Ordo Noctis

Chapter 13

"Miso soup!" Mrs. Kobayashi called, entering the room with three bowls of steaming liquid. She stopped short when she saw our faces.

The bowls dropped and shattered.

"What did they do to her?" She cried, ignoring the mess and grabbing the letter. She scanned it quickly, then let it flutter to the floor as her face went slack with shock.

The scream that came next was raw and furious, the strength of a mother in mourning.

The letter sank into the puddle of hot soup on the floor and I watched as the broth took over the fragile paper, the ink smearing as everything I thought I knew unfolded.

✩✧🟃🟀🟃✧✩

Mars and I left the house shortly after. I don't think the Kobayashis wanted us there anymore; they didn't need strangers in their home while they struggled to comprehend the unthinkable tragedies we had just dropped in their lap. The two of us didn't speak; we were just as much in shock. Ordo Noctis, our home, wasn't the place we thought it was at all. And Madam Kobayashi had faced unspeakable consequences for exposing those truths. That's why she became so loopy. That's why she stopped writing to Mei.

We didn't know what to think or feel. And what about Han - the man who had raised us from birth? Is he just as cruel as his organization? Or was he outnumbered by his colleagues and held captive like the rest? How could he let these things happen? And why were they happening at all?

We still had a huge amount of money left from Base, so we stayed that night in a hotel in Fukuoka. We were trying to save as much money as possible, so we just got a room with one bed. I don't think either of us realized how awkward that was going to be until we entered the room.

Trying to make small talk, I searched for something to say. "Do you remember how Han told us to recite that thing?" I recalled. "'Let there be light' or whatever?"

"Oh, right," Mars said. "Do you want to try it?"

I shrugged. "It's the only thing we have to go on, so let's try it. On the count of three?"

Mars agreed. "One, two, three!"

"Let there be light," we chorused.

The first thing I thought was how strange it was for Ordo Noctis to be associated with anything light-related. It was, after all, the Order of Midnight. Light was not really in its dictionary of code words - it was the opposite theme of most passwords we had learned. Maybe that was a good thing... seeing as Ordo Noctis wasn't exactly a moral organization, maybe we should be focusing on the opposite of it.

The next thing I thought was, "What the fuck..." Which I mumbled aloud as the two of us watched our hands snap together. Mars's palms felt warm against mine. Later, I would realize that we had magnets implanted in our hands - that's why they connected. From our point of connection, a holograph grew until it hovered in front of us.

Holographic screens... Han's specialty. We watched anxiously as his image formed and finally began to speak.

"If you are seeing this, you must have so many questions. I will do my best to answer them all. I only ask that you forgive me for my choices; I will never know whether they were the correct ones. That is now for you to decide."

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment to prevent the tears from falling. It was so good to see Han's face again.

"When I decided to raise the two of you, I didn't realize what I was doing to two innocent children. At the time, I did not understand how cruel Ordo Noctis had become. In its quest to be secretive, it prevented anybody from leaving or sharing any information with others. Even as the Shadow, I did not notice the signs that my highest operatives were slowly becoming more and more corrupt. Even now, as I am recording this, I wish that I had made every decision myself. If I had not allowed others to help run the organization, none of this would have happened. I owe you both an apology for bringing you into such an unstable, evil place to grow up.

"My only pride now is that I did, in fact, raise you. I know your strengths, your weaknesses, your opinions and thoughts. Because I have watched you all these years, analyzing from the sidelines, I know how to guide you through the tasks ahead.

"I know that when I destroy Base from the inside, killing thousands of people that would never have escaped Ordo Noctis anyway (including myself), you two will be the only two that escape in time.

"I know that the first thing you will think about is the information I instructed Madam Kobayashi to tell you casually during one of her lessons. I know that you will travel to Japan and speak to her family. I know that grief beyond imagination will meet you there. I am sorry I cannot spare you from that. I still hold so much regret about what I did not stop from happening to poor Ichika. And even more that I did not do anything sooner - but I had to wait until the two of you were ready."

Here, Han paused, looking down for a moment as he wiped his eyes. "And I know that you have been wondering about your real parents - for how long, I cannot be certain, but I know that you must be so curious. Another regret - that I did not give you this information sooner. I was as new to raising children as any new parent and did not know the right time to talk to you about your birth family.

"I wanted it to be easy for the two of you to find your parents when the time came, so I ensured that they lived close to each other. The last I heard, both of your families were living in Venice...Via Triestina, I believe."

Mars and I exchanged a glance - Venice was our favorite place - and almost missed Han's next words.

"Mars - your last name is Romano. Star - your surname is Colombo. I know this is so much new information, and I hope you will remember everything I have told you."

"I don't know how to convey how much I wish things had happened differently. I still don't know if my decision was the correct one - to leave you all alone - but I think it needed to happen eventually. I don't know how I'll live with myself knowing I killed thousands of operatives - daughters and sons, sisters and brothers, maybe even parents - devoted to justice and unaware of its consequences. But I guess I won't have to live with myself - I won't have time to escape after planting the bomb."

A sob escaped my lips - a part of me had been hoping Han might still be out there somewhere.

"I already explained the logic behind your names. Either of you could turn out better - but now I understand that it was never a comparison, but a collaboration. Our plan was to keep you separate, but the truth is that you are stronger together. You make a better team than I could have ever hoped for. I trust the two of you more than I trust myself. Take care of each other. Depend on each other. Strive to make yourselves proud, not me. And as you progress through the rest of your hopefully long and fulfilling life, remember that you are only as alone as you allow yourself to be."

The holograph clicked away and I felt our hands unattach, but I didn't want to let go. I twined my fingers with his and we stumbled into each other's embrace.

The night certainly causes many tears, doesn't it?

Another sad chapter lol. But I love that they're comforting each other it's so cute :)