** A young woman sees a walking dead in the open streets of Whitby. A train full of corpses crashes into Kings Cross. In an Asylum, a gruesome nightmare becomes horrible reality.
All this should have been a warning to Kyle and his partner Benjamin...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Kaylee's eyebrows rose indignantly, her annoyance and bitterness visible on her features from the following words: "Do you think I would keep up this masquerade if I had been given the same opportunities as a woman?" Kaylee asked while shaking her head. "Wake up quickly. As a woman, I wouldn't even be allowed to have my own money. I couldn't rent a flat, let alone own a house. And I would hardly have been accepted into the Order of Seekers, no matter how talented I am." Her frustration was palpable, her voice trembling with the weight of her words.
Sighing, Dr Archer ran a hand through his brown hair, and his usually alert green eyes were tired, reflecting all the heavy thoughts that wouldn't make it past his lips. Even he behaved differently towards Kaylee whenever she put down the charade. Then what had been almost brotherly acceptance became a form of polite gentleness or even patronizing.
"You almost act like this has never happened in history, Archer! Pharaoh Hatshepsut, the pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Margaret Ann Bulkley lived her whole life James Barry as a man." Kaylee continued. "She studied as a man, she practiced as a military doctor, and even surpassed her male colleagues," she hissed, becoming more agitated with every word as she became more aware of the injustice. "She served in many parts of the British Empire; she was also on the Crimean War front. Alongside men. She went through the same thing - even in combat!"
"Crowford..." the doctor resumed, careful to address the subject and his partner as neutrally as possible, pushing back his inner voice, which, as so often, advised him to remain silent. "...I can certainly understand that some women feel restricted in their freedoms and opportunities, even if I don't fully comprehend it. I can also understand that such women may resort to drastic measures to realize their dreams, even if it means denying themselves and risking shame and disgrace. After all, we live in a man's world."
He took a deep breath and looked deeply into Kaylee's eyes. She sat stunned on the treatment table, and she could feel the doctor's curiosity getting the better of him as he began to dig and probe. "But what I still don't get is why you're doing this! All those women you mentioned before wanted power or freedom. But you? It's hard for me to imagine that you wanted to become a shareholder, and that's why you're going through all this trouble. No. You keep citing the order as the reason for your disguise. But that doesn't make sense! Why pretend to be a man to expose charlatans, chase after artifact smugglers, and defy occult creatures that pose a threat to spirit and life?"
Kaylee's expression slipped. She raised her left hand, and her gaze lingered on the white bandage that would soon be soaked with blood again. The hand that constantly reminded her that sacrifices had to be made to achieve one's goals. Goals that neither the Order nor Benjamin Archer knew about. "I have my reasons. And for them, I will tear down all obstacles in my way. That is why I will keep up this charade until I have reached the rank of Magi¹," Kaylee declared with a steely determination that was palpable in the air.
Dr Archer's features slipped, and he stared at Kaylee with wide eyes. "The Magi?" Benjamin wanted to reach into his hair or grab his head. "You can't be serious, Crowford," he groaned, and a rough laugh escaped his chest. Benjamin hoped Kaylee was only joking. "The Magi are a conspiratorial circle of Order members and the most powerful wizards in the entire Order.
