"That's it, " Amora breathed, "Well, that's the bit I'm willing to tell you."

My mouth hung agape. Amora had just told me how I was going to die, but that was pretty much the same thing she told me every sickening time we had to meet. Today however, she had changed the timeline from two weeks, to three minutes, which was rather disturbing. 

"So..." I dared to ask, "What's with the dying-earlier-than-expected thing?"

"Oh that," Amora said, dismissing my raised eyebrow, "You see, we detected a mini explosive hidden in the corner of this very room which WILL set off in thre- the countdown's on two minutes fifty seconds now!" 

"AMORA."

"Madammousille Amora, if you please." 

"You," I said in exasperation, "Are freaking twenty five. There's no way yo- STOP DISTRACTING ME." 

"Two minutes ten seconds!" Amora whistled cheerily, as if it were a countdown for her birthday, "If you want to live, you might as well follow me."

I could only hope she was kidding. With her, I could never be sure. 

I followed her out the room, also tugging Chase along. If I'm getting grounded by a megalomaniac, I might as well drag the unfortunate idiot beside me. The second I stepped out of the area, with my back turned to the entrance, I felt the place behind me heat up rapidly. Not shortly after, the entire place exploded, emanating waves of smoke and fire. 

I turned around, appalled that Amora had kept to her word. However, when I shakily slewed around, I only faced the combusted remains of metal, few scraps of threads, metal and lumps of brick. Did I mention the metal? 

"That. was. marvelous. We NEED to do that again." Amora declared, and then shrugged, "Oh, and sweetie, we're under crisis."

I gulped. "Crisis?" A crisis to Amora was like an zombie apocalypse with nuclear bombs for me. 

"Our very honourable organisation contains a mole. In fact, not one mole, but dozens of them. No one has a clue to who it MAY be, no suspects, no evidences, no witnesses. Every now and then, funds disappear from the treasury, important members about to go on world-changing missions are found dead, or at least almost annihilated, confidential files go missing from MY ROOM, AND THE COFFEE MACHINE BREAKS DOWN!"  

I flinched. I had never desired to face that woman's wrath– it's like a volcano threatening to burst and swallow entire cities. Naturally, I put on my best 'what can I do to help?' face, and hoped Amora noticed it. 

Before she could respond, somebody wheezed loudly. I had completely forgotten about Chase, who lay sprawled on the ground beside me. His eyes gleamed murder, which was a nice change compared to the earlier nervous wreck. If not for his present condition, I am reasonably sure he would have choked me to death. It was clear that he hated me now. Like I mentioned, he wouldn't remember that after today. 

"Sorry about that." I grimaced, "Amora likes to make quite a spectacle." I added an accusing glare towards Amora to enhance the apology. It didn't work.

Amora raised an eyebrow. "He's that mortal you told me about?" 

"I never said anything to you."

Amora took that as a yes. "I guess we'll have to kill him." She unsheathed a dagger from her belt, which wasn't there earlier. 

I hastily stepped in between the duo. "No! Amora, you are not killing him. We have alternatives, don't we? You can erase his memory, but you are not touching him." 

The other woman shook her head, "The facility had been destroyed by the infiltrators and-"

"The spare one. In your office. That must have been left alone. "My voice rose to hysterical. I always felt compressed in places where I couldn't use my abilities, and Amora's hideout was no different.  

Yes. Hideout. Amora-I-am-not-repeating-her-name is the leader of the biggest group of rebels, who were against the stupid council. Recently, they'd extended hand towards me and I'd sworn fealty and secrecy. Even Doe didn't know about this. 

Amora sighed wearily, "Alright, bring him to my place." Before Chase could protest, Amora had tied his hands and wrung a coil of rope around him.

–––

Amora's office was, is and always will be one of a kind. The charcoal oblong table, with preordained cabriole legs, stood imposingly in the centre, while a glittering array of bones were framed on the wall. The bleated pink carpet, the neon vases, and the shining yellow lights on the coffered ceiling cut out any parts of "unwelcome" and "gloomy" from the scene. As usual, a sketchpad and pen rested peacefully at the corner of the table– Amora didn't even use them; she preferred to do her intricate complications in her head– and the vases devoid of any flowers. 

Amora was allergic to flowers. 

At the edge of the room, a tiny door was present, engraved with' ME ONLY'. I directed Chase –though I stood a little distance away– towards the door. He ignored me and glanced at his feet. 

I felt guilty including Chase in such dangerous not-so-mortal scenarios. I couldn't have done anything. I reminded myself. 

Amora shoved the two of us into that 'ME ONLY' room,

The room was compact but versatile. Every nook and corner had been occupied by some sort of a shelf, stand or hook. Dim lights shone overhead us, though the adding room through which we came supplied ample light to the chamber. Disturbingly sharp apparatus were lined not-so-neatly on the lone table at the corner. A shackled, diminutive wooden chair atoned for the lack of furniture in the area. 

Amora gestured Chase to sit down. "Listen kid, we'll be erasing the past... hmm what was that? Thirty minutes? Yeah, thirty minutes of your life and then you're back to you college happy and oblivious."

"Don't touch my brain."

"Like I can touch something non-existent. This is not a choice." Amora affirmed. 

 I glanced apologetically at Chase. If I had taken me more than forty-five minutes to get Chase here, I couldn't have erased those memories. These instruments could only erase at forty-five minutes at the maximum.  

I studied the room again– creepy lab stuff, tongs a bit to sharp for my liking, visible gum under the table, the symbol of the Merl– WHAT THE- ?

I looked again. There it was, the primordial symbol of the Merlin, the first significant dark dweller, gleaming in all its glory... right on Chase's head.