The Arcana ~ The Requiem of Lost Memories

XVII- The Star

1. Prices to pay

"So, uh.
Did I get that right?
You met The Magician, who told you that you've got to unravel your past,
but didn't tell you a concrete way how?"
"That's about the gist of it, yes."
Asra shifts his weight, looking down at the entangled heap of Julian and me.
"So. I suppose we should get going then."
We stand, and dust off our Masquerade clothes.
Asra clears his throat.
"Where does your magic lead you, Akiko?"
I close my eyes, feeling deep within me.
There... A bit further is something, resonating with my magic.
This must be it.
I nod, pointing my finger to the direction it's coming from.
"This way."
Leading the way, I set off, Asra and Julian at my heels.
We walk past the glittering shores of the Magician's realm, reaching a dock, that looks awfully familiar.
Julian's jaw drops in surprise.
"This... Isn't this...?"
Yes.
It's the Vesuvian dock.
Unmistakably so.
The same old wood... The same, dark sea... The same, black silhouette of an island looming at the horizon.
The Lazaret.
It used to be a quarantine island for those infected with the Plague.
But now, rumours say the island's cursed.
This is where my magic leads me. A truth lies there... One I am supposed to find.
Both Julian and Asra tense behind me, as I step closer, towards a boat.
"There... It's leading me there."
Asra and Julian's expressions darken, but they step to my side.
Julian determinedly steps into the boat, helping me in.
"I'd go anywhere for you... Even there."
Asra turns his head, unable to meet my eyes.
"I'd rather go anywhere but the Lazaret.
...
What if something happens to you while we're there, Akiko?"
The energy of the island is dark, true.
It might be risky, even though I feel stronger. Like my magic has grown.
Still...
"Answers lie there, I'm sure of it. We just have to try."
"...the Lazaret isn't just dangerous for you. It also holds memories for me. Dark ones. The worst of my life."
Asra takes a deep, shaky breath.
"Yet... If that is the place you're drawn to... I will come with you.
We are family after all."
Asra's smile is faint, but determined, as he steps onto the boat as well.
Julian's gaze darts between Asra and me, looking puzzled.
"Err, hm. Did I miss something?"
Asra chuckles.
"That's a story for another day, don't you think?"
I lay a hand on Julian's arm.
"Though, it really is nothing serious.
Just Asra being some sort of big brother to me, after taking me in..."
I go to the edge of the boat, dipping my hand into the water, letting my magic push us onward.
Asra looks mildly impressed.
"...You've come a long way."
I shake my head.
"I still have much to learn."

The Lazaret looms closer and closer, it's black towers dominating our sight, the air smelling of...smoke.
The boat comes to a gentle stop between two trees at the beach.
The sand feels soft, almost sticky under our feet... infused with layers of black ash.
The bone-deep feeling within me intensifies. It tugs me onward.
We need to go further, through the wrought iron gates... behind the walls.
"I think we need to go inside."
Asra swallows hard, and warmth floods me, as Julian's hand finds mine.
"Alright. We will follow wherever you lead. Even... into the Lazaret."
"Thank you, you two."
Vines dangle from the high, black iron gates, like hands reaching out to grab us.
We part the branches, stepping through the gate, into the deep gloom on the other side.
For one terrifying moment, I can't hear or see anything.
I can't even feel Julian's hand around mine.
It's like a thick veil, dropping over my senses.
Then, a spark of soft, rosy light shines through the darkness.
We are in a wide room, light passing through the hole in the ceiling, that has given in and lays now in crumbles on the floor.
Ash now flies visibly around, making the air thick and hard to breathe.
Julian's expression saddens and his shoulders tense.
"So many souls that perished here... Each one another failure of mine."
I squeeze his hand and he smiles wryly.
Now that he says it...
I can feel the endless despair and suffering of the infected. It's so oppressive I can almost touch it.
A long, low gallery stretches before us, furnished with rows of rusting bedframes.
"There wasn't enough space to bury everyone who died on this island..."
Asra's face turns dark, and eternally sad.
"So Lucio ordered his architects to add a crematorium.
The dead went up in flames. First in dozens... Then in hundreds... And thousands."
Dread builds in my stomach, as Julian nods disheartenedly and points to the far end of the gallery.
For a moment, I think I can see a flicker in the darkness.
The dull glow of a fire with endless fuel, but it fades just as fast as it came.
Asra's shoulders slump.
"...the crematorium is calling for you, isn't it?"
"...How did you know?"
"...I- ...I'm so, so sorry Akiko. I should have told you myself, rather than you finding it out. It's just... I told you everything once, and almost lost you for good."
I can feel the heartache in his every word.
But he puts on a brave face, forcefully brushing away his tears.
"Now... The past is not mine to tell you. It's yours to reclaim."
We pick our way through the rubble and overgrowth to the crematorium.
Julian has fallen completely silent.
The archway is tinted pitch black with soot.
Incinerators stand cold and empty... Each one big enough to swallow a person whole.
I'm completely drawn by my magic as I let go of Julian's hand, reaching out for the grate of the nearest furnace.
The iron handle is greasy, sooty, as my fingers close around it.