Façade | Jerza

1 | Porlyusica

"In a place like this...freedom is in your heart."

—the voice in the darkness

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Year X776

"Give it a try." Brain studied Jellal trying to perfect a spell he taught his pupil. The young boy concentrated as hard as he could to place the magic circle near a mountain, isolated from the rest of Magnolia. He didn't understand why Brain tried to be so stealthy when it came to Fairy Tail. Then again, Makarov didn't know he was with—perhaps the most dangerous man—in the middle of nowhere. The rain pelted heavily against the dark cement. The young mage jumped into the air with his arm outstretched, his other hand gripped the outstretched one, watching the purple markings on his arm glow when he activated the spell. One moment the markings shone brilliantly, then they gradually dissipated. Jellal gracefully landed on one knee with his breathing slightly labored.

"What do you think?" Jellal's eyes narrowed to the odd marks on Brain's face which were continuously glowing.

Brain swallowed hard, he marvelled at Jellal's prowess in magic; this boy was a force to be reckoned with. "Yes, you exceeded my expectations..."

The mage shrugged at his comment; it was nothing new to his ears. Deafened by the sound of the rain, Brain led him to a nearby shed, deserted for as long as the elder could remember. "Did you touch up on the ideology of the Black Wizard?"

Shockingly enough, he shook his head. Jellal crossed his arms and acted as if he held no value for the renowned wizard. "I have no interest in a mage who is supposedly dead if that's what you claim. Though, it's hard to believe he still has a huge impact on Ishgar if he's dead. Not even all the heroes are remembered, yet your kind remembers the cursed man."

"Why would that be unbelievable? No mortal man can live eternally."

"True, these theories may be somewhat ingenious and comprehensively justified. But you're forgetting the single fact that Zeref is immortal. He's somewhere in the world, hence why all the dark guilds try to locate him. I can't speak for you—I'd hardly even call your little organization a guild."

Brain laughed, Jellal was quick and vigorous. "I'm not holding the children against my word. I promised them freedom, though it's a universal concept, wouldn't you agree? The freedom they dream of differs from how I interpret it."

Jellal pitied those children, Brain was no savior. Not when those kids had prayers unable to be granted. Not until they escaped themselves. It was a bold risk, but it'd play out as Jellal predicted. They would escape captive's wrath and rebel against him. Like a ravenous, wild dog.

The boy's lips curved into a smug expression. "They'll abandon you in due time, I'm sure of it."

He had the physique of an eleven year old, but a mind of a prodigy in magic. A mastermind at the very least. "Perhaps, and what will you do about it, Jellal?"

"Watch the whole scenario play out."

If Jellal was being sarcastic, he didn't provide any comical relief. Fact-of-the-matter, he was dead serious. His every movement was thorough and calculated. Jellal knew who was his friend and foe, there was no deceiving him. He lost interest in allying himself with others the moment he escaped the Tower of Heaven. His friends were the only ones loyal to him, but Fairy Tail was still not a place he could place his faith in. Not now, he would put them through a series of tests to determine the extent of their trust.