Prologue: Kyrie

Amidst this burning time,
my heart is drowning and writhing...
Those lies that made me dizzy,
I took them and tore them up
and with that, I became lost
in the world of darkness
---"Shell", Bana

Robin was on the crowded subway train, her delicate hand clinging to the rail above her. She could see, at moments in the light of the subway car, her black-clad reflection across from her in the window: a slip of a girl, dressed in a high-necked black pilgrim's dress and dark trenchcoat, with ribbons wound round her golden locks of hair. Her expression was serene, peaceful.

The train passed quickly next to a darkened building. Out of the corner of her eye, standing beside her in her reflection, was Amon.

She turned to him in surprise. "A--Amon?"

He was as coldly silent as usual, staring straight ahead of him, his dark locks framing his face which seemed set in stone.

Without warning, his clothing burst into flames.

Robin's face turned from surprise to a look of horror. " Amon! "

She moved to help him, but found her feet were rooted to the floor of the train.

She looked back up at him, as he gazed over at her calmly through the flames licking at his dark clothing and ebony hair. Tears came to her eyes... " Amon, no! "

A second passed, and as she looked upon him, she realized he was not burning. Her tears caught on her lashes. Why is he not being burnt by the flames?

Suddenly his face contorted unexpectedly, to form the head of a horned beast, like a ram, and she gasped in terror---

"Oi. Robin."

She had jumped when he said her name, despite being strapped into the airplane seat. After a startled moment regaining her bearings, she relaxed. "A--ah."

He was looking at her with his dark eyes, seated next to her. "Are you all right?" The question sounded like it held more suspicion than concern for her.

She let out a shaky breath, and turned to him, nodding. "Ah." She looked into her lap. "I'm all right." She fingered her necklace pensively.

Amon regarded her with a detatched curiosity. "You were making some noises, as though you might have been dreaming," he told her, keeping his voice low. They didn't need to arouse anyone's suspicion on the plane flight, especially before they were even airborne. Even assuming false identities was risky. Solomon was on the hunt.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, fingering her necklace, and wincing as she heard the jet engines of the plane begin to whine. "I just had a bad dream, it was nothing."

"We're about to take off soon, so you'll have plenty of time to sleep in the air," he told her, folding his arms over his chest. "If you get hungry, we still have leftover food in the seat pocket."

She turned away from him, towards the window of the plane, and buried her face in the soft airline-provided pillow. A muffled "Ah" could be heard from her direction, and she closed her eyes again, trying to cast the dream image from her mind.

Amon regarded her out of the corner of his eye.

***

He recalled their last few moments in Factory, just days ago, as the facility was crashing down all around them.

Robin had been awash in sorrow and grief at the fate of the witches they'd seen in the glowing Orbo extraction tanks. She had stopped sadly, weeping, as she heard the screams of the trapped witches' ghosts. Even as they were comatose they spoke to her in their agony.

" They're screaming, " she had cried, and with her witchfire, she had lit their green tombs to burn them and finally allay their pain.

Her eyes still aglow with flames, she hadn't noticed the ceiling crashing down on them, even as Karasuma ran for the elevator. "Robin! Amon! This way---hurry!" she cried, as she tried to hold the door open.

Amon looked from Robin to the elevator, and realized he had a choice; save himself...or save her.

"Go on!" he shouted to Karasuma, who shook her head violently. "Get yourself out of here---now!" Before Karasuma could argue with him further, the elevator door was blocked by falling ceiling debris, and she fell backwards. The doors shut in front of her.

Amon turned in time to see the ceiling falling on Robin, who was still staring at the burning Orbo tanks....he moved, lightning fast, and jumped to push her out of the way...

When the dust cleared, momentarily safe from the rubble that threatened to completely consume them, he opened his eyes. He was holding Robin in his arms, they were both on the ground... ...he had jumped thirty feet?....

Coughing from the dust, he was just about to pull them both to their feet, when he noticed Robin was chanting something fervently, tears soaking her face. He keened his ears to listen to her harsh whispers.

" Lord have mercy upon us,
Christ have mercy upon us,
Lord have mercy upon us.... "

The sounds of her sobs, intermingling with the soft chanting, tugged at his heart as he pulled her up, supporting her, and ran with her to safety, out of the hellhole that had been Factory. At least now she knew the truth. At least now they could make Solomon believe that they were dead. At least now they had hope for her.

" Lord have mercy upon us... "

I wonder if anyone's listening, Amon thought, as they made their escape.

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