"Good evening, signores." A woman greeted them, confidence clear in her strides as she walked up to them. Sauntered, actually. Knuckles bowed at the lady, in respect instead of in submission. Alaude merely nodded at her, which was something because Alaude does not nod to a lot of people. (They could all count with just one hand the number of people Alaude willingly nod to.) "Good evening, Donna Sepira."

Her eyes twinkled in amusement.

“Signore Knuckle, Signore Alaude, it has been quite a while, hasn’t it?” She then turned to Caelum and smiled pleasantly. Caelum bit his inner cheeks, noticing something different about her. Her flames? No, it wasn’t just that. He just couldn’t put a finger to it. It was familiar. “And you must be Signore Caelum.” She held out her hand. “Nice to finally meet you, I’m Sepira, Donna of Giglio Nero and an avid supporter of Giotto’s organization.”

Caelum nodded slowly and took her hand, placing a quick peck on the back of her palm. “I’m Caelum.” He introduced again just for the sake of it. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” Sepira laughed as they retracted their hand, Caelum getting stiffer each second. “Oh, don’t be so formal, please!” Her eyes twinkled again. “I’m sure we will get along well. Any trusted man of Don Giotto’s is a friend.”

… Okay did Giotto mentioned about him before?

“A-as you wish.” He murmured, eyebrows furrowing. Sepira stared at him a little longer, all but giving him the vibes that she knew something that he doesn’t. It was slightly unnerving. “Please follow me.” She said, quieter, much more serious as she turned, not giving him a chance to ask. “Alone, please.” Her eyes shifted to Alaude and Knuckle, the former looking annoyed while the latter was concerned.

Caelum pursed his lips and turned to them. At a nod from Knuckle, he hurried after the woman, weaving pass the crowd with practical ease.

Knuckle sighed and ruffled his hair. “That was scary to the ultimate.” He laughed slightly to himself. “I wonder what does she wants with Caelum.” He mumbled. He wasn’t worried that the ginger would be killed by the woman, who was very much capable of doing so. No. He was more worried of what she would tell him.

Sepira, it was known to their close circle that she was a Seer. A Shaman.

He turned to Alaude, sweating at how narrowed his eyes were at the direction they left. “Hey, he’ll be fine.” Alaude huffed and walked away. Knuckle sighed and shook his head. “God please lend me your patience…” He muttered and looked around to find the other guardians.

-----------------------------------------------------------

“Signore Caelum.” Sepira paused and chuckled. “My apologies. It’s really good to finally meet you, Historian.”

Caelum’s eyes widen at the title and narrowed them, lips pulling thin as he tensed. He had mentioned about his title to no one. Not even Alaude knew of it. After that incident, after that day, he had not heard of it. Until Sepira, that is. Just, how?

“… What do you mean?”

She leaned against the balcony, swirling the glass of wine she had somehow took from one of the butlers. “You know what I mean, Mister Historian.” She sounded teasing yet she wasn’t. Not when her piercing eyes never left Caelum’s. Unnerving.

“How did you know of that name?”

She hummed, contemplating for a moment. “A dream.”

“I’m sorry?”

She walked closer to him, leaning in. “A dream,” She repeated quietly, as though whispering a secret. “I saw you, years back, in a dream. I saw you there, gaining the power from the Gods above, gaining the title.” Caelum breathed in shakily, reminded of the past as she backed away slightly, still close but not too close. Nowhere comfortable but better.

“Who are you?”

She smiled of knowing, of secrets and of intelligence. She turned to the ballroom instead, watching her guests mingle and dance, seeing her allies and foes under one roof, seeing the multiple chaos that they will undergo. “A nobody.”

“I doubt that.” Caelum murmured. “Why do you need?”

Sepira gazed back at him again. “I need you to guard the pillars, mainly the pillar of Time.” He frowned. “I remembered Them mentioning pillars, but what are they?”

“Tri-Ni-Sette.” She sounded as though she was muttering a prayer, sacred. “The three foundation that protects Earth, that holds up Earth; Space, Time and Dimensions. Each one exists as one and all, different yet same, neither the same nor different entities they are. Each one with a specific guard. They are but the last three after all…” The last bit was murmured under her breathe, silent, incoherent.

“You are to watch over Time, watch over its guardians, just as you watch over the rest.”

Caelum nodded slowly. “And who are the guardians?”

She smiled, albeit wry. “You know them.” Caelum squinted before groaning aloud. He wondered if Fate loved to toy with him, because that definitely couldn’t be a coincidence. ‘Why is it always them?’ “Well, that makes things easier…”

“Does it, now?”

“Nope, definitely not.”

Sepira laughed genuinely. Caelum, curious, asked who were the ones who watches over Space and Dimensions. “I’m in charge of Dimensions, oh yes.” Her ring, the one on her middle finger with a pair of wings glinted, glowing. Her eyes were sad, however when she mentioned of Space. “Space- The Arcobaleno, actually,” Caelum mouthed the word with a raised eyebrow. “Is watched over by a friend.” A family was what she never said.

A brother was what burned in her mind, at the back of .

Caelum could tell that she was hiding many things, weakness, perhaps. Or perhaps not, who knows? He wasn’t going to ask that either. She would tell him if she wanted to. It wasn’t his place to know of that. So, he merely nodded, looking into the ballroom, eyes finding the ones that came close as his second family now. (Alaude met his gaze just as easily as before despite being at the opposite end. They stared before he moved from the wall, walking to where he was.)

“Caelum,” He glanced at her. “Don’t look back anymore.” He smiled for the first time that night, wry. “I could say the same to you.” (Hypocrisy screamed in the back of his mind, and he had no excuses to deny that.)

He his heels and left, moving into the sea of human and meeting up Alaude halfway.

Sepira watched as his disappeared into the crowd. Nostalgia was all she could think, of her brothers and sisters, of them together, happy despite the mundane beginning. Nostalgia was all she could feel, of the familiarity Caelum has.

“Your nephew is so much like you. Uncanny.” She chuckled as she sipped on her wine, bittersweet, gazing up the night sky.

----------------------------------------------------------

Caelum stared at Giotto and Cozarto with a deadpanned look on his face. They were drunk even with their usual poker face save for the red highlights on their cheeks. His lips pulled thin. G was so exasperated but he himself was drinking his brain out as well. Clearly, his tolerance for alcohol is stronger than the other two. They were chattering with other guests, all none too fazed by that, used to it.

“I’m leaving.” Just before he could even escape, G swung a heavy arm around his shoulder and dragged him to the crowd. “Now now, don’t leave me alone with these drunkards.”

“You’re a drunk yourself, G.”

“Oh!” Giotto exclaimed, eyes brightening at the sight of the ginger. “Caelum! How’s your talk with Sepira?” He bumbled- actually bumbled over to him. Caelum smiled painfully, amused, concerned and hysteric. “It went okay.” He plucked reached over to take the glass away from Giotto, who growled at him in return. He sighed and raised both of his hand. It wasn’t as though he never tried to stop him.

“Good! Good!” There was a bit resemblance of sober in his orange eyes before it was gone. Caelum just knew Giotto knew what they were talking about. There was no way that man doesn’t know, with his stupidly sharp intuition and Sepira was probably the one who asked Giotto to bring him.

He huffed. He would have to talk about it with Giotto soon. Preferably in private and the older man not drunk, he sweated.

“Cozarto,” Giotto slurred, slumping heavily on the red-haired man. “I’ve just thought up of a good name for our organization!”

Caelum felt G stiffen. “Vongola!” Giotto cheered out, toasting with a wide grin. “We shall name ourselves Vongola! Protecting our own and shielding them from danger! The shell!” G groaned, rubbing his temple as their small little audience cheered along, clearly having fun.

“Really, Giotto? Clams?!” Caelum snorted at how incredulous G sounded. “It’s a good name, right Cozarto?” The said man laughed, nodding. “Very symbolic. I like it.” His red eyes, glinted in amusement. G groaned louder, leaning harder onto Caelum.

“Then Shimon shall follow Vongola, be the shadow and aid should there be any. Till the end of time.” Cozarto toasted.

Giotto smiled so happily, so proudly that it looked painful. “Vongola to Shimon as well, we shall protect and lend a helping hand- or two, a dozen maybe- when there’s a need for it. Till the end of time.” Their glasses clinked loudly, sealing their fate with an oath forever to be unbroken, an oath of eternity.

Caelum smiled.

--------------------------------------------------------

Caelum wandered around the town, quiet and silent as all the villagers had slept. All of the lights were out saved for a few lamps, burning slowly and providing the small amount of light. It was peaceful, compare to its usual hustle and bustle. A little lifeless. He shook his head, knowing that it wouldn’t be so in a few more hours.

He yawned, covering his mouth as he did. He harrumphed. Even if he yawned, he wasn’t the slightest sleepy. No, he was far too awake, too energetic. Not that he cared, even if he would probably suffer in the afternoon. He sat on the wooden bench beside the fountain. Rubbing the back of his neck, cold, he looked up the night sky, stars hiding with only the moon shining down on him.

Beautiful.

Huffing, he leaned against his elbows on his thighs, hands intertwined together. “How long do you intend to follow me?”

The atmosphere was stale and tense and cold, and a black hole appeared, a few feet from where he was. A tall man – creature? – stepped out with an infant with a top hat on his shoulder, both bandaged from top to bottom. ‘Mummies?’ He wondered.

The infant chuckled – not an actual babe, definitely. He sounded cold-blooded, heartless. He sounded like someone who saw too much, went through far more. “Good evening, Mister Caelum.”

Caelum squinted his eyes and sighed. What was with people and them knowing his name? “Who are you?”

“Bermuda Von Veckenschtein. He’s Jaeger.” How civilized. “We’re Vindice.” Caelum had to resist the chill that ran down his spine. He had heard of them before, from Daemon who grumbled about mafia police interrupting his mission or something. They were written in books as well, how these veterans captured the bad, the corrupted, and the sinned, locking all of them away into a cold, cold prison that was said to be worst that abyss itself.

He sat straight and frowned. “What pleasure do I owe to have Vindice personally come to me? Why are you guys following me?” For almost two months at that.

(“What’s wrong?” Daemon asked as he flicked his scythe, it disappearing into nothing but indigo mist. Around him was bodies, corpse to be exact, all lifeless like they were never alive in the first place. Caelum hated that sight yet he said nothing about it.

He broke out of his trance of staring at the tattoo on one of the dead men’s arm, a skull and turned to his mentor. “Must you kill them?” His question was silent, as though afraid of an answer. Daemon hummed. If he picked up on Caelum’s wavering mind, he never mentioned about it. “Not exactly, but as you can see, they were on the verge of insanity. Killing them is but an act of mercy to release them from the pain and suffering they will go through.”

True. They were already feeling the side effect of uncontrolled usage of flames. Burn marks littered on their arms, one or two had it on their chest, and another had it on their throat. It was too late. Their own flames were already attacking their own system without them knowing.

They were slowly being killed inside out.

It didn’t mean that Caelum prefer that method, however.

He took a step back from his spot, metallic blue eyes glinting at the sight of the souls floating around, grey and dull. ‘To Death.’ The glowing balls disappeared.

“My condolences.” He muttered. Daemon sighed, exasperated. He could understand, however, as Caelum was a civilian before he became a vigilante. He wasn’t used to killing for the greater good. Well, neither was Giotto. Daemon was simply doing what he must, after all.

He peeled off his gloves and threw it onto the ground. “Light it up, if you will?”

Caelum nodded and knelt onto the ground, fingers splayed as orange flames burned, spreading. The bodies were set on fire, a shield around it to make sure that nothing else but the bodies were burned. No ashes. No nothing. That was the perks of burning something with Dying Will Flames.

It incinerates everything into nothing.

No remains to proof something’s – someone’s – existence.

Caelum felt eyes boring holes onto his back and turned, almost getting a whiplash. Scowling as he looked around the forest, he carefully watched for any strays or witnesses. Worst case scenario would be Daemon screwing with their memory, or kill them. (He winced internally at that option.)

Daemon glanced back as well, sensing the shift in atmosphere. He raised an eyebrow, thoughtful. “… Let’s go.” He said after a moment, turning. “We shouldn’t be here any longer.” Whatever Vindice wanted at that moment, Daemon did not want to be a part of. Nor would he like to see Caelum get dragged into it. (Futile attempt, apparently.)

“Yeah.” Caelum hesitated before following after the older man.

The constant chill never left even after they returned to the mansion.)

Bermuda was definitely smiling under his bandage. “You’re interesting, Caelum. Your power, especially.” Caelum physically stopped himself from leaning back, hands clenched. “What power?” He asked, acting as though he understood nothing. It wasn’t working though. They could see through him easily.

“You know exactly what I’m referring to.” Bermuda floated over and hovered in front of him. “Your power – Sepira gave it to you, didn’t she?” Oh- oh­. “You, to watch over Time.” Bermuda didn’t know that it was the Gods that gave him the power- he didn’t know the extension of it.

… Should he tell him?

“… What about it?”

His small, cold hand reached over and caressed his cheeks. Caelum couldn’t breathe, fear burning in him.

“I’ll have you know, even if you are the watcher of Time, I will not hesitate to eliminate you should you stand in our way.”

Bermuda, seemly satisfied with his threat, floated back onto Jaeger’s shoulder. “Good day, Caelum.”

“Just what are you planning, Bermuda?”

The ginger could hear the smirk, blood thirsty smirk, filled with hatred and disgust and the want for revenge. “The Destruction.”

Vindice disappeared and the atmosphere warmed. Caelum gnawed on his lower lips. Even though they were gone, no longer there, their objective lingers, troubling. He hoped that whatever Vindice aimed for never came true.

(And centuries later, it didn’t.)

--------------------------------------------------------

Silently, tiptoeing with slow breaths, high in alert, they sneaked in the dark, carefully heading down the hallway to one of the rooms. They slowly twisted the door knob with their gloved hand, pushing the door open slowly. They watched the sleeping man, waiting for him to open his eyes.

They tensed when he moved, twisting. He turned, but he did not wake, not even stirring a little.

(A slip of tasteless sleeping powder into the tea with a hint of sugar was served to not all but only him, the one who would not suspect a single thing.

Foolish.

Lampo finished it without noticing anything.)

Drugged.

Breathing out, they moved in slowly, footsteps silent as they went up to his bedside.

They stared at Lampo, a syringe in hand.

.

.

.

Lampo woke with a start, cold sweat clinging onto his skin. A nightmare. He breathed heavily as he scanned his room, forearm tingling. Nothing amiss. His flames that surrounded every corner of the room, dilute and unnoticeable as a layer of security, however, was aggravated.

His eyes zoomed in on the door knob.

Lightning crackled in him.

--------------------------------------------------------

Lampo met Giotto personally, alone without telling anyone, a secret. It was the first thing he did the moment he knew the Sky was awake. He made sure, extra caution, that no one saw him going into Giotto’s room.

He softly told him and Giotto’s lips pulled down slowly as he did.

Giotto wanted nothing but to not hear the sentence again, but it was impossible, it seemed.

--------------------------------------------------------

Knuckle was jogging in the dark, dawn yet to break. He was running laps around the village, greeting whoever had woke up early to get their business ready for the day. It was nice and peaceful. He jogged pass the church and prayed for the villager’s wealth, health and happiness, as always.

And he passed an alley, shadowed by a tall building. He paused, jogging on the spot instead. He looked at the alley and frowned.

“Hello?”

Silver glinted.

A gunshot resonated in the morning air.

--------------------------------------------------------

Alaude glared at Caelum, who had been yawning since the moment he stepped into his office. Judging from the eyebags he sported, the ginger definitely did not sleep at all the previous night. It wasn’t unfamiliar, especially whenever Caelum had an attack, but he didn’t. Alaude would definitely know if he had an attack.

He had purposely stayed up for who knows what reason.

Growling, clutching his pen, Alaude called the ginger who was muttering under his breath, looking through a few reports and scrolls. “Caelum. Sleep.”

Caelum blinked at Alaude and it took him a few minutes to actually answer. “But I’m not tired.”

The older man scoffed. “And G’s hair is brown. Go to bed.” He ordered sternly. Caelum huffed, ruffling his already messy hair. “If I sleep now, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

“I’m going to knock you out if you don’t.”

He pouted at Alaude and sighed, yawning again. Rolling his eyes at the pointed look, he nodded. “Alright, fine.” He dragged out as he placed back the reports onto the shelves and shuffled over to the sofa. “Go back to your room.”

“No, here’s fine.” Caelum mused, lying on soft cotton and yawned, closing his eyes. “Here’s comfortable.” And it was safe. Alaude snorted inaudibly as Caelum’s breath evened out, asleep in matter of seconds.

He shook his head and walked over. He pulled off his jacket and placed it over the other man, brushing a stray hair from his face. He must be far too tired to be this dead to the world. Pursing his lips, he wondered why Caelum stayed up for the whole night as he walked back to his table, continuing his work.

A knock on the door and Alaude looked up. He debated on ignoring whoever it was and continue on with his work but he sensed something different.

“Come in.”

Giotto lips were pulled thin as he stepped in, door quietly closed behind him. His eyes zoomed in on Caelum, who was asleep, before he met Alaude’s blue eyes. “There’s a traitor among us.” He said quietly.

Alaude’s eyes narrowed, leaning back slightly as he let the man further explain. “Lampo was drugged yesterday. Someone went into his room and drew his blood.”

“Why would anyone want his blood?”

Giotto shook his head. “I don’t know.” Alaude nodded, standing up. “Well, time for spring cleaning.”

He left the room, leaving Giotto and Caelum in it. Giotto’s orange eyes glinted in grey as he stared at the sleeping ginger.

(Caelum had heard it all.)

--------------------------------------------------------

“Alaude.” Cozarto called out the beige-haired man who was patrolling, eyebrows pulled into a frown. He looked around, wary. Early in the morning, he noticed a shift in the atmosphere around the mansion. It wasn’t a huge one, minuscule actually, but it was a shift nonetheless. It was worrying, because it wasn’t the normal shift, but like an actual hole in the security bubble all seven of the guardians had put up.

“What’s going on?”

Alaude stared at him, judging. It took him a moment longer to finally said it. “An intruder.” He looked off to the side, staring at the passing workers who greeted them, scanning. Cozarto pursed his lips. The Cloud waited until the workers were long gone before he spoke. “Find Caelum and stay with him. Look at his eyes.”

Cozarto had to rerun the message a few times before he understood, and nodded. “Be careful.” He hurried off.

--------------------------------------------------------

Cozarto bumped into Caelum in the hallways. The younger man was moving around, seemly aimless yet not. He was deep in thought and didn’t notice Cozarto until he almost full-body slam into the other. “Oh-! Sorry!” He backed up from Cozarto.

Cozarto’s eyes were wide. “No, it’s my fault. Are you alright?” He asked.

Caelum nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. Have you seen Knuckle? I’ve been looking for him the whole day.” The red-haired man frowned. Now that he thought about it, he had not seen the loud priest anywhere. Neither did he saw Asari and G but they could be with Giotto for all he knew.

Daemon? Well, he wasn’t exactly worried that he didn’t know where he was since he and Alaude were similar, always alone and place unknown.

“No.” That was concerning.

Caelum pursed his lips, a hand on his chin as he stared at those red orbs. “Could he be out on an errand…?” He wondered mostly to himself, but the other hear it.

“He could be.” Cozarto said. Caelum hummed. “Well, I should get going. I still need to finish that report that I haven’t started on.” He grumbled, giving him a lopsided smile and walked away.

“Oh, good luck!” Cozarto stared at his disappearing back down the corner of the hallway. He turned to the other end of the hallway, letting his flames lead him. Since the first day he met Caelum, their flames had bonded to each other, not harmonised as they were towards Giotto, but it was a bond nonetheless, as weak as it was.

He headed up the stairs and was at the Alaude’s side of quarters, smaller than the rest on the opposite end. He touched the wall and passed the Cloud’s room and another one, until he stopped.

He knocked on the wooden door and turned the knob without waiting for an answer.

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A/N= 

Ehehe I've actually forgotten to upload this lolol.

The part with Caelum wondering around town is set a few weeks after the ball. 

:DDD

Fun Fact= Alaude was seething upon seeing how the three drunks draped themselves all over Caelum, who did nothing to push them away. Poor Alaude XD

The part with the traitor is... Not what I planned. It popped out and swerved the whole story. orz. Brain why you do this?

[I apologize for any grammar, spelling, etc. etc. mistakes]