Kiass responded quickly to the call . They took it, took it to the hotel and provided it with fresh clothes. In the zero world, it was three o'clock in the morning. Arsi counted this time late in the night, and Greck - in the early morning. Ink u didn't care. I did not want to sleep, but all the conversations were planned to be postponed to a later time. They spoke incomprehensible Ink in the language in this area , but the attendants coped with everything perfectly and did not need any help from the fugitives from the small world.

- Do not sleep? - Arsi peered into the room . - I'm sorry that without knocking ...

"No ..." Ink looked in surprise at the girl's modest expression. - It's okay.

"I wanted to talk." It all fell so ...

"Yes," Ink did not know what to say.

"There, in a small world, this girl ... are you with her? ..

- She wanted to run away from there. I just asked for help, although I chose a rather unusual way.

Awkwardness hung in the air.

"They have a special ritual," Arsi began to explain , crouching on a bed near Ink a. - Lovers take a vow of fidelity, taking a bath, washing away all the dirt and odor. This is usually done before sacrificing a person to demons, but the marriage ceremony in that small world consists in washing together. So lovers say to each other: "You are more precious to me than life." Spend the allotted time in happiness and harmony, and then die in one day. For us, this is romance from fairy tales, and for them it is part of life. They really do that.

"This is not romance," Ink objected . - It is nonsense. It would be better if they did the opposite.

- The smell of blood of some animals is unpleasant to those monsters. Initially, they dirty themselves, saving lives. Over time, everything grew into an unusual tradition.

Arsi was silent, and Ink was pondering new information. The actions of Rown presented in a slightly new light.

"Do you remember how you ended up in the world of reflection?" - Arsi seemed pleased that she had found a new reason for conversation. - When I got there, I saw the majestic throne room. In front of me at a height in a beautiful chair sat it - indifferent, unattainable. Steps led to the throne from my place, but ended after only a few meters. Sometimes an illusory missing part flickered in the void, but something inside said it was impossible to step on them. You'll try and immediately fall into the abyss, from which there will be no return, " Arsi's gaze shot into the distance. "She said she could offer a lot, but the choice would still be mine."

"And what did you ask?" Eight thousand points - a lot, - Ink remembered such a distant conversation when he met and thought about whether ideal memory can sometimes become an instrument of torture.

"Stairs," Arsi lifted her legs to the edge of the bed and buried her head in her lap. - Ink , I asked for steps that will help rise to her. She replied that it was impossible to buy, because the stairs are already there. Nothing and no one bothers me to pass, except myself. She said that everything around me was just a reflection of my subconscious, and then ... offered a choice: "

Personality or memory? What do you want to lose?

". As I remember now, all this. The past I ... it was clear to her which option is correct. "

Do you want to say that the steps disappear and become an illusion due to my disbelief in myself? That I myself created the shackles of my exaltation? Then I will destroy them! That is my choice!

"These were her last words. As soon as they were pronounced, I appeared. I had no desires, no preferences, fears, regrets ... only the memory of the one that was before me. None of the remaining memories I considered my own. It's hard to feel. Another victim for the sake of his own life, - Arsi's hand laid on the palm of Ink a. An understanding of his feelings shone in his eyes. Let her have to go through a different experience. -

Past erased herself and gave me a chance. In memory of this, I climbed the stairs and stood in front of the throne. Illusory steps became real, as soon as I put my foot on them. The woman who was sitting at the very top asked about my desired abilities. What would the past I want? So I thought, but the spirit foresaw this and suggested not to do such stupidity. Finally, past sacrificed herself so that I would not make her mistakes. Looking through the memory, carefully rummaging through it, I felt like a thief. It was then that I thought that I had stolen everything from her - even her appearance. From here came my first desire.

Keep the memory of the past, but not be obliged to it, do not feel like an invader of someone else's body. The ability to change appearance is one hundred points. For the physical body, corrections, even the smallest ones, require quite a lot of time, but degenerated ones are forms of energy, so I changed my face right away ... to the one that I wanted. The second ability is voice change. This is a potentially combat skill, but the initial stage provides very limited advantages, and even then only in disguise.

In a world where they feel energy, few can be deceived with another voice. Nevertheless, it cost me two hundred and fifty points. The last ability is the most expensive - separation. Highlight past into a separate body, albeit without reason. A stupid and childish desire, probably ... and yet I gave another thousand seven hundred points for it.

- How many?

"You heard right," Arsi did not raise her head, "I spent two thousand and fifty points on my abilities. Want to know where the rest went? She offered me something. Access to a special space where I can develop in a special technique. As it turned out, I had not only a physical body, one of the subtle also began to develop. Too weak to stay in the zero world, but strong enough to attract her attention. The place where she sent me was a world of reflection, but not the one that opened to me. She said that this is the original appearance of her abode, and she did not call the energies distorted by the subconscious mind particularly useful. All the other points I spent on time in that place. She gave me a small brochure, a copy of the manuscript from the library. Thousands of points remaining ... In order to completely burn them it took more than fifteen years.

- This brochure ...

"That's right, Ink ." Arsi raised her head and looked at him with her clean eyes. - In this limitless white world, I studied sairen. I learned to absorb energy in order to grow my subtle body. Amazing thing ... I got quite a bit, the subtle body developed poorly, but, as you see, even this turned out to be enough for our salvation.

- Want more?

"Of course," Arsi smiled bitterly, "but you can't get into that world anymore."

"This is not necessary," Ink felt a strange closeness to this impudent girl. He desperately wanted to share his feelings with someone. - You see, I have not lost my body, as others think. In our first meeting, the glow around me was the result of saturation with white energy. Even now I have preserved it a little.

"This is..." Arsi shook her head, "no, I can't, because you probably paid a lot to get it." Do not tell anyone if it is impossible to even imagine the consequences.

"You're the only one I told." Don't worry, it cost me nothing. This white world ... I don't even know how to say it, " Ink scratched his head with an embarrassed expression on his face. - I ended up in it initially. This was my version of reflection.

- Impossible ... It appears only for those born in this world, and you ...

"I'm tired of this stuff," Ink shrugged. - I did not appear from another world and no descendant of higher powers. They didn't even give me a choice, they immediately erased my memory. Nothing heroic. It's funny ... But points are generally something. I got twelve points. Even the weakest ability was not enough. Spent three points on answers from a voice ... spirit. I did not see her, I only heard. She was pretty kind, you know? A pleasant voice, like a mother or a caring older sister. It was she who composed for me a combination of abilities based on my desire for future strength. As I now understand, she had the insight to look much further and take into account much more than I could even imagine.

"But what about these rumors ..." Arsi frowned .

- Grank . He is a descendant of higher powers. I only later accidentally found out from his amulet. In this little thing, by the way, his memory was preserved, so that he did not lose anything at all. I didn't even think that I would get so stuck because of a few random words.

"That's how ... Grank , huh?" He's changed lately.

"Like all of us," Ink smiled. - You know, now that I have spoken, I have revealed the truth about myself, it has become even easier. Calm down. In the end, I am me, and you are you. None of us need to pretend to be someone else.

"Yes ... and refuse part of ourselves too." Even if my past and I are similar in some ways, there is no need to run away from this. " Arsi looked at Ink and laid her head on her knee with her cheek. - Now it has become easier for me. You know, I really don't like Kiass a.

- If you think that someone took your statements seriously, then greatly overestimate your acting abilities.

- No, I say this not because of self-confidence. I just want you to know. Kiass and I didn't ... - Arsi smiled easily, not taking her clear eyes from Ink ah, - I love.

Arsi changed her position and wrapped her arms around Ink a.

"This body is not real, but I can console you with something," whispered Arsi softly and gently . - Close eyes.

Ink obeyed, but reluctantly. Not so long ago, he was already faced with a similar scenario and it ended very tragically. Arsi touched his forehead and in front of Ink's mind's eye , her bright beam appeared. He looked like a huge crystal of violet color. Sharp snowflakes flickered around him. No strands of reason were visible. The radiance intensified, appealing to the light of Ink himself . The image of Arsi was imprinted in his mind. And feelings ... the spring wind, the softness of a clean stream, a warm plaid on my knees. At some point, Ink let go of all the worries and burdens, ceased to distinguish where the images from his lamp, and where - the particles of Arsi .

- Well, how? - The girl smiled, sitting on his lap.

The moment of returning to reality was accompanied by a pulling pain from grief, as if something extremely valuable had been lost. Arsi raised a palm over which a familiar drop of a force field froze. Ink called his own - a little larger.

"Nowhere to go ..."

- How?..

"This happens, Ink ." Arsi rose neatly and walked toward the door. - The proximity of souls inspires. Hope this helps you grow into Sairen faster.

Ink pondered the words of Arsi and tried to practice the hardening of the light. In the morning they came to him.

"Hello," the man with many wrinkles, accompanied by a pair of guards, threw a quick glance at Ink and stopped near the container with a silver lump. - Hello, my darling.

The man seemed to be talking to the creature, not to Ink om himself . He took a syringe from his pocket, attached a needle and plunged his hand into the container.

- Hey! - Ink jumped up and tried to stop the intruders who did not even introduce themselves. - What are you doing?

The guards deftly wiped Ink aside. His arms were twisted and put on his knees. The old man completely did not pay attention to what was happening. From the container he pulled out a syringe empty. Strange sounds were heard, after which a coughing beast crawled out of the container. Lumps of mucus fell out of his mouth. As the silver monster cleared the light folds above his nose, they smoothed out. The eyelids became visible under which behind a cloudy film eyes were hidden.

- There is! - the stranger said excitedly and cleverly tied the beast in the face with a black shawl that came from nowhere. - Call me.

On a jerky order, one of the guards went out into the corridor. Soon he returned to the company of a group of people, among whom were Ink's acquaintances in their faces - Michaelon and the blood magician. One person stood out. Around him, at a distance of half a meter, no one stood. People preferred huddling against the walls than getting a step closer to a thin man in a black robe and blue turban. He looked a little over fifty; pigmented spots were visible on his swarthy skin.

"This is success," the old man smiled at the visitors. - A silver Ahriman brought from a small world has eyes.

- Did my growth acceleration serum work? The blood mage asked smugly.

"Of course, we did not expect anything else," the old man nodded. - The trade union will provide you with appropriate compensation. Nevertheless, I would like to conduct an auction in a more appropriate environment ...

"Don't worry," Michaelon waved his hand. - No one would like to risk and postpone the process of sealing.

"I don't remember giving consent to the sale," Ink said evilly . The old man from the Trading Hall ignored his indignation.

"The trading floor ... One of the strengths of the buffer?" Kiass called relatives, but they didn't come by themselves? "

"Boy," Michalon bowed mockingly, "you should not be angry, because I have never had such a good experimental." You cannot keep yourself an Ahriman, this is too valuable a pet. How much are you ready to give it to me? How about ... - the magician pretended to sort out the options. "If you give me an Ahriman, I will not entrust you with dirty work after you become my slave?" Great deal, don't you think?

"How about," Ink gritted his teeth, "will you give me everything you have?"

"Ha ha ha," Michaelon laughed. - Perfectly! I agree! Only can you take your reward?

A string of mind with a crescent-shaped tip flew into the magician's head and tore the light. Ink wondered how easy it was.

"For those who were not reborn, is consciousness so weak? Is it so easy to destroy? "

Michaelon's body began to fall after a few seconds. A guard grabbed him, but a representative of the Trade Union clicked in displeasure.

- Take it away. Do not clatter, it is just a body. The boy had just destroyed the structure of the neural network in Michaelon's brain - the old man turned to the man in black and bowed in an apology. "We will try to recover some of the information from his head, but we cannot promise anything."

The head in the blue turban swung slightly upward, indicating the lazy nod of an important person.

"Defuse yourself," a member of the Trade Union gave the guard a command, but was stopped by a blood mage.

- Wait! I want him to see. Gentlemen, - the blood magician turned to those present. - Give this Ahriman to me, I will conduct experiments and find out exactly how his eyes appeared. If successful, each of those present will receive one, if not, I will owe a favor. And I will fulfill it while it is in my power.

- I agree! - said one and received support from the rest of those present.

As a result, only an important man in black remained silent. Ink did not know who it was, but did not want to miss the opportunity to annoy the arrogant magician.

- Find out? It was I who gave him eyes. In a small world there is still, but all are eyeless. Trade union, - Ink looked at the host of this spontaneous auction. "I will remember your behavior today, but you still have a chance to fix it."

On Ink e focus of all present. An old man from the Trade Union first showed doubt. Soon it was replaced by remorse.

"If so, we will come to an agreement." If you wish, the Trade Union will send my head as an apology - it was said so decisively that Ink did not have a single drop of doubt about the veracity of the old man. - Gentlemen, given the new circumstances ...

"No," the man in black said in a cracked voice. At Ink and watched it slightly surprised eyes. The language he spoke was unfamiliar, but the message was duplicated in a voice of consciousness. "Let Veurato take this Ahriman." On same conditions. Competition usually speeds up results.

"As you order," the old man bowed again.

The blood magician brought the creature's face closer to himself and took off his handkerchief. The silver cat, which was known in the small world under the name Shazire, and in the zero - Ahriman, had large eyes with a silver iris. They widened in fear, and then stared at the face of the blood mage.

Ink felt the movement of the remains of Rowan's dead light. On an invisible thread, he flew from the head of the shazire in the direction of the blood mage.

- No! - Ink released the strands of reason, but terrifying pressure came over them. The lamp was cut with pain from the tearing of the web of the mind. A thin man in black prevented Ink from intervening.

"Is that the voice of consciousness?" - Ink was trembling with pressure. His whole body was trying to bend, and the lamp felt the sounds of a frog singing, as if it had grown several thousand times. The mind was in pain from the impact of the bass rumble, but not a single fold on the clothes was damaged. - Where does this power come from? How can one become so powerful in a keenra? "

It all stopped after the remains of the Rowne lamp attached to Veurato's head. Ink wanted to finish what he had begun, but his very consciousness trembled in convulsions.

Already losing consciousness, he heard the blood magician say:

- The capture succeeded. Part of the Ahriman consciousness passed to me!

There were claps and power speeches in several languages. Ink could not understand their meaning , sinking into the arms of the darkness of oblivion.