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Andrew was sitting on the twig-woven couch, reading his pocket-sized handbook. He found the little book to be quite interesting, too. An Otrelds novel. He had found it lying on the ground when they were retrieving information from the Other side. Ah, those were the days.


Andrew had just turned fourteen that year, and Adam loved him just like he would towards a son. That was the same year when Artemis was at power. Artemis was sick of people snickering at his name, telling him it was a girl’s name. He sure showed them! In a few months’ time, he had conquered forty of the sixty Lands, and killed no less than six hundred lives. Adam had been appointed by the empress as guardian, and Adam had accepted Andrew to be his apprentice. Then in August, they went to the enemy’s den. The young apprentice remembers the feelings quite well inside.

They came in from the roof, knocking down the guards on the top floor. That was his first best excitement of his life. They searched all desks, doors (while knocking down more guards), and checked file cabinets. After knocking down over fifty well-trained guards, they reached the main office, also known as Artemis’ study, where they found confidential information. The papers contained scheme plots, weapons and technology that they were developing. But they were a false copy, and taking them out of the drawers meant triggering the alarm systems cleverly designed by Artemis’ own team of technology professionals – he calls them T.P. Andrew found the real documents, concealed in a tumble lock drawer.

More guards barricaded the doors and surrounded the two men in a circle. Then Artemis walked in. “Ah, Adam. My old classmate. So nice of you, to drop in.” He pointed towards the ceiling and laughed at his joke. “And this must be your apprentice.” Artemis placed a hand on the boy’s hair and ruffled the thick strands. Andrew shoved his hand away. “So young, and yet so strong. But you’ll be paying for what you did to me, Adam, and so will your apprentice here. You betrayed our friendship just to blend in with that rotten crowd. ‘Oh, look, it’s the “girl-wonder”. She’s going to turn us all into Artemis’.’ Well, I must say, after today, you won’t be saying another word – or rather breathing.”

He signaled the guards towards them. In less than a second, the two men were using their bare hands to fend and dodge the incoming spears. Andrew had tucked the papers safe away in his pocket. He was now perched atop Adam’s shoulders and ready to take down the guards from above. He aimed in order to get the most guards as possible, then… SLAM! The guards had made a loud grunting sound as their heads had met the marble floor and a few bones cracked as well. This was a great opportunity for Adam to get the other guards (who were staring at when Andrew just did) unconscious. And he did. In less than a few more minutes, the two men were out with the real documents and hurried back to their home. They had examined the documents for four straight days (Andrew had breaks because he poured the coffee for Adam).


Andrew misses those days oh so very much. Things had changed ever since then. The more Master knew about Artemis’ plans, the more he changed. He became another person, willing to do anything to win. He was so carefree before. I just want things to get back the way it was… with that Yukari girl….

He was on the twentieth page of his little handbook before he lowered it and stared at the dancing flame on the candle with a look as if his eyes were a black hole. He was thinking deeply about how to end this war, but too many of his ideas required sacrificing allies. Either way, nothing worked. He suddenly thought of an idea that just might work… only if everything goes accordingly to plan.