24. The Next Handler

Elisa hurries to the commission's grounds, leaving Five alone. His eyes stay on her, though. His lips are forming a thin line. He isn't liking this idea a little bit. No one knows how long this search for Vanya at the commission will take-if she's here. Plus, if the handler finds out the real reason why Elisa came back to her, then who knows what can happen.

Only when she's out of his sight, he turns around. His feet drag him away from the commission-from Elisa-in a slow pace. He can't protect her like this, and she might not know it, but she needs his protection. They both need each other's protection. Only then the two succeed to get through everything. Now, they're splitting up . . . again. This time, with better reasons, but it still hurts.

Two days. That's all Elisa has. If she hasn't contacted one of the siblings by then, or if she hasn't returned by then, the siblings will come to get her. They'll know her plan failed.

While Five will continue looking for Vanya everywhere with his siblings, Elisa will search for her at the commission. If she's correct, then Vanya is there somewhere, waiting for someone to help her-to rescue her. If it's true that she's locked up there, an awfully lot can have happened already. Everyone who walks into the commission changes. Everyone. How would Vanya fare?

Five makes fists with his hands, trying to stop worrying. It doesn't work-not even when the blue light appears. Part of him will stay here, with Elisa. He can't wait until she's back into his arms. Until his hand is protectively around her body again.

-

The amount of blue costumes overwhelms Elisa every time she enters the commission. You'd think she has gotten used to it after growing up here, but she has not.

Desperate to see a familiar face, Elisa scans the hall she's in. There isn't any-well, not the one she's looking for.

Having to, Elisa continues to walk again. She's headed to the handler's office. That's the first step of the plan. She must go to the handler immediately, and she has to tell her that she's back-for a while, at least. Hopefully, the handler will believe her. Elisa thinks she will. At least, she'll believe Elisa quicker than she ever would Five. There's no doubt in that.

Blue flashes in front of Elisa's eyes as she urges herself through the crowds. She doesn't stop a single time, having to get to the handler. It's unbelievable how many times she has walked this path since a few weeks ago. For a year, Elisa thought she'd never return to this place. How very wrong she was.

Only when Elisa is in front of the door leading to the handler's office, she stops in her tracks. Taking a deep breath, Elisa reaches for the handle.

Put on an act, Elisa orders herself in her head. Put on a damn mask. Make her believe. For Vanya.

The door opens slowly. As always, the handler is properly behind her desk, signing some documents. She's fully concentrated-even when Elisa closes the door behind her.

"Ahem," Elisa quietly mumbles, looking at her feet.

Immediately, the handler looks up. The v on her head disappears when Elisa sits down in front of her. Her jaw drops a little, showing Elisa that she's surprised-too surprised.

"Elisa?" the handler says in a confused tone.

Act. Mask. For Vanya.

Elis forces the corners of her mouth to lift up. She's trained at it-that much is clear when the handler seems to believe it's a true smile. "I'm back."

"I can see that." The handler smiles, but Elisa can still see the confusion behind the teeth-showing smile. "I didn't expect you to be here, little one." The papers get shoved away quickly. The handler focuses on Elisa completely.

"I couldn't do it," Elisa admits, looking down at her lap. She entangles her hands nervously. "I don't think I deserve to be happy."

"But your parents . . ." the handler trails off.

"They deserve to live a long and happy life," Elisa tells the handler. "But I don't. I killed them. I've done that. I don't deserve to forget that." Only when the words are said, Elisa realizes that there's more truth to it than she thought.

"You were just a kid, little one," the handler whispers, placing her hand on Elisa's cheek. "You do deserve to be happy. You can still do it-"

"No." Elisa shakes her head, and the handler's hand glides down. It doesn't fall on the desk. The handler places it in her lap, listening to Elisa. "I made my decision. I want to stay here."

"Here?" The eyes of the handler widen in surprise. "What about Five?"

"I can't ever forgive him for what he has done." Elisa shrugs, looking right at the handler. "My place is not with him. I'm not sure if I even have a place still, but until I find that out . . . Can I stay here?"

The handler's face softens. An understanding smile comes on her lips. This time, her hand doesn't go to Elisa's cheek again. Instead, it reaches for Elisa's hand that's resting on the desk. She squeezes it reassuringly.

"Little one," she starts. "You're always welcome here."

"Then we should talk about my job," Elisa tells the handler, her smile widening. "I don't want to be an assassin."

"That much is clear." the handler chuckles lightly, avoiding Elisa's gaze. "What about management?"

"Management?" Elisa repeats in shock. Her jaw drops. The handler can't be serious. "You expect me to be a case manager?"

With a smug smile on her lips, the handler nods. "Of course, we never have enough assassins . . ."

"Case manager it is." Elisa rolls her eyes, hating the loathsome job entirely. One, it's bad for her plan. She has to look for Vanya. If she sits on a damn chair the whole time, she won't find her. Only at night will she be able to continue her search. All Elisa has is two days. It's as good as impossible. Two, the colleagues are stiff, and Elisa dislikes one specific woman very, very much. Dot. She isn't unkind-actually, not at all. She was the brightest and kindest of all at the commission, but she was too . . . excited for Elisa to be there. Her attempts to talk and join Elisa for lunch were tiresome.

"You'll be responsible for one major event at a time," the handler starts, but Elisa gestures her to stop.

"I know the job." She sighs. "I've tried it for a time, too."

Again, the handler nods. "Oh, I remember." Her smile widens. "It was a great punishment, wasn't it?"

Elisa groans, remembering it being a true trial. Of course, not as bad as the usual trainings with the handler, but it wasn't exactly fun, either. Now she's going back. Oh, how the other case managers their jaws will drop to the ground.

"Do you want to start tomorrow? Or would you prefer a little more ti-"

"Tomorrow is fine."

"I don't want you to put too much weight on your shoulders, though."

"I need to put my thoughts off Five, Mor and my parents, anyway." Elisa forces a weak smile on her lips. "Tomorrow will be just fine." But it won't be fine. Elisa needs time enough to search for Vanya, the girl that hasn't left her thoughts ever since Elisa found that she has disappeared. There's no way to be completely sure to know that Vanya is somewhere here, but Elisa can feel it. Perhaps it's hope she feels, but maybe it's truly Vanya's presence that is waking something up inside of her.

Quickly, the hander stands up. She leans on her desk with her hands, bowing forward a little. For a while, she only looks at Elisa. She notices the v forming on Elisa's forehead, and she also notices the broken twinkle in Elisa's eyes.

"You'll be all right, won't you?" she asks the girl, now frowning, too.

Again, Elisa forces herself to smile. "I will be," Elisa tells the handler. "Someday." There's no lie in that. Someday she'll feel more comfortable facing the fact that she had the chance to save her parents. Someday she won't have to hate herself for their deaths and Morgana's death.

"Someday," the handler repeats in a whisper.

She then straightens her gown. She always succeeds in putting on one of the most beautiful and surprising outfits. Elisa doesn't think she has ever seen the handler wear the same outfit twice. Always new. Always outstanding. Always full of hidden weapons. Knives. Probably several guns, too. You could count the deadly stare of the handler as one, too.

"Will you find the right wing?" the handler asks Elisa, starting to walk across the room, towards the door.

"Of course I will." Elisa frowns. She has been raised here-the handler was the one to raise her. Next to training, Elisa had practically nothing to do. She knows the commission by heart, and she hates herself for it. She hates this place.

"I'll have Hazel guide you," the handler tells Elisa, opening the door. "You know, it's been a long year."

"I'm sure you didn't change the whole lay-out of the building." Elisa rolls her eyes, understanding what the handler is doing. She doesn't want Elisa to wander around the hallways-which is new. "I can handle it. You raised me yourself. I'm not some baby you have to guide around."

"Hazel will help you to the right wing," the handler states. "I'm going now. I trust you'll find your way back to your room. Stay there."

"Why?"

"I'll send people to take care of your clothes. You need new ones."

"That's not necessary-" Elisa starts. It would be terribly inconvenient. Elisa needs time to search for Vanya. It's clear she won't find the woman in just one night.

"I don't think you want to wear a blue costume?"

The handler turns around, facing Elisa once again. A chuckle leaves her lips as she listens Elisa mumble, "You're right."

"I'm sure that'll take several hours." The handler shrugs when Elisa's jaw drops in bewilderment. "I'll make sure someone brings something for dinner to your room."

"I'm not a princess." Elisa rolls her eyes. "You're treating me like one, and I'm not liking it."

"Everyone here knows you as my daughter," the handler states, pointing her finger at Elisa. "I practically adopted you, Elisa. And if everything goes well, you'll inherit my status here, at the commission, after I die. So yes, I will treat you as a true princess."

For a moment, Elisa is completely speechless. Has she heard the handler right? Is she going nuts? She must. There's no other explanation.

"You're kidding." Elisa raises an eyebrow, curious.

"Absolutely not." The handler's face stays serious. Her mask has always been unbreakable-but can she be serious about this? Elisa becoming the head of the commission? That's truly crazy! Elisa loathes this place more than she loathes herself for her parents' death. She hates this hell with a passion.

"But-" The handler stops Elisa, shaking her head.

"I've got something I must handle," she tells Elisa. "Please, go to your room. The stylists will be there soon enough. They might be even quicker than you."

Elisa narrows her eyes a little.

"Your endurance has suffered the past year." The handler chuckles softly. "But you can train yourself now."

Relieved, Elisa sighs. Coming here and getting a job in the management wing is already bad enough, but having to endure the handler's trainings as well would be most terrifying.

When the handler exits her own office, she leaves the door open for Elisa to go through it. Elisa stands up, and she shoves the chair right underneath the desk.

Becoming the next handler. Ridiculous. How can the handler expect Elisa to follow in her footsteps. Surely, she knows Elisa isn't happy at all to be back in here. Plus, Elisa only has bad memories about this place.

"Becoming handler," Elisa mumbles, striding angrily across the room. "My ass!"

With a loud bang, Elisa slams the door closed behind her. Some people notice this, but they turn away their attention quick enough. Elisa is boiling-and they know not to mess with anyone close to the handler. It's a dangerous thing to do. It could easily cost them their life.

Having accepted the challenge, Elisa hurries herself to her bedroom. Yes, her endurance did suffer, but no one can actually outrun her. She won't allow it. Fortunately, she's in time. Once inside, she lets herself fall on her neatly made bed.

A loud groan escapes her lips. She knows exactly what the handler is trying to do. She's making sure Elisa does not wander around. That's why she's probably asked stylists to comr along. That's why dinner will arrive here. It's a tiny cell, really. It's, so, so, so clear.

Knocking on the door makes Elisa sit up immediately. Behind her door sound excited voices. These people only design clothes for the handler-they must be thrilled to get to use their magic on someone else. Magic-that's what the handler calls it. Elisa thinks it's a talent, sure, but not magic. Magic is what she feels when looking at Five. Magic is when her stomach flips tons of times, giving her the most drugging feeling ever.

"We're here!" a high pitched voice sounds, making Elisa frown.

"Open up," another voice sounds. A male's voice.

More than one? Elisa sighs at the thought. Hours-this'll take hours.

"I'm coming," Elisa mumbles quietly, but the two persons behind her door hear her well.

On purpose, Elisa opens the door slowly-not to annoy these stylists, but to give her some more seconds of alone-time.

"There you are!" the woman squeals, excited. Her red hair is put in a long-a very long-braid. It rests on her shoulder, and it goes all the way down to her waist. Elisa can't help but look in awe at the hairstyle.

"We've got a lot of work, Anne." The man goes to lay his hand on Elisa's shoulder, looking at her outfit. "She needs us."

"I'm so happy she does." The woman her smile widens. She pushes the man's hand off Elisa's shoulder.

Now, Elisa looks at the man. His black hair is long, too. Just like the woman, Anne, her hair, it is braided. Only his hair isn't as long as Anne's.

"Come on, girl," Anne hups into the room, past Elisa.

The man walks past her, too. He takes in the room, and a rather displeased frown comes onto his forehead. It looks like he succeeded in stopping himself from complaining about the decor.

"Okay," Elisa mutters. "I'll only need some pants and a few t-shirts. A sweater or two could be handy, too."

Laughs fill Elisa's ears. Her cheeks redden immediately when she realizes the two stylists are laughing with her.

"We won't make you any sweaters, dear." The man tells Elisa. Afterwards, he starts to laugh again.

"What are you going to make, then?"

Loudly, Anne claps with her hands. Her smile widens even more-if that's possible. Before answering, she glances at the man. Her eyes are back on Elisa soon enough, though. Waiting for an answer, Elisa watches the two carefully. What has the handler arranged, then?

"We're going to make you dresses and gowns!"