Simon Davis stepped out of his office building into a stormy evening. Thick, gray clouds shrouded the sky and a gust of wind stirred up swirling leaves around him. A few drops of rain quickly turned into a heavy downpour as thunder rumbled in the distance.

Hands buried in his pockets and shoulders hunched against the rain, he crossed the road, entering an underground parking garage and climbed into his car. Tapping on the vehicle's drive interface he spoke the code "Delta Nine, Six-Eight-Three-Seven-Seraphim" to the AI in his car and it began to move.

The rain was pouring down outside as he drove out of town. His eyes were heavy and his mind was weary from a long day's work but he stayed focused on his destination. Eventually the car arrived at the secret location, an unmarked parking garage.

Simon stepped out of his car, moving towards another vehicle that sat waiting for him. He climbed in and soon felt the sweet smell of lavender coming from the vents. He was starting to feel more relaxed as he let his eyes close, settling into a deep sleep as the car began to move again.

When he awoke, Simon found himself in another underground parking garage. He stepped out of the car, looking around cautiously before heading towards the elevator marked with a sign that read "Seraphim Co.".

He entered the elevator that took him down many levels and when he exited it was to a long corridor. Lights lit up his path, directing him through winding passages until he reached a door.

He looked at the sign above it: "Delta Nine." Taking a deep breath, Simon stepped into the room.

The room was a laboratory, with high ceilings and bright white walls. His eyes took in the glass cabinets filled with scientific equipment, the large computer monitors displaying complex data, and the stainless steel tables with test tubes and beakers strewn about them. The air felt sterile and buzzed with a faint hum of electricity.

His gaze fell upon an isolated area at the back of the room where a large pod with a glass lid sat. Simon walked up to it, peering inside to see the woman who lay inside, her features relaxed in slumber. He gazed at her shaven head and recalled that she used to have beautiful red hair that cascaded down her shoulders.

Simon's heart ached as he looked upon her peaceful face; she didn't deserve this. Tears formed in his eyes, but before they could fall he heard someone coming down the hallway.

He quickly straightened himself up, turning to the door to greet the new visitor.

A woman walked into the room and he racked his gaze over her. She could be the twin of the one in the pod if not for the age difference and the color of her eyes. Her hair was a blazing red and the crisp lab coat she wore over her business attire only served to emphasize her commanding presence. Her face was expressionless, almost frosty, yet there were lines of stress creasing around her eyes and mouth that spoke volumes of the burden she carried.

"Back again, Simon?" The woman spoke in a low, measured tone that sent a chill down his spine.

"She tried to contact me again," he replied, his gaze drifting back to the capsule.

"And what did you do?" She raised an eyebrow, seeming to expect more from him.

He swallowed. "I shut her out again- as you requested."

The woman nodded curtly, though he could detect a hint of approval in her gaze. "It is for the best. When this is done, we can formulate a plan for how to inform her. At this stage any kind of stress will further exacerbate her condition."

Simon nodded, understanding the severity of the situation. He sighed heavily as he regarded the woman across from him. "I understand why we must do this," he said grimly, his brow furrowed with concern. "But what if it fails?"

The woman's expression remained stoic and her voice flat. "It wont," she replied, her tone confident. "This is our best chance at ensuring that her mental state doesn't continue to decline. Without this procedure, she will die- neither her mind nor her heart can handle the strain of her current condition."

Simon sighed again, his shoulders slumping. He knew she was right; it had to be done. An artificial heart and a set of artificial neural network to replace the damaged biological ones was their best chance at saving her, and in the end it wasn’t his decision what happened to her.

He looked at the woman standing opposite him. It still astounded him to see her here and alive. After years of believing her to be gone forever, he couldn't get his head around the fact that she was standing right in front of him.

Her pale complexion and the dark circles beneath her eyes revealed a deep sadness - a sorrow he recognized from within. Simon wanted to tell her how sorry he was for what had happened, to tell her how sorry he was for failing to protect her daughter, but he stayed silent. With her husband's betrayal and daughter near death, what he possibly say? He knew he couldn't take away his old friend's pain - no one could do that.

He knew she'd been through much pain, forced into the web of her husband's conspiracy. That bastard had used their daughter Kadia as leverage to gain her compliance.

Then Donovan Greene's mistress had made the mistake of trying to kill Kadia and inadvertently sent everything crashing down. He genuinely believed the man hadn't intended for Kadia to die, but instead to have her placed somewhere far out of Hemera's reach. It was Danica who sought to get rid of her in a more permanent sense. Her actions had been the loose thread that unraveled everything.

And it was still unraveling, even now. The entire thing had been a vast conspiracy between the government and other powerful entities, and even now it felt like he was playing catch-up to the events that had already transpired.

All he could do was focus on Kadia and make sure she was safe. He could help Hemera with that, at least. It was the only way he could begin to make amends for all that had happened.

Simon looked at Hemera one more time before heading out the door, his heart heavy with guilt. He knew he'd never be able to fully repay her for what she'd done for him in the past, but he would do whatever he could to help her now.

He knew Hemera well enough to know that she was going to bring hell to those who had harmed her and her family. It terrified him a little, but he also respected her for it. There was nothing keeping her chained anymore - no Kadia under their control to keep her tethered and obedient.

They deserved whatever justice Hemera decided to give them.

​ ​

This concludes the Second Tail of the Nine Tails of Alchemy.