✔ WHEN FISH FLY (OpenNovellaContest2021)

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖

Chief - I've been given the chance to train with them. The Petram Lorem seems to be the most powerful girl, so she is my main target. The Caeli Lorem seems to hide most of her power, so I will tread carefully with her. She can fly all five of the vigilantes at the same time. I will update you once I have more information.

Clicking the send button, I lay down on my bed and throw my phone towards the seat in front of me.

My room is well decorated, even if it is window-less and all the walls are white and grey - the opposite scheme of what people expect of me. My mother always used to change the colour of all our things, buying one thing and changing it as she pleased, making it seem like she had countless objects. Because of that, my room would change every week, and the constant variations I had made me have to adjust to new environments so frequently that my mind felt dizzy from the colourful tornado that moved through my house every few days. I didn't dislike it, though. It meant things changed, just as life does, and I learnt to view things from different angles. 

But I can't handle all the colour that used to fill my old home.

Heaving a sigh, I look towards my personal phone laying on my nightstand. I used to call my friends almost every day, used to enjoy talking to people about my day. But I can no longer do that, and the few people I can talk to are in their own secret world, infiltrating other vigilante groups, some even trying to bring down international groups such as Black Demon.

Getting up, I move towards the bathroom where I brush my teeth, ready to go to sleep - a much-needed sleep - and prepare myself for my training tomorrow.

Ever since my parents died a few months back my life has become a haze of work, pain and more work. I don't regret it, not really, because although I have lost a lot of myself along the way, I am one of the best undercover Lorem to ever be a part of the Imperium Police Force.

Sleep, I need sleep.

Moving back towards my bed, I lay down, the old purple blanket my mother had gifted me when I was young now covering my tired body.

Tomorrow would be a new day, tomorrow I would accomplish the first step in the completion of my mission.

~~~~~

I wake before sunrise, as usual.

Nightmares cloud my mind as I fetch my morning coffee, walking down the street towards the lift deciding it's safer to use than risk being exposed by using my powers to get down to level one, where the old Dock still stand.

Venice has always been partially submerged so there used to be quite a few different ports, places to tie up boats and yachts from travellers all across the Mediterranean - but now there is only one, known as the Dock due to its small size compared with establishments such as Venezia-Tronchetto that had once stood on the west side of the city, now converted into a beach resort for the rich to visit when they decide they want to go for a swim in the sea.

The Dock original name is Venezia-Piazza San Marco, the renovated area on the outskirts of what used to be the great and magnificent Palazzo Ducale, a grand palace that was destroyed during the first few great storms that hit the city. The ruins have been left intact, although the poor - those who can't pay for any living space - have moved in, turning it into a colourful picture once again, despite it's broken appearance.

I enjoy finding out what my city once looked like, so I'm one of the few people who know what used to be inside those walls, the greatness of the paintings, moments frozen in time forever. But no longer, for the water broke into those rooms, breaking away the golden detailing, tearing the paintings to threads, the drawings on the ceiling and walls melting away forever.

I'm excited as I head towards our meeting point - a good thing really because I now have to act as if it has always been my dream, my wish, to become part of Lilac Royalty, self-proclaimed heroines of Venice.

To be honest, I used to want to become one. Maybe not a member of Lilac Royalty, but when I was younger I would dream of rescuing innocent people, of running after the villains and saving the day like all the heroines my comics showed me. But alas, reality isn't a comic, and although saving lives is a good thing, it must be done using order, the laws and rules in place for our own safety.

Jumping over a hole on the floor, I step out the way of a group of teenagers, one of them showing their friends how he can make stones float on the palm of his hand, grinning like a wildman.

Down here, having an ounce of power can be their ticket out of this misery.

As I near the edge of the city, I can see the faint glow of the sun starting to appear over the tall barrier surrounding us, the shadow reducing as the minutes' pass.

Rock girl hadn't told me what time to meet them here, so I've come as early as possible, hoping to spend as much time with them and learn as much as I can from them. Based on the report I was given when told about my mission I know that there is currently one Petram Flexuram, one Caeli Lorem, one Plantae Lorem, one Metallum Lorem and two Flamma Lorem, although the recent sightings of them have shown that only five of the members appear, one of the flame girls always missing. Because of their identical suits, nobody knows if the two girls switch places, therefore not having to work as hard as the rest of the team, or if one of them has left. Nonetheless, my plan is to figure it out.

Sitting down on the ledge, my feet dangling over the rippling water, I gaze upwards, the small streaks of light that manage to filter through the many buildings illuminating the city in such a way that it looks like an image of a fantastical place.

"You've passed the first test; eager to get to work,". A voice behind me says, making me jump out of my train of thoughts.

As her words sink in, I can't help but smile, my eyes moving away from the magical picture and landing on the girl who is now sitting beside me, her own grin looking back.

Time to win them over.

CHAPTER THREE WORD COUNT - 1134

It is shorter than my usual chapters, but for a good reason! The next chapter is going to be very, very interesting (I hope!)! Let me know what you think!