Veil and Cycle

 I am being followed. I kept looking over my shoulder every second. I’m delivering a special package to my master and I have to give it to him on time. He warned me beforehand yesterday that I have a window frame of time before it falls into the wrong hands.

I don’t know what’s inside. It might just be an empty box. I stopped at the end of the sidewalk and waited along with the others for the light to change. I took a deep breath, letting my nerves settle. Once the lights changed, I headed up the sidewalk to my next assignment.

My assignment is called The Drop-off. It’s simple. I take the mysterious box and drop it off at the Post Office. People don’t know that I am one of the ‘workers’ in this office. I checked my surroundings to see if anyone was following me. I knocked on the door three times, someone opened the door for me. When I walked inside the building, an older man closed the door behind me. There was no one around today. It was practically bare.

“How are you, Veil?” The old man asked me. “I’m well.” I take the box over the rows of PO Boxes to my right. My master told me the number of the box to place it in. “Twenty-eight…”I said to myself. I stood there, searching for the number. “Need any help?” He asked me. I turn to face him. “No thank you, Vinos.” I smiled. After a few minutes go by, I finally found the box. I pulled the key from my jacket and turned the lock. I opened the door, placed the packaged inside, closed the door shut, and locked it.

With a sigh of relief, I still couldn’t help the feeling like someone was watching me. I turned around and saw that Mr. Vinos was gone. I didn’t hear the door close behind me. He must be in the back of the office, closing up for the day. I wandered around the building and noticed that the lights were off, too. My phone vibrated in my jacket pocket.

I picked up my phone and saw a number I did not recognize. I hanged up and went on my way. I check the time on my phone, and I completed my assignment on time as usual. My phone rings again. It’s the same number. I hung up.

I walked back across town to a small tearoom called Quiet Groove; I used to go there with my Master some times. I opened the door as an overwhelming smell of fresh tea hits me. I get seated near a window at the back of the tea-house. A waitress with brown hair walks up to me and said, “Hi, are you by any chance, Veil?”

“Yes, I am.” She hands me a white envelope. Usually waiters would ask me what I would like to drink, but this is weird. “This is for you. Someone wanted to stay anonymous—I guess.” I take it from her hand. She leaves, tending to another customer. I opened the envelope and there was a card inside. When I read the card, my eyes widen. This card wasn’t your typical thank you, get well, or any occasion. It had no sender or an address on it. My name is on the front. I opened the envelope and took the card out to read it.

“I see you...Veil.” I gasped quietly. The card had a strong, sweet scent of lilies. Lilies? The thought scared me. That’s when I pieced it together. It was them.

I quickly shoved the card back into the envelope. The waitress came up to me and asked for my order. After I told her my order, I looked around the room, it’s lunch rush, and I don’t see the sender anywhere. But I know that it’s them. They have to be around here. It must be from my master, Master Tybash, a well-known regular at the tea-house and my Holder. My hands starts to shake. If my master was here, he would’ve told me to stay put. I kept smelling that Lily scent. It bothers me. Maybe the sender wants something? Maybe the box? I clutched it tight in my hands.

I thought through the list of people who liked flowers but nothing springs to mind. It’s coming closer. It’s heavy. I looked behind me, the waitress who waited me didn’t smell like lilies—just perfume. The anxiety kicks in. I got up from my table and looked around. It’s near me? Isn’t it?

“...Hm?” I slowly turned my head around. Lilies...they’re behind me. It is them. They have been waiting for me to arrive. This wasn’t apart of my assignment. When I turned to face my assailant, their smile was so creepy. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them. They look so different, and yet I stayed the same.

“Hello...Veil...it’s been so long...since I’ve seen your face.” He spoke slowly. I don’t recall him speaking this slow. He wore all black like some kind of hacker, long, messy black hair, two earrings shaped like computer keys that says: control and delete, and black round glasses.

“Cycle?” I said. He placed a finger up to his lips, he leans in close, lowering his voice. “Veil? What’s in the box?” He sounded psychotic. I stiffened up, I crossed my arms, turning away from him. “No, I’m not telling you!” I looked back at his blank expression on his face, “I don’t know what’s in the box either.” He slams his hands on the table, “Hello? Then why so secretive? Didn’t you see me try to call you?” He complained.

I turned my head to the side. “C-Call? It was from an unknown number! I don’t pick up unless it’s from my Master—and he’s not good a using at phone either.” Cycle sits back in his chair and pouts like a child. The waitress came back to my table with my food. “Sorry for the wait. Here are your cream scones and herbal tea.” She sets my food in front of me and leaves. I looked up at Cycle, still pouting. He slowly grabs one of my scones and eats it.

We stayed quiet. I spoke up, “Cycle? Why did you call me?” I asked him. He looked over his glasses. “I...can’t tell you.” “Why not?” I asked, “You always tell me everything that goes on.”

“Can’t...it’s...a secret.” I don’t understand. I have kept nothing from him. Why now? “Let me ask you this, Cycle. Who is your Holder?” He jumps at the word Holder. In this world, Holders are people who gives out orders to their Helpers. A Helper is someone who carries out their task. I’m a helper courier who delivers packages for my Holder. Judging by Cycle’s getup, he might be a messenger helper. I don’t know a lot about them. I only know that messenger helpers carries out their task in secret. There Holders are known Paths. Whoever they are, they are probably looking for that box.

Cycle sits up in his chair, he removes his glasses, and takes a deep breath. I brush my pink hair away from my face. “I followed you to the Post Office because my Holder told me to. They told me that I have to follow a girl with pink hair, sporting a red scarf.” I continue to eat. “I called you to make sure that you were my target. That’s when you hanged up my call.”

I narrowed my eyes at Cycle. “Is it someone that I know?” He fidgets in his seat, he laughs nervously at me, “W-Why? Where did you get that idea from?” “Just a hunch…” The same waitress comes back to our table. “Are we okay over here?” She asked. “Yes, we are.” I caught a scent of lilies on her wrist when she refilled my tea. My heart palpates. I realized that she gave her name to me—Maize.

Before she could leave, I stopped her. “Hey! You smell like lilies!” She was stunned by my comment. Cycle turned to me and nodded. “Who is your Holder?” I asked. “H-Holder? What’s a Holder?” She inquired. “I have never heard that term before—” “Quit playing dumb, your Holder likes the scent of lilies, don’t they? Your Holder must’ve sent you here. You’re the one who gave me that card! Who is your Holder?” I questioned her. The whole room when quiet. I ignored them when the whole room became lively again.

Maize looks away from me, she pushes a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. She clears her throat, “Sorry...Ma’am. I don’t know what you talking about? I just like the scent of lilies?”

“Lilies are not common around here,” I snapped. “Listen here, just tell me who is your Holder is, and I’ll leave you be.” Maize scoffs at me. “Like I’m going to. Isn’t that right Cycle?” I turned to face him. He shrugs his shoulders. “C-Cycle?” He gives me that creepy smile again. I can’t believe what I was hearing. Cycle is Maize’s Holder?

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps approaches my table. I caught a very strong scent of lilies that seems to become familiar to me. A short, old man wearing a suit and tie walks up behind Maize. That’s when pieces fell into place. “Veil, funny running into you here,” I blinked by eyes a few times. “M-Mr. Vinos…” My voice trembled. He placed his hand on Maize’s shoulder. “I-I don’t understand…”

I slammed my hands on the table, making the tray and plate clatter. I looked at Cycle. He looks away from me, unable to make eye contact with me. What’s going on here? My manager is...her Holder?!

The four of us are now seated together away from prying eyes in the tea-house. Cycle plays with his hands, and I sat across from the three, staring at Mr. Vinos. He had this evil presence about him, and seeing Maize next to him look like he could be her grandfather. She looks so pleased.

“I would like to thank you for that gift.” He said. “You really made Mr. Tybash look like an idiot.”

“Are you two working together behind my back?” I asked.

“Being direct aren’t we?” He steeples his fingers. “To answer your question, no. I wouldn’t even dream of working with him.”

“What about the box—” He raises his hand up to silence me. “I was getting to that. That box you gave to me—thank you. If I would’ve thought about Tybash was keeping it safe in his presence, I would’ve looked there in the first place.”

“What’s in the box?” Cycle cuts in. “I really want to know what’s inside?” He smiles like a little child at a candy store. “Well, since Veil is here. She can get in with our plan.” Mr. Vinos pulls out a sheet a paper from the best pocket of his suit. He places it on the table. “What is it?” Maize asked. I leaned in close, it looks like a power source, and I have never seen anything like it before. It looks like weapon of mass destruction. I sat back in my seat. If my memory serves me right, Master Tybash told me about a weapon that is used to take control of the a certain artifact. I perked up at the possibly of what was in that box. If that sheet of paper is the blueprint of weapon, then could the box be?

“This is called Oracle.” He said. “Oracle is a gemstone, guarded by a gate in the Under Passage. And the box—has a key that unlocks the gate, right Ms. Veil?”

“I don’t know? Mister Tybash didn’t tell me anything about it’s contents. He only instructed me to deliver the box.”

“Where does the box go to after you deliver it?” Maize questioned me. “I have no clue.” I respond. Maize frowns at my answer.

“I can’t tell you anything, Vinos.” I told him. “It would break the code of Trust.” Vinos scoffs. “Trust? Please. What do you know about trust? You only follow orders.” I propped my hand up on my cheek.“And you want the gemstone...you already have the box. Why not find this Under Passage if you know so much about it.” I took sip out my cold tea, staring straight at him.

“Don’t fall for her act, Sir. She does this all the time.” Cycle warned him. “She might be tricking you.” “Oh, don’t worry.” Vinos sinister look had chills running down my back. I sat my tea back down. “Listen well, Veil. I’m going to give you a choice here. You either help me find the gemstone or…” He opens up his suit, pulling out some sci-fi looking pistol. “I’ll take you hostage.”

“Heh, not a chance.” I smirked. I threw my tea cup at him, splashing tea all over him. The pistol goes off, and it misses me. I ducked out of the way while the people in the tea-house took cover. “After her!” I heard Vinos say. He’s mad this time. Before I knew it, the whole tea-house servers were in on the act too. I ran out the door, running for my life. I pushed past the people who were blocking my way, and I jumped over them too. I looked back, seeing more goons chasing me.

I make a sharp right down the street and crossed over to the sidewalk. I kept on running. I heard a car pulling up behind me. I stopped to turn around. The black car and I are far apart from each other. The driver doesn’t move an inch. When the windows rolled down, I waited for their next move. That would not happen, because it was him.

Cycle.

He popped his head out the window. He looks guilty and feels sorry. “I’ll answer your question from before.” I walked up to his car.

“What question?” I asked Cycle.

“Mr. Vinos is not my Paths Holder.”

“If he’s not your Holder then—”

“I work alone. I’m just playing the part as the getaway driver. Listen Veil, Mr. Vinos and Maize are working together. And I really, really, REALLY need your help.” Cycle looks at me with pleading eyes as I backed away from him.

“As a Helper, I cannot help you. I wish I could, but I would be breaking the Code of Trust.”

“You were always by-the-book weren’t you?” He grimaced. I rolled my eyes at him. I have known Cycle since we have worked together with Master Tybash. Cycle isn’t the type to follow orders, which I can see why he left. “Veil, Maize and Vinos are going after Oracle. If those two takes it—I hate to see Mister Tybash get angry with you.” I placed my hand on my chest. Lost for words, I don’t know what to do. I have no other choice but to comply. I was told that I am treated like pawn, and other times I do what’s right. I looked down at the ground, I don’t want to fail my assignment or fail Master either. I looked up at Cycle with a smile. “Cycle, according to the Conduct of Trust. I have the right to fully trust you—unless you hold up your end.” “And what end would that be?” He asked. “To be partners again!” Cycle shook his head lightly, laughing to himself. He opened the car door for me, and I jumped in.

Cycle took us to the Under Passage in one of Mr. Vinos’s hideout. A tall tunnel guarded heavily by soldiers. He drove up to the soldier, where they stopped him. He told them that Mr. Vinos wanted me and nothing else. The guards pressed a button on some sort of contraption, and the tunnel before me glowed. Cycle entered inside the glowing tunnel and through another that connected to a tall building. Cycle stopped half way, parking the car. We made the long journey to the tall skyscraper building. The skyscraper looked like the buildings in the real world—more sci-fi like. The entire area looked like a long hallway with nobody in here, and the only sound I could hear was our footsteps. Cycle walked up to the front door and pressed the button. The electronic voice asked for Cycle’s name and his task.

He steps back, and door opens up.

Cycle roughly grabs my arm, pulling me like a hostage. He has no choice but to comply with Vinos. Those were his orders. We headed up to the first third floor of the building and walked inside a room filled with CCTV monitors screens. They were watching our every move. In the middle of the floor, a chair and a person were standing side by side.