Internship

Aether burst into his room, the door rattling against the wall. His gaze dropped to his ever-shifting tunic and trousers.

A smirk touched his lips. "I don't even need clothes; mine change." He gestured vaguely toward the chaos of his belongings. "Take whatever you want. Sheets included."

Zahra and Mirakos needed no further prompting. With silent, practiced efficiency, they began ransacking drawers and shelves.

Minutes later, the group reconvened at the sun-baked training grounds.

Aether stood ready, traveling light: just his morphing clothes and his sword secured firmly across his side.

Beside him, Mirakos looked utterly unburdened despite hauling a massive suitcase emblazoned with a glaring, wide-eyed bull.

"Well, that's what you're taking?" Kar remarked, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Nearby, Kai stirred from his nap against a worn practice dummy, scrubbing sleep from his eyes with a groan. "Forty-five minutes… on the dot," he mumbled, voice thick.

"You're not coming?" Aether asked, tilting his head.

Kai waved a dismissive hand, already shuffling away. "Catch you later… maybe. Gotta see my mother first."

Aether's frown deepened as he watched him go. "Your mother? Where's your guide?"

Mother.

Kai paused, stretching languidly. "She went back to her district—Nexus. Most guides don't stick around like you," he added, a hint of dryness in his tone. "They have lives. Until they're summoned."

Lives.

"You need the training, Kai," Aether pressed, crossing his arms with a knowing smile.

Kai offered a faint smirk over his shoulder. "Mom first. I can pick up a thing or two there—with Erwin."

"Erwin?" Aether asked as Kai raised his hand.

"Shadow blade! You remember him? Yeah, he's called Erwin."

"Oh," Aether nodded. "Right. Him."

Before further discussion, Anna and Elara arrived, each lugging two hefty bags. Elara beamed, dropping her luggage with a thud.

"A month in Stars Dominion! Practically a vacation!" She sidled up to Aether, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Sunshine, maybe some actual culture..."

"I really don't like that implication," Aether groaned.

"It is training for the quest," Anna chimed in, kicking irritably at a nearby training dummy. "What more could we ask for? Actual training... not just beating up dummies." Her fist connected solidly with the dummy's chest.

It whirred to life, arm swinging. Aether's sword flashed, intercepting the blow with a sharp clang. He sighed. "Like you said. These dummies learn."

The low, resonant hum of an approaching Squidi vibrated through the air, growing louder. The group instinctively drew closer, bags gathered.

Aether stepped towards Kar, brow furrowed. "So, we'll just stay her—"

His words died as reality seemed to tear. A colossal Squidi materialized before them, resembling a multi-faced ant.

What in the realms…? Aether's thought cut short, his hand tightening on his sword hilt.

Zahra's eyes flared a sudden, intense yellow, locked onto the impossible creature.

"Elara!" Anna yelled.

But Elara was already moving. Emerald light sparked from her fingertips, weaving into a shimmering, translucent dome that snapped instantly around Aether and Mirakos, encasing their heads like helmets.

"You're not acclimated," Elara stated, her voice calm but strained with effort.

"Me?!" Zahra shrieked, pointing at her own unprotected head, outrage etching her features.

Elara blinked, then sighed. "Right. Sorry." A flick of her wrist, and the barrier expanded seamlessly to encompass Zahra, Anna, and herself.

The teleport-Squidi pulsed, its facets blazing with blue-white energy. The hum escalated to a deafening whine. Light erupted—not just bright, but consuming.

It swallowed the courtyard, the group, the very air in a silent, blinding detonation of pure cerulean force. Where they stood, only shimmering dust motes danced in the sudden stillness.

From the window of Aether's ransacked room, Adelaide watched, a playful smile on her lips. She gave a tiny, mocking wave toward the empty grounds. "Bye-bye, little travelers!"

Kai hauled himself into a nearby transport tube, muttering darkly as the hatch hissed shut. "Marquis could've waited... an hour? Maybe two?"

"Three," a voice said.

Marquis smiled, thinking, Three different colors... her eyes are like rainbows. He watched Anna standing nearby, smiling at nothing in particular before turning to leave.

"Oh, ma'am!" he called, hurrying after her. She answered a phone call, barely sparing him a glance.

"I'm not that old," she replied into the phone, smiling again.

Jackpot, Marquis thought, walking alongside her.

"I'm an intern," he started, trying to strike up a conversation. "I'm here to work for the Church. What department are you in?"

"Under one of the 1,002 archbishops," Anna replied casually.

"Huh?" Marquis blinked. They have that many? He looked baffled but continued. "And which one is that?"

"The one in front of you," Anna said, pointing ahead.

Marquis squinted. A kid?

"That's Archbishop Azarias," Anna explained, her tone light. "Head of the Department of Church Relations. One of the most important."

Marquis couldn't help but think, Didn't they try to assassinate him? as the childlike figure strode past, barely reaching Marquis's shoulder.

"H-Hello—" Marquis began to greet him, but Azarias cut him off.

"Anna, I need updates on the central district, specifically the current affairs of the Free Dominion," Azarias said briskly. His voice carried an authority that belied his stature.

The two passed by Marquis as if he didn't exist.

Marquis watched them stride away, a wry smile touching his lips. "Right. Subtle. Real subtle." He shook his head, pulling out his phone. "Kai? Yeah, it's me. Guess who just got the royal brush-off from an archbishop who looks like he raided the kids' section...? Yeah, that kind of day. Gonna take a while..."

"Hello, sir," Marquis said again, his voice steady, almost casual. Azarias finally looked up, his gaze sharp yet laced with amusement.

"Hi," Azarias replied, his lips curling into a faint smile. "You play chess?" he asked suddenly, the question seemingly plucked from thin air. "I'm in the mood for a match." He tilted his head toward Anna, who threw her arms up dramatically, silently urging Marquis to refuse.

"Archbishop. Marquis de Lorraine. Heard you run a tight ship." His gaze flicked downward. "Chess? It depends. Are you offering a fair fight, or is this a divine intervention situation? My old man taught me—hope yours prepared you for a de Lorraine strategy."

Azarias's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Oh? De Lorraine? While we're at it, what's your take on the upcoming war?" The shift in tone was smooth but deliberate, as if he were testing the waters.

"Sir?!" Anna interjected, her exasperation cutting through the air. She knew this game all too well—Azarias loved to poke where it stirred the most.

Marquis didn't falter. "Alphonse is my father," he replied evenly, his confidence unwavering. Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he countered, "But let me ask you this: what's your stance on the war? If you're fishing for information, what exactly are you hoping to reel in?"

The room fell into a moment of silence, charged but far from awkward. Azarias studied him closely, his gaze lingering on the boy's slightly crooked tie and wrinkled blue suit. The color, matching Marquis's striking hair, seemed to amuse him further.

"Why do you want to know?" Azarias finally said, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. He leaned back slightly and added with mock surprise, "Who'd have guessed? Alphonse's boy, standing here before me! I prayed he'd send you." Clapping Marquis on the back, he grinned. "So, tell me—why are you really here?"

Marquis stayed silent at that, a deep irritated feeling rising as he quickly swiped the man's hand off, which Azarias noticed.

"Internship," Anna cut in flatly before Marquis could answer.

Azarias sighed, dramatically rolling his eyes. "I wasn't asking you," he said, his tone tinged with mock irritation.

Turning back to Marquis, he gripped the boy's arm—not roughly, but firm enough to get his attention. Leaning in, he whispered, "Let's get serious, shall we? What's your take on the war? Which faction has your favor—and why? How about we chat it over a game of chess? Fair warning—I never lose."

Marquis's expression didn't waver, but there was a spark of challenge in his eyes. He didn't flinch or retreat—he simply raised a brow, as if to say, Is that all you've got?

Azarias released him with a chuckle. "You've got fire," he said approvingly, straightening up. He grabbed a pen from Anna's hand and started jotting something down on a scrap of paper. "Tell you what: join my department. A hundred draws per hour."

"No need," both Marquis and Azarias said at the same time.

Azarias paused, his smile widening as he pocketed the pen. "I like this kid," he declared, laughing as he clapped Marquis on the shoulder again. "I talked with Zephyros. The man really thinks himself God!" Azarias said, laughing more toward Anna than Marquis. "It got really boring as time went on, though—he wasn't the usual self-absorbed egotistical prick. He believed himself to be practically the God of that race!" Azarias laughed at his own joke.

Azarias turned to Marquis. "Do you like the man?"

Marquis leaned back slightly, a contemplative frown playing on his lips. "Like him? He thinks he is God, Azarias. Bit much, even for an archbishop's taste, wouldn't you say?" His tone sharpened slightly. "Does he have the right to rule his little kingdom? Sure. Play god in his sandbox. But the moment he tries dragging that divine sand into other districts' eyes?" He shrugged, the gesture deceptively casual. "That's where the sermon ends, and the real politics begin."

Azarias and Anna looked at him, shocked—he didn't seem like one to talk much.

"You're that type of person," Azarias said, smiling. "We'll work together."

A sharp, almost challenging grin touched Marquis's lips. "Work with? Or work for? Big difference, sir. And my last internship involved significantly less... celestial bureaucracy." He subtly adjusted his suit cuff, meeting Azarias's gaze directly. "But sure. Let's see what divine plans you've got scribbled on that paper."

"We'll work well together," Azarias said, smiling.