– CHAPTER NINE –

  THE DIOR VéNUS

  It was all dark. A familiar dark. A dark that was already becoming part of the protocol. There was also the small point of light, just as familiar as the dark. And just like those two familiars, the dark and the light, so too was what was being revealed, gradually, through the little light that grew, grew, and grew.

  Americ-Ana quickly thought, "Where are you, giant lion? I know you're there, just as familiar as the dark, the light, and what is revealed through the light."

  There he was, the lion. Or rather, here he was, the lion, because as part of the protocol, the creature would come running toward Americ-Ana. Its entrails, visible whenever it opened its mouth to consume the girl, were always the inevitable destination of familiarity with the dark, with the light, with what was revealed through the light, and with the lion itself.

  Once again, at the bottom of the lion’s throat, Americ-Ana saw lights. Not light, singular, but lights, plural. Not bright lights like the lion’s, but colored lights. Lights of every color flickered beneath Americ-Ana, beside her, and above.

  She was in Route Axis Mundi.

  She was lying on the ground, while the passersby walked past and looked at her, but none of them stopped.

  Americ-Ana’s vision returned little by little, first out of focus, then blurry, until it finally adjusted.

  The passersby were other versions of herself.

  Suddenly, one of the Americ-Ana passersby stopped to offer her a hand. Without saying a word, she simply extended her hand and helped her stand.

  Americ-Ana managed to regain her balance. She said “thank you.” She looked at this version of herself. It also had the QR Code marks, but there were also signs of time on the skin. It was a more mature version of herself, radiant, with light in the eyes, smiling without moving the lips or showing the teeth. The smile was printed across the whole face, in the eyes, in the body, in the aura, in everything.

  Americ-Ana’s eyes drifted slightly downward toward that more mature version of herself, and then she saw she was pregnant. Her hand rested on the belly, as if caressing it, and at the same time forming a shield.

  "DEVOCHKA!!!"

  Americ-Ana heard a shout so loud, so authoritative and forceful, that she instinctively lowered her head, as if shielding herself from something that had just exploded.

  Americ-Ana looked around, disoriented, trying to find where it had come from.

  Suddenly, running toward her, was Medvedh, his face filled with concern. Right behind him came Vellasko, equally worried, struggling to keep up.

  "You speak vith her?" Medvedh asked.

  "No. She only helped me stand," Americ-Ana replied.

  "Oh my God! There you are. Where have you been? We were so worried!" said Vellasko, trying to catch her breath.

  "The Chancellor warned me it was dangerous to speak with her, or with them." Americ-Ana felt the need to justify herself, given the state of worry on their faces.

  "Come. Ve must go. Still much to do," said Vellasko, placing her hand on Americ-Ana’s shoulder and guiding her toward the root of the great stained-glass tree.

  They stopped in front of one of the booths. Medvedh was first in line.

  "Tovarishch Fac Foedus!" said Medvedh.

  "Tovarishch Fac Foedus!" replied the Medvedh in the booth.

  The Medvedh in the booth took a golden scale and placed it in front of the Medvedh who was with Americ-Ana.

  Medvedh picked up a book and set it on the scale. The side with the book weighed heavier.

  The Medvedh in the booth released the passage. But before the Medvedh who was with Americ-Ana could cross the turnstile, he handed the book he had placed on the scale to Vellasko.

  Vellasko, however, as she reached out to take it, let the book slip and fall to the floor.

  Americ-Ana managed to make out only a single letter on the cover: the letter H.

  She tilted her head, trying to read the full word, but in the blink of an eye, Vellasko quickly picked the book up and set it down on the booth counter.

  There, Vellasko was already standing with the golden scale. She placed the book on it, and it weighed heavier on the scale.

  Americ-Ana stepped forward. The Americ-Ana in the booth told her to spit onto one side of the scale, which then weighed heavier, and she was allowed to pass through the turnstile.

  After crossing through a crowd of Medvedhs, Vellaskos, and Americ-Anas, they stopped before a sign that read:

  "What happens in the crossing transforms us more than the place we came from or the one we’re going to."

  Then they entered the Einstein-Rosen and took their seats. Americ-Ana and Vellasko sat together, and Medvedh sat across the aisle, beside another Americ-Ana.

  "Thank the baby Jesus everything went smooth in da transition from common world to THE-IMPERIUM," Vellasko began, clutching the crucifix around her neck.

  "Now, Americ-Ana, we’ll move on to the second part of what’s scheduled," Vellasko explained. "Every freshman entering Equal One Zero Academy must go through the KING MatNat History Museum. There, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with the new students, also freshmen. I want to reassure you in advance that this won’t demand anything harder than what you’ve already faced during the transition. That means you only need to enter the museum and interact with the other students. What happens after that is as if someone 'hits the automatic button' and things unfold the way they’re meant to. But before that, we need to change your look, because for this event, new scholars must wear formal attire."

  Americ-Ana looked at the clothes she was wearing, the same ones from the transition, and concluded she was already dressed well enough for any event. Besides, the only clothes she owned were the three gray shirts, the three pairs of jeans, and the hoodie. Those had been left behind at the house in Malibu, and Aunt Karen had probably thrown them away. She also had the prisoner’s uniform and the denim rabbit jumpsuit she had received from Bylly.

  It was then that Americ-Ana realized all her inherited belongings and gifted items, including Poppandacorn, had been left behind, back when she was still at the Thoth Precinct, inside the Geburah Pyramid.

  But before Americ-Ana could voice that thought, Vellasko was quick to say,

  "Don’t vorry, Americ-Ana, I know vhere your Seractcube is. I already have perfect dress in mind for you."

  As they continued the journey, Americ-Ana looked at her reflection in the mirror that had replaced the windows inside the Einstein-Rosen. The QR Codes seemed to shine brighter than ever. She wondered whether, among her new schoolmates, there might be someone who could like her, someone who would want her as a friend.

  Suddenly, she felt unwell. So much had happened. So many people had made enormous efforts to make everything go smoothly. The Chancellor had defended her during the hearing. Then she had guided her, with the utmost care, into this new world, into THE-IMPERIUM. Then there was Bylly, who, even without knowing her well, had treated her as if they had been close for years and years. Even Lady Puellula, who, despite having bitten her, had helped her escape a terrorist attack. And now, Medvedh and Vellasko, who had been with her through the entire journey.

  Americ-Ana felt awful. A dreadful thought passed through her mind. In that dark thought, the entire internet and every newspaper in the common world displayed the same headline on their front pages: "The girl chosen to live in the most exclusive bunker in the world failed to make a single friend and ended up being expelled."

  "Expelled" for not making friends. "Expelled" for not being interesting enough. "Expelled" for not fitting in anywhere. "Expelled" for being herself.

  In that moment, Americ-Ana wished with all her strength that there was some kind of technology in THE-IMPERIUM that could make people more interesting than they really are.

  The Einstein-Rosen came to a stop, and everyone got off.

  As soon as they exited the vehicle, Americ-Ana was guided by Medvedh and Vellasko until they reached a place that looked like a dungeon. The walls were dark, moldy, with rats and spiders crawling in and out through the cracks.

  There were two identical doors, side by side, adorned with gold detailing and precious stones. In the center, between the two, stood a woman with a cadaverous appearance. Her skin was far too pale, her eyes so swollen and crusted with yellow discharge that it was impossible to tell if she could see. From her tangled, gray hair, cockroaches scattered in swarms. On her head, a golden crown encrusted with jewels seemed to merge into the doors themselves.

  The woman gave a faint smile. Americ-Ana saw a white, viscous substance slithering between her teeth and dripping down her cracked lip.

  "What a delight to receive kind souls willing to help me break this curse," she said, in a weak voice, almost a whisper. "I was cursed by a demon. He promised to free me when a tall and handsome man kissed me. This man will inherit my reign and my riches."

  Vellasko and Americ-Ana immediately turned to look at Medvedh.

  "I am... how you say... confused," said Medvedh, blushing.

  At that moment, another Einstein-Rosen arrived. From it stepped a man so beautiful the three of them were left hypnotized. Tall, blond, with straight, voluminous hair. His eyes, a deep blue, looked as if they had been painted by hand.

  "Fac Foedus. Are you going in?" he said, with a deep and gentle voice. His teeth were white, his lips full.

  "Yes," the three of them replied, still enchanted.

  "Looks like one more kind soul has arrived to free me with a kiss and inherit my reign and my riches," said the woman, coughing through phlegm.

  "Milady say... inherit reign and riches after kissing you?" the handsome man asked.

  She nodded slowly.

  Suddenly, Americ-Ana jumped. Something slimy had landed on her shoe.

  Vellasko screamed, pulling Americ-Ana by the arm. The two of them hid behind Medvedh.

  A grotesque toad, nearly half a meter tall, came hopping into view. It had human arms and legs, was covered in moss and slime, and its red eyes blinked beneath a translucent membrane.

  "Has another kind soul come to free me from the curse with a kiss and inherit my reign and riches?" the woman repeated.

  The toad croaked.

  "I am blinded by the boils in my eyes... Is there any tall and handsome man to kiss me and break the demon’s curse?"

  The handsome man approached Americ-Ana, Vellasko, and Medvedh. He spoke in a low voice.

  "If you help me convince her that I am the man from the prophecy, I’ll share her fortune with you."

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  "Please... I’m dying. Someone, please... a tall and handsome man to kiss me and set me free..."

  "I, Milady," said the man, "am tall and handsome, and I am willing to give you the kiss that will break the curse."

  "I am blind. Is it true? Is this man truly tall and handsome? Can some kind soul tell me?"

  Vellasko and Medvedh looked at each other.

  Vellasko stepped forward.

  "It’s a lie. The one who spoke is no man. It’s a toad with a human voice."

  "What?" the woman moaned, collapsing as if her strength had left her.

  "Have you all lost your minds?" the man exclaimed. "I am the man from the prophecy! We had a deal!"

  Medvedh stepped closer to the woman.

  "My friend speak truth. This person who say he tall and handsome man is toad with voice of human."

  "Help me... place the real one at my side. I need to feel his lips..."

  The handsome man turned to Americ-Ana, his gaze sharp.

  "You, child. Children don’t lie. Speak the truth. Tell her I’m the tall and handsome man. Tell her!"

  Americ-Ana looked at Medvedh and Vellasko. Both shook their heads.

  "It’s a lie. This man who calls himself tall and handsome is a hideous green toad," said Americ-Ana, firmly.

  The man lost control.

  "You’ve all gone mad! I’ll kiss her by force and take everything for myself!"

  He lunged forward. Vellasko, on impulse, took the crucifix from around her neck and struck him, hitting him in the eye.

  "Are you insane?! I’ll destroy all of you!"

  Medvedh acted quickly. He grabbed the toad with both hands and brought it to the woman.

  "This one is tall and handsome man. Kiss him. Kiss him!"

  The woman moistened her dry lips and puckered them. Medvedh pressed the toad to her.

  In an instant, the moment their lips touched, the toad transformed into a prince. And she, into a restored princess.

  The handsome man began to squirt a blue, viscous liquid from the eye where Vellasko had struck him with the crucifix. Then he fainted.

  "For the kindness and truth revealed by these three souls, I grant entry. And as a token of gratitude, I show you the correct door. The one on the left," said the woman, now radiant beside the prince.

  Americ-Ana, Medvedh, and Vellasko thanked her and passed through the indicated door.

  Inside, it was completely dark. Then lights began to bloom gradually, revealing an elevator.

  The elevator began to move. Americ-Ana looked around. All the walls were made of silvery metal. Then one side of the wall became transparent, like glass. From there, Americ-Ana had a panoramic view that seemed familiar, except for the different elements that composed that extraordinary vision.

  Americ-Ana felt a sense of wonder.

  The elevator was descending from the top of a massive rectangular cliff, covered on all four corners by translucent crystals that radiated their own light in shades of violet, blue, gold, and cyan. Between the crystal seams, countless waterfalls of crystalline water plunged from miles above, forming a barrier around an artificial island, also rectangular in shape.

  Atop the artificial island stood two massive mirrored-glass pyramids, perfectly symmetrical.

  Vellasko and Medvedh welcomed Americ-Ana, simultaneously, to the ENIGMA GEMINI bunker.

  As the elevator descended to the level of the two pyramids, heading toward a bridge that connected the cliff to the rectangular island, Vellasko pointed her finger and said:

  "Americ-Ana, the pyramid to your left is the Principissa Tarantula District, or simply Tarantula, as most call it. To your right is the Prince Equal One Zero pyramid, better known as Equal One Zero Academy."

  Americ-Ana stared at the pyramid to her right. She scanned every inch of mirrored glass with her eyes. If she focused hard for a few seconds, she could make out a towering structure made of exposed stone. That was the exact place where all the members of the world’s most exclusive elite were trained to control the world. That was the place that had marked Americ-Ana’s face. That was the place that had marked her far beyond the skin, far beyond anything that could be seen. It was something much deeper than QR Code tattoos printed for everyone to see. That was the exact place that would evaluate Americ-Ana, and based on her performance, they had said others from the common world might also gain the right to be there. A right that, consciously, Americ-Ana had never asked for, never wanted, but one that had unconsciously shaped her entire destiny from the moment the "TAP AGREE TO CONTINUE" button on the Novaxtraai app had been pressed. That was, quite literally, the place where Americ-Ana would face all her demons.

  The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.

  Two white minibuses were parked side by side. The one on the left read Principissa Tarantula Pyramid, and the one on the right read Prince Equal One Zero Pyramid.

  Medvedh, followed by Vellasko and Americ-Ana, stepped into the vehicle on the right and crossed the bridge, heading toward the Prince Equal One Zero Pyramid.

  They stopped in front of the pyramid, got off the minibus, and headed to the entry and exit security post.

  The guard, wearing a cap and uniform, used special glasses to scan Medvedh’s and Vellasko’s right hands. Then he scanned the QR Codes on Americ-Ana.

  As they walked toward a Jump Chronos Station, Americ-Ana became so absorbed by the view before her that she stopped for a moment, admiring the entire landscape.

  Before her stretched an immense expanse of close-cropped green grass, as if it had just been trimmed. Gray, well-defined roads cut across the fields in precise lines, bordered by tall trees and wooden fences that looked like the frames of a painting. Scattered in the distance, stone buildings emerged among the treetops. Everything was grand, yet calm.

  Unlike the Geburah Pyramid, which pulsed like a living city, the Prince Equal One Zero felt like a metropolis made of trees and green fields.

  "Doesn’t even look like this place is filled with demons, does it?" said Vellasko, approaching Americ-Ana. "Let’s go to a safe place where you can change clothes."

  Americ-Ana, Medvedh, and Vellasko stopped in front of a Jump Chronos Station.

  Medvedh glanced quickly from side to side, as if making sure they weren’t being followed or watched. In silence, he gave a subtle nod to Vellasko, who promptly handed him the same book that had previously been used on the scale at the Route Axis Mundi booth.

  Once again, Americ-Ana tried to see what was written on the cover, but, just like before, she couldn’t make out anything.

  With precise movements, Medvedh removed a tiny fragment of a page from the book, so small it looked more like a sliver of parchment. Then he opened a hidden compartment on the side of the Jump Chronos Station’s structure. Inside it rested a small glass vial. Without hesitation, he bit the tip of one of his fingers and let a drop of blood fall, mixing it with the paper fragment inside the compartment.

  Medvedh made a discreet gesture, signaling for Vellasko to pass first through the activated portal of the Jump Chronos Station. Then he indicated for Americ-Ana to follow. Only afterward did he cross himself, closing the portal behind him.

  On the other side, Americ-Ana emerged between jagged walls that resembled the inside of a deep canyon, as if the earth had silently opened to reveal a cavern exposed to the sky. In front of her, fitted perfectly between the damp rocks, stood a stone cabin, with dark glass windows and stairs that wrapped around the structure leading to a recessed veranda. Even from the outside, Americ-Ana could see the flickering light of a lit fireplace reflecting on the rounded interior walls, as if the warmth inside had both form and intention. Around the cabin, the scene was covered in thick moss, damp stones, and the gentle sound of running water. It was as if that stone refuge had been carved by the earth itself to conceal a secret.

  Vellasko gave Americ-Ana a firm look and said:

  "Let’s go inside. This place is safe... for now. There’s no risk of hysterical crowds or terrorists coming after you. But it is absolutely essential that you never tell anyone about it. Medvedh and I built this refuge as soon as we received the order from Director Popess Rock to escort you and oversee the crossing from the common world into THE-IMPERIUM."

  Americ-Ana nodded, promising to keep the secret. In silence, she followed Vellasko into the cabin.

  As she climbed the stone steps and crossed the doorway, Americ-Ana was suddenly caught off guard by a whirlwind of fur rushing toward her, wrapping tightly around her legs.

  "MOMMY!!! YOU CAME BACK!!! I’M SO HAPPY!!! HOORAY!!!"

  It was Poppandacorn, who leapt up and clung to Americ-Ana in a vibrant hug, his plush little arms squeezing with the strength of someone who had waited a very long time.

  Americ-Ana immediately caught the sweet scent of cotton candy coming from the stuffed robot, and it made her heart race with tenderness. She picked him up and wrapped him in both arms.

  "I’m so, so happy to see you..." she whispered, squeezing Poppandacorn even tighter.

  Vellasko had to interrupt the reunion celebration between Americ-Ana and Poppandacorn. The plush bear, releasing rainbow bubbles as he ran through the cabin with Americ-Ana chasing after him, was playing tag.

  "We don’t have much time, Americ-Ana. If we hurry, we’ll make it just in time."

  Vellasko picked up Poppandacorn.

  "It was impossible to get him to hand over your Seractcube, Americ-Ana."

  "Access denied. Restricted. Unauthorized person," said Poppandacorn, his eyes shifting to yellow.

  "Only you have access to his vault. I tried to persuade him to let me take a look at what Helena Blavatsky left you as inheritance. That way, I would have already chosen a dress for you. But thanks to Poppandacorn, that wasn’t possible."

  "Access denied. Restricted. Unauthorized person."

  Americ-Ana asked Poppandacorn to hand her the Seractcube. The plush robot opened a compartment in his belly and gave the cube to Americ-Ana.

  Americ-Ana took the Seractcube.

  Within seconds, the inside of the cabin spun a full 360 degrees, lifting the girl, Poppandacorn, and Vellasko into the Cryptakashic.

  All the crystal containers were there, exactly as Americ-Ana had left them, before she had to flee in a hurry with Lady Puellula.

  Americ-Ana walked up to the door of the larger container, the one that covered all the smaller containers. The daisies lining the brick road were still there, but the red door that had once connected the precinct to the Cryptakashic had vanished.

  "I found the perfect dress for you, Americ-Ana," said Vellasko inside the Dior 1947 container.

  For Americ-Ana’s début, Vellasko had chosen a Dior “Vénus” gown from the Fall/Winter 1949–1950 haute couture collection, crafted in silk tulle, with a layered skirt embroidered in opalescent sequins and pearls. To complete the ensemble, a pearl and crystal necklace signed by Roger Scemama.

  Vellasko pressed one side of the necklace, and in an instant, Americ-Ana’s hair was pulled back into a sleek low bun, and her face was softly made up with rosy lips and eyes subtly enhanced by a delicate eyeliner.

  Vellasko held Americ-Ana’s hands firmly and positioned her in front of the mirror.

  Americ-Ana stared at the reflection. And for a brief moment, she couldn’t say who that girl was, the one in haute couture, adorned with a necklace fit for queens, marked on her skin with the seals of chance.

  Never, not even in her most distant delusions, had she imagined being there. Just days before, she had been pushing a pig in a wheelchair, dressed like a circus animal, the object of laughter, mockery, and scorn. Now, it was as if the universe had violently pulled the other end of the elastic and hurled Americ-Ana straight to the opposite extreme.

  On one side, public humiliation. On the other, the silent altar of the elite that governs the world. Both extremes had an audience. Both extremes demanded performance. But Americ-Ana was never an actress. She didn’t know how to organize her thoughts, didn’t know how to name what she felt. She only knew that she was there, and that alone was already unbearable for many. Because she had never wanted the stage, had never asked for the spotlight. And perhaps that was exactly what they hated most about her, the fact that she didn’t desire any of it… and yet, still remained. Remained, despite it all. Despite the shame. Despite the scars. Despite the eyes that judged her. Despite the worlds that never wanted her.

  The QR Code marks on her face glowed faintly in the mirror’s reflection. They were there. No matter how beautiful or well-dressed Americ-Ana was, they were unerasable. Maybe they were a reminder. Maybe they were the scar of the portals that had opened. Or maybe, they were simply the non-negotiable seal of an origin that cannot be erased. She was there. She had arrived. And just that, the fact of existing in that space and time, between worlds that rejected her, was already the impossible. And still, she remained.

  Because those who hated her, deep down, knew: if they were in her place, they would have already fallen long ago.

  "Starting today, classes begin. The academic year begins at Equal One Zero Academy. You, as the winner of the lottery to be part of the THE-IMPERIUM bunker, are of school age, and therefore will attend the academy where the students are the children of the world’s most influential people, and the teachers are demons. You left the common world, and everyone saw it, literally, as witnesses of what you left behind. From this day forward, Americ-Ana, the past is behind you, and it is your responsibility, and yours alone, to give your best at Equal One Zero Academy, in the ENIGMA GEMINI bunker, in THE-IMPERIUM, and in the KING MatNat games," said Vellasko, placing both hands on Americ-Ana’s shoulders.

  "My MOMMY is a Vintage Venus," said Poppandacorn, shooting flashes and photos from his eyes.

  "Americ-Ana as the Vintage Venus on her debut night. I like that, Poppandacorn," agreed Vellasko, breaking into a wide smile.

  "I am a genius," replied Poppandacorn, pretending to be modest.

  Vellasko and Americ-Ana began to laugh.

  In the car container, the one chosen for Americ-Ana’s début was the 1936 sapphire blue Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.

  Americ-Ana held the Seractcube once again, and after a full 360-degree rotation, the interior of the cabin materialized.

  Still holding the Seractcube, Americ-Ana returned to the Cryptakashic, this time accompanied by Medvedh. Together, they used a Jump Chronos Station to retrieve the car chosen for the début night.

  Seventeen minutes later, Americ-Ana stood before a paved road lined with trees, where green lawns stretched far beyond wooden fences.

  "Stay calm. Just enter car and you be taken to right place," said Medvedh, bidding Americ-Ana farewell.

  "Don’t forget, Americ-Ana, do your best," Vellasko advised, placing a small note in her hands. "Promise you’ll read it the exact moment you step out of the car."

  Americ-Ana nodded, tucked the note into a fold of her dress, hugged them both, and said,

  "Thank you for everything."

  Americ-Ana and Poppandacorn got into the Bugatti.

  The vehicle began to drive, heading toward the KING MatNat History Museum.

  Over the next eleven minutes, the car followed a winding road flanked by rows of trees, curving through wide green fields that stretched beyond wooden fences.

  Until it passed through a cluster of dense vegetation. Suddenly, the Bugatti emerged into a clearing, surrounded by trees.

  The center of the clearing was covered in short, well-trimmed grass.

  And upon that grass stood a large white pyramid.

  As the car approached, an opening appeared at the base of the pyramid, as if the ground were sliding backward, revealing an underground entrance. It looked like the mouth of a garage carved into the earth, ready to swallow the vehicle.

  The Bugatti entered, leaving Americ-Ana and Poppandacorn in the dark as it moved forward.

  "Scared," said Poppandacorn, turning on the flashlight embedded in his eyes.

  The vehicle continued forward.

  Just ahead, Americ-Ana saw a point of light that grew larger as the car advanced.

  They reached what seemed to be a kind of car elevator, because as soon as the Bugatti stopped, the floor and the walls began to move downward.

  Then, Americ-Ana started to hear the sound of many muffled voices, as if people were speaking loudly through a wall.

  The Bugatti kept descending.

  Suddenly, the sound of conversation became louder, and the soft lighting that had filled the car elevator was replaced by something stronger.

  The Bugatti, with Americ-Ana and Poppandacorn inside, came to a stop before a large translucent glass cube. Inside the structure, several Roman columns rose toward the ceiling.

  The car stopped in front of a long red carpet.

  Through the vehicle’s window, Americ-Ana could see into the interior of the glass cube with its columns.

  There were several people dressed in formal attire, holding glasses and talking to one another.

  A man wearing a coat and a cap approached, gesturing that he was about to open the vehicle’s door.

  Then everyone inside the structure stopped talking and turned to look in Americ-Ana’s direction.

  Americ-Ana reached into the folds of her dress, took out the note Vellasko had given her, opened it, and read:

  "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

  The man in the coat and cap opened the door of the Bugatti.

  Americ-Ana stepped out and saw, before her, the long red carpet.