom. Later.", she closed the door behind her and the two were left in togetherness. "Are you okay?", Ray asked the brunette. First, there was no response, only them looking into each others eyes. Ray's head hanging down, his hair cut a little into his vision but it didn't bother him too much as he, too, was simply jaded from their planned operation. "I can't say I am, if I'm being honest. Just this feeling of being dead-" "I know.. after all.. I would've been the first one to d-" "Don't say that, please. Ray, don't.", Leo said, "Sometimes, there are these thoughts dancing in my mind, telling me I shouldn't have been released back at that church in the woods. That, that should have been my end, there, and I don't know what- What is fake, what is real.." "You carry the greatest burden, Leo, I'm so sorry that I can't do more than just simply act as your nurse.. I- I don't know, at least let me half your pain-", Ray's eyes were getting wet. "I'd hate to see you in pain, just as much as you hate seeing me in this condition right now, but please.. don't feel guilty or something like that. Don't- falter.", Leo's voice was a little shaky and his eyes were tearing up, "I'm so fucking sick of this, sick of this fighting, sick of this bleeding, I just want to be with you- In peace, already", he cried together with Ray whose tears landed on Leo's pale face. Those slight red marks on his face were new to Ray, he'd never seen Leo in such a desperate state, but in truth, he was in that same boat right there with him. He lowered his head, lower and lower, carefully, so their noses touched, their hot tears seemed to glow and Ray whispered:"I hate this world and its state but-", his voice trembled,"At the same time, through this world I was able to meet you." "But- What if it all be useless... in the end?", Leo asked in a quiet voice. "Doesn't matter. You changed the world for us, already, didn't you?", Ray responded in the same quiet tone to which Leo's eyes widened. "I-", Ray slowly wiped the tears off of Leo' face, "I'll change this, I promise, I will- I'll change this world for us even more, I don't want to be chained down to an idea that's been discriminating me my whole life!" Tears in her eyes. Leigh was sitting on the floor, back to the door, her legs hugged to her torso. She heard everything through the door, empathised even, but didn't want to enter the wagon. "Tsk."

"I want to be free", she carved on the other wagon's exterior, not caring if she'd be heard by the guests inside, she wanted to get a message across, one which should stand above all, she thought.

The chugging motion of the train's engine was quickening

"Above all your money and dirty morals.", she whispered to herself.

Birds crying aloud.

Flying straightforward, against obedience.

North, as South.

End of "{Baumkronenpfad}"