real units don't betray each other.

chapter 1 - a new entrance

As soon as the first rays of sun entered Tally's room, she woke up. She was still used to waking up very soon to train at Fort Salem, even though it had been three years since the last time she'd slept there. Thinking about those good times always brough tears of sadness and nostalgia to her eyes. How long had it been since she'd last talked to one of her sisters, Raelle and Abigail? Two years? Probably even more, considering that apart from videocalls and text messages they hadn't communicated face to face for a very long time. And how long had it been since the last time she'd felt the soft touch of Alder's hands on her skin, the delicacy of her voice?
She could have continued thinking about those memories for hours, but she had to get on and prepare to go to work. Yes, work, and despite it could seem strange, witches couldn't produce money with their songs. Leaving Fort Salem had meant having to find a job for them all, and ever since... they hadn't had much time for anything else apart from an ordinary, civilian life.
Tally got out of bed and got ready. She quickly glanced at the clock and noticed she had half an hour before having to leave to catch the bus in time, so she decided to make her own breakfast instead of buying something from the first bakery she would have seen on the street. She opened the fridge and looked at what was inside. "yeah, I definitely have to buy something next time I go shopping" she reminded herself. In there was enough just to make a breakfast, and not even one of the best ones. She rarely cooked her own meals, since she was always out for lunch and usually ordered takeaway for dinner. She made pancakes with some dough left, probably from when she wanted to eat something sweet two days before but couldn't have anything delivered at her home since it was around three am. When she finished eating she got up, grabbed a jacket on her way to the door and went out. She'd been living on that flat for two years now. The first year had been... complicated, but she eventually found that small place and it worked pretty well for her since she spent little time at home and even in that cases she didn't require much space. A bed and a place to cook something was enough. Also, big houses always reminded her of loneliness, a feeling she'd suppressed for too much time. She went downstairs and opened the light blue door that introduced her to her city's street. She walked to the nearest bus stop, hoping not to be late once again — it's a long story —, occasionally greeting someone that smiled towards her direction. She waited for the bus and hopped on as soon as its doors opened. It was quite full so there was little room to move, but she managed to get comfortable until her stop. This time she wouldn't have gotten off at the Cas' Searches, where she used to work until last friday. She had received a promotion and would have now been moved to a bigger building, with more interesting cases and misteries still unsolved. In fewer words, her dream of a lifetime.
The bus left her exactly in front of the big, wooden door. The fact that it wasn't a dull aluminium one gave her a feeling of warmth and made her think about Fort Salem for a moment. No, she had to be focused for what she had to do now, she couldn't let her mind think about what had once been her home. She walked up to the doors and reluctantly rang the bell on the side. She was anxoius, nervous, panicked. What if she said something wrong? What if it was all a mistake and she wasn't supposed to be there, so they would have sent her back to her old workplace? After all, she still couldn't believe it was really happening.
A young-looking woman, who was wearing black trousers and a black jacket over a white shirt, opened the door for her.
"You must be Craven" she guessed.
Tally nodded in response.
"We've received the email from your old workplace, congratulations. Welcome to the most famous agency of mistery solving and detectives, nonetheless the court that solved scandals and guided the process of international politicians and businessmen." She gave her an encouraging nod, as to invite her to enter the building. As Tally listened to the woman's words, it seemed to read a book you've already read twice, or more likely to watch a video that you've already seen multiple times. She'd visualised that moment in her head again and again and again, until she eventually couldn't anymore and stopped, just to repeat the same routine the next day and so on. She wanted to be ready, to expect everything from that first day, to have no surprises that could have made her even more anxious than she already was.
When Tally stepped inside, she immediately noticed the atmosphere. It was like the whole building was holding a breath not to be released any soon. The walls of the main aisle were grey, and she stood on a white and red carpet. She wouldn't have been able to explain why they chose those colours, perhaps they didn't like the calming vibes blue and cold colours sent.
The woman guided her thoughout an intricated maze of staircases and aisles, from where she could see inside the rooms. Each one of them was different, whether it was private or accessible by the public.
She was led to the last floor, which was something like the fifth or the sixth, and they walked past an elevator.
"Couldn't we have used that instead?" she asked, noticing that the woman was also tired from the five staircases they just had to go through.
The woman seemed to become suddenly uncomfortable. "Well, you see... we can't use it."
"May I ask why?"
"You'll find out soon" she replied in a dark but worried tone, that made Tally suspicious. With those words, she gestured at the doors — almost as big as the entrance ones — that were immediately opened by the two guards who stood at their sides. She encouraged her to walk into the room, and she obeyed, but as soon as she looked up her body refused to move. All of that vision work and everything else just to be surprised on the spot. Surely, she hadn't expected that to happen.
She stared at the person who was sitting in the middle of the round, long desk, but she couldn't believe what she was witnessing.
"You?"
The other person nodded, and she made a step forward.