We walked for a while, and soon we were in a more isolated part of Piety. The houses became sparser, and the five-meter-high walls with barbed wires on top loomed on the horizon, making our home feel almost like a prison, but it's only for safety's sake, at least it's what they say. Will we have to flee for a while, now? Why am I here? I don't want to be obliged to abandon my home, as a coward, I won't! Never. That's it, I`ll stay low for a while and then gradually put my life back on track. I hate you, Clovis! Why did you do that to me? Why did I do that to me? It's not actually fair to blame it all on my friend. He'd always been there for me, I deserve much more hatred. Still I'm really tired, I just want a normal life. Just once.

My head was now clearer, as the medicines kicked in, the thoughts flowed more smoothly in my head, I like it much more that way. The beauty of my brain is that I can, somehow, if concentrated enough, actually manipulate some of my senses. As an experiment, I focused on my hands, and pictured an icy wind caressing my arms. After two or three deep breaths, the freezing sensation began to touch my forearm in a way it felt almost physical, as if it was actually frozen, but this was, of course, only happening in my mind. The ability to sometimes manipulate my senses is the reason I got the affectionate nickname of Crazy, and its many variations. 

A torn poster, glued to the crumbling wall of an abandoned building, caught my eye and yanked me back to reality. I had seen that symbol before; a dark round moon centered within many black stripes, similar to black rays of sunlight, and some wave-like drawings on both sides. What's it doing here? I thought those terrorist groups were  only in Aurelia. Were they now in Piety?

"Hey, Clov, do you recognize that symbol over there? I heard they are causing chaos in other Escapes and big cities, destroying public monuments and burning stuff. The news even said they killed some innocent people in Aurelia."

"Well, actually yes, I`ve heard about them, don't know much about them, though. What I do know is that you shouldn't believe in everything the news says, dear friend." Clovis replied casually.

"Hmm… Sorry if I'm unhappy about the idea of a terrorist group being near my home." I replied immediately. "Where are we heading, anyway?"

"A friend of mine is waiting for us at the WHISPER warehouse."

"WHISPER? The WHISPER?"

"Yes"

"As in the gigantic logistic company?"

"Yes"

"The company owned by the multimillionaire whose surname  is the same as the General who reset the damn Calendar?"

"Yes" 

"As in the…"

"Bro I liked you better when you were hungover. Damn, you talk too much." He interrupted me, his expression wore an irritated look.

"Alright, I`m just surprised, that's all…" I said with a smirk. "Wait, did you say 'a friend'? What do you mean? What friend?"

"You don't know him, he's from the Big Block."

"Bro, I thought I knew you! You never mentioned any friends from Aurelia."

"You're not the only one with some dirty secrets." Clovis said while shrugging his shoulders. "And about those moon guys you mentioned earlier, he's gonna share some intel on them as well, as soon as we reach the warehouse."

"What? How? Why would your friend have any intel on the terrorist group? Bro, there's something you're hiding from me, you better spit it out!" My body was now tense, I could see he was obviously preoccupied as I pushed him into a near wall. I'm never wrong about those things, the color of preoccupation is a very familiar one to me.

"This group is called The Echoes of Midnight, and they are not a terrorist group…"

"What? So that's what you were up to? You are involved in a damn terrorist scheme? That's way across the line, my friend, I'm really mad right now." I interrupted him, pushing him even harder to the wall.

"I've got a clue on the White Thorns!" My friend yelled while pushing me away.

My world was now burst with flames, every inch of my body burned in a sensation of rage which felt most like an actual fire roasting my skin. My eyes filled with tears as I stared at him. It couldn`t be true, not at all, it's impossible. I had almost given up looking for them, why is this bastard bringing that up again all of a sudden? Is he joking? No he isn't. He wouldn't. He knows what that means to me. 

"How could you possibly have any clues on the White Thorns?" My voice now low, weeping between each of my sobbed words, tears streaming down my eyes as an enraged river. The fire of rage was now sadness, which turned again into another kind of rage, an obstinate one. "I don't know anything about echoes, moons, or terrorists, but I'll do whatever it takes to find any of those White Thorn bastards."

"We'll find them, Leo, but for now you're gonna have to trust me. You're my brother, I'll help you do it, hell or high water."

"What's up with this day? A ton of shit happening all at once, and now this. The White Thorns." My thoughts flowing smoothly again. "It had been quite some years since I found any clue on them, I'd almost given up."

"Anyway, we gotta go to WHISPER, my friend is waiting for us there, and it's not safe here." Clovis urged.

"Okay, let 's go." We resumed walking as I recapitulated the whole day, quite an agitated one, right? "Come to think of it, do you know that guy we bumped into while we were running earlier? The purple one?" 

"The purple one? We bumped into a lot of people today—what are you talking about?"

"Oops, shouldn't have mentioned the purple bit, it's my brain doing the… well, never mind"

I'd love to talk one more time to that purple guy any day, what might be his name? Well, it doesn't matter. Not nearly as much as the White Thorns. 

I`ll get to you, I swear!