Dark Faïz (Book 2) [Completed]

Chapters 10-3

Asarys handed me the headset and we stood in line again. When my two friends were focused again, I gave the instructions.

"We will start with small steps, then we will accelerate gradually. Okay for you?"

Lexy nodded, followed by Asarys. Then we put our hoods back on our heads.

I had no idea how many hours we had been there, training. My strength was running out. Tired, my vision blurred with all that mist, which didn't help at all.

"Don't give up!" Malika said, replacing the wooden marks she had set up on the ground.

A little further, Asarys trained with Dewei, while Lexy teamed up with William. Running in this heavy outfit was impossible. Out of breath, I spat out my lungs, my hands on my knees.

"We'll never get there," I said to my nerves. "It would take several days, even weeks, to learn to move properly without the help of the gravitational bracelet."

"Too bad, because we don't have that much time!" cried Malika in an awkward voice. "Go to your place and do me the honor of completing this course, first running, then a second time chassé. Remember to position your feet properly."

"And after that? What is the rest of the program?"

"Sprint! In case you should run away if you are exposed."

I didn't ask more questions of the commando chief. The barbarism of the two men in the cave had been enough for me.

I looked one last time at the field of cherry blossoms before leaving. William and Malika were busy packing our outfits into bags while Dewei and Barthey were putting away the training equipment, which was all over the lawn.

"You must be in a hurry to find Faïz," declared Lexy, who took advantage of the calm to make up her hair next to me.

"And take a good shower. Lexy, it's time you go apologize."

My friend's eyes widened as if she didn't understand what I was telling her.

"I'll do it if we come back alive from our mission," she protested. "Otherwise—"

"Otherwise, it will be too late to do it!"

Lexy sighed then said,

"I hate when you're right."

"I hate to see you two like that," I retorted in a low voice, placing a hand on my friend's shoulder.

I was happy and relieved to see Lexy walking away from me to join Asarys, who was sitting under a sakura. When she saw Lexy approaching, she greeted her with a touch of mistrust in her eyes, but her face changed expressions very quickly at the moment when Lexy started to initiate the conversion. My two friends were sitting next to each other and now laughing together. This spectacle moved me, because they were both important to me.

"Night will fall soon. We'll have to go back to get ready."

Barthey's voice startled me. Busy watching Lexy and Asarys, I hadn't heard him coming up behind me.

"Inspector? If the mission goes wrong, could you spare my father and grandmother the details of my...sudden disappearance, please?"

Karl, lost, seemed to be looking for his words. He cleared his throat before responding with some caution.

"The authorities will tell them about an unfortunate car accident," he said, carefully avoiding my gaze.

The tone of his voice betrayed the emotion he was hiding inside him.

"Good. Thanks. Why did you never want to join the FBI or the armed forces? Is managing the affairs of second-time offenders enough for you?"

"This job prevents me from announcing the mysterious death of our heroes to their loved ones. I can't sleep soundly, but at least this job allows me to find a semblance of sleep."

I watched Barthey join the group a little further away. His words, tinged with sadness, echoed in my head. I rolled my eyes before closing them to try to clear my mind. Issei was right, the energy was all around us, and at that moment, I felt like I was feeding on it.