The morning sun, filtered through a thin haze of steam, cast a metallic light over the manor. At the great wrought-iron gates, the six children of Force 1, along with the twins, Eta and Theta, stood in a silent group.
In front of them, the Baron stood beside an open automobile—a magnificent vehicle of polished brass and gleaming copper, its brass wheels large and shiny, its engine a series of humming gears. Charolette stood beside him, her expression as formal as ever.
The Baron's gaze swept over the children, a flicker of satisfaction in his cold, calculating eyes.
"I will be gone for a week,"
he announced.
"As we earlier discussed, I will be attending a meeting with my peers in the capital. The future of our work depends on this visit."
He gestured toward Charolette.
"While I am gone, Charolette will be in charge of the manor. Her orders are to be followed without question. Disobedience will be met with a steep punishment."
He then turned to the six children.
"Your training is to begin immediately."
He then turned to the twins.
" Eta, Theta, the both of you will supervise their training."
He gave them a rare, almost imperceptible nod before entering the automobile.
The brass door of the vehicle hissed shut, and with a soft whirring of gears and a final puff of steam, the automobile rolled away, its large brass wheels leaving deep tracks on the cobblestone road.
Charolette turned to face the children, her expression a mixture of condescension and command.
"You heard the Baron,"
she stated, her voice sharp.
"Be on your best behavior. I do not want any of you to be a nuisance."
Without another word, she turned on her heel and re-entered the manor, the heavy doors closing behind her with a definitive thud.
Left to themselves, the children stood in an awkward silence. Felix, ever the one to break the tension, stepped forward and looked at the twins.
"So,"
he began, his voice hesitant.
"Our training... when does it start?"
Eta's blank face turned to him, and her eyes, a deep violet hue, seemed to see right through him.
"It starts when we are in the mood,"
she said dismissively, her voice flat. She turned to Theta, who also nodded in agreement.
"And luckily for you,"
Theta added, her voice echoing her sister's apathetic tone,
"we aren't in the mood."
With that, the twins walked past them, entering the manor. The six children were left alone, at the gates, their training put on hold for a time.
Meanwhile, in the Baron's automobile, the city's vast, intricate network of pipes and steam-powered mechanisms flashed past his window. The Baron's thoughts were already on his destination. A soft chiming sound came from a small brass console beside his seat. He reached for it and answered the call.
"It's me, my love."
The voice on the other end said.
"Hello, my dear"
he said, his voice unusually soft, a profound tenderness that was entirely different from the cold man he was.
"My love,"
the voice on the other end said,
"did it work?"
"Yes,"
the Baron said, a rare, unrestrained satisfaction in his voice.
"It worked. They survived, and the Calvanite is safe."
"Then... will it be enough to heal her?"
the voice asked, a desperate, fragile hope lacing every word.
The Baron's hand clenched into a tight fist. He took a moment to compose himself before answering.
"It should be enough,"
he said, his voice filled with a conviction that came from years of relentless work and sacrifice.
"It should be enough to heal Cecilia."