LUCEM
LXX Chapter

"Look at me." said Magenta in a soft voice.

I thought, directing my eyes to look into his eyes.

He looked at me, his expression calm towards the cold. Her eyes were different, blue in color, and there was something on her, her thick brow line, her sharp nose, evoking an ancient feeling within my chest.

Silence gathered around, an unspoken curiosity pulled us together. He searched my face for so long that I started looking for him too. Somehow I knew that this was rare, that he might never again give me a chance to see him like this.

We were so close that I could see the details of his skin. Her brown hair was thick and thick, her cheekbones were high, and her lips were pink, bright.

He touched a finger to my chin, raised my face. “Your good looks are overrated,” he said. "I don't know what your mother thinks."

Surprise and confusion flared up within me, but it didn't currently occur to me to reciprocate the same. His words seemed careless. As he spoke, I caught a glimpse of a slight sparkle in his lower incisors.

Today," he said. “Things will change. 

Magenta stepped forward. 

Her iris eyes had somehow become extremely blue. A line of black fur curved in his eyes. "I am your master" he said.

"Huh?" I'm stunned.

His lips were curled, only slightly. There was something behind his eyes, something more, something else. "You understand," he said, "that you're mine now."

"I'm yours" the phrase slid itself from my lips.

“My rules are your laws. You won't obey the others" he continued.

"I obey you." I blinked at him, like slow. Like not believing in my own mouth.

Magenta retreats. “Kneeling."

I looked at him, frozen. The command is pretty clear, but it feels like a mistake. With the corner of my eye I looked for the whereabouts of Marbella and Venus.

“Kneel, Mars. Now." Now." His voice was low and pressing.

Carefully, I obeyed. The ground was hard, the grass was wet and cold and my shoes were too stiff to make this position comfortable. Still, I remained on my knees, for so long that a curious spider slumped down from the tree, peering towards me upside down. I stared at Magenta's foot-only boots, small pieces of yellow and brown grass clinging to it, wet. The almost straight curves of her calf muscles are visible even through her skirt. The ground smelled of fresh grass and dust.

When he returned the command, I looked up.

"Now say," he said softly.

"Yes?" i waited.

"Tell me that I'm your master."

My mind became empty.

A dull and warm sensation enveloped me, the paralysis of the search that locked my tongue, making my mind jammed. A hint of fear pushed me, drowned me, and I struggled to break the surface, clawing my way back to the present moment.

I looked into his eyes.

"You Magenta are my master" I said.

Her smile was curved, beautiful. I caught the fire in his eyes. "Good," he said softly. "Very good. It's weird, Mars... Heh, you might be my favorite.”

I glanced, without moving my head, to the other side to find Marbella or Venus under the tree, on the grass, and my mind recorded the discrepancies of the image. There, there was a strange mixture between green and silent. Here, the tree is warm and reddish in color. The perfect autumn leaves.

I dismissed that thought.

"Hey, Mars..." The voice of Magenta called.

"Wait!"

I realized, as I increased my speed, I felt fresh air sweep over my skin. I looked around as my feet took me away, trying to understand the details. The sky is blueer than I've ever seen. There were no clouds visible for miles. I don't know if this weather is unique to geographical locations at altitude or just regular climate change. Apart from that, I took a deep breath. The air was comfortable, I took a deep breath. It's good air.

Whatisthis?

It's nice here, although it's a little hot with these shoes and clothes. I wore a soft blue shirt suit and brown pants that I found between the folds of our clothes in the room. Marbella made sure early on that we had everything we needed. We have toiletries. Clean clothes and footwear.

Venus, seen on the other side...

I narrowed my eyes at his retreating figure. I can't believe she looks like she hasn't had a bath yet. He still wears a loose white shirt last night. His black pants were torn, his face still smeared with what I could only imagine was a blend of flour and dirt. Wild hair. And somehow—entah how. I don't get it.

I slowed down my steps and approached her side, but I was still walking with vigor. Gasps. Started sweating.

Hey," I said, pinching my shirt off my chest, which started sticking. The weather is getting weird, suddenly it's blistering. I grimaced up, towards the sun.

"Hey," I said again, this time patting Venus on the shoulder. He pushed my hand so enthusiastically that I almost tripped.

“OK, listen, I know you may be busy or just finished with it, but—”,

Venus has suddenly disappeared.

"Hey, where are you going?" I screamed, my voice ringing. "Are you going back to your room? Should I meet you there?”

Some people looked at me. Strangers, people I've never seen and met before. Some people who linger in the sun make me look dirty.

I look at you like I'm a freak.

"Leave them," sizzled someone at me. "Go."

I rolled my eyes. There's no one around me.

"Hei—" I shouted, hoping he was still close enough to hear me. “Do you see a girl, I mean a woman, I mean—”

Suddenly Magenta's face reappeared so close to my face, I almost shouted. Suddenly I took a frightened step back.

"If you value your life" he said, "don't yell at everyone."

I was eager to point out that he was being dramatic, but he cut me off.

"I'm not saying that to be dramatic. I didn't even say it to scare you. I said it out of respect for Marbella, because I know she would rather you not get hurt or get killed in your training,” Magenta said.

I was silent for a whole second. And then I frowned.

“Am I dreaming now? I must be dreaming right now. Right?"

Magenta's eyes became sharp. Electric flashes. A frightening kind of crazy sparkle.

"No" he answered briefly.

Our background is spinning fast, I'm looking for something as a handle.

Magentas!

Now he stood among the tall grasses, waving a small sheet of stained cloth in his hand. Her hair moved in the gentle breeze.

I stood propping up my hands on my knees, adjusting my breath, looking at him to measure our distance before running back.

Oh, mercy... Marbella, help me. Are you going to let your sister lose her sanity? I wail in my heart.

The sound of Marbella's laughter made me turn my head, she held up the spatula high, hanging the almost ripe noodles. Magenta and Venus laughed with him.