So it is done: The one you see in the mirror (Patreon)

There are many phobias in the world. There are silly ones, ordinary ones, rare, and even some that are ‘interesting’ in the Chinese sense. Usually, people are afraid of what they don't understand or what they don’t know; insects, reptiles, viruses, bacteria, robots, demons to list a few. Of course there are phobias that are simply common sense survival instincts like fear of heights or the dark. There are as many phobias as there are ‘things’ that people can fear. And one of the most normal fears out there is the fear of other people.

Humans are the hardest things to ‘understand’ in existence. Therefore, it is natural that humans are very afraid of their fellow humans.

Magicians, the ascended, the highest caste of humanity are also part of that dynamic. They had cast aside the Sleepers' superstitions and weaknesses to see the Tellurian as it was,

but they didn't stop being human just from that. It would take a lot more than the ability to mold reality as you see fit to stop being ‘human’. Magicians, the Awakened, do not lose their weaknesses, fears, aspirations and desires when they part ways from the Sleepers.

Jonathan for example was afraid of mirrors. Though if you know what he knows about mirrors, then you would feel the same way as well. Is what he would tell you if you were to ask, hiding an embarrassing secret.

He was afraid of mirrors not in the sense that he was afraid of the mirrors themselves, afraid of polished metals or objects with reflective surfaces applied to them. Jonathan was not one of those who would freeze in panic when their sight pass over a mirror. And he was not afraid of mirrors because he was once cursed by someone from the inhabitants of Speculum Orbis Terrarum.

It was simply an ordinary fear from childhood, an irrational fear borne out of immaturity. People do fear what they don’t understand after all, and for the immature Jonathan, a mirror was something truly alien.

Foolish childhood fears permeated the minds of people. Superstitions and delusions from the very beginning of their lives plagues everyone, as it did to Jonathan in the distant past.

Jonathan was afraid that one day he would look in a mirror and not see his figure reflected.

Jonathan was not afraid of the curse one could cast from the other side of the mirror, nor did he fear imagining that another person would smile at him from inside the mirror. As the Order of Hermes loved mirrors as it was used for communication and observation, Jonathan got used to the last part quite quickly.

He was afraid to one day see in a mirror the Jonathan Goodman that he was not.

And so Jonathan, looking in the mirror, always asked himself the same question - who does he see in front of him? Would he see Jonathan Goodman, the son of an old man, a young Adept, a hopeful follower of Ars Unitatis?

Jonathan could have ditched Cinder to her fate. Logically speaking, it would even be the smart thing to do. Survival, convenience of life, and efficiency of action were things that were held in high esteem in the Order. As a part of that culture for the better part of his life, it was a creed that he was very familiar with.

But, having found a base for himself, even if only a tentative one. With bountiful tass in hand, it was only a matter of time of him acquiring a suitable standard of living as an Adept of the Order of Hermes. But, if he were to abandon Cinder now, when he looks in the mirror in the future, who would Jonathan see looking back?

He would see a Jonathan, but not himself. A Jonathan who had the opportunity to make the world better, even if just a little, even for just for one person, and chose not to do so. A Jonathan that did not save Cinder, who said nothing in her defense, A Jonathan that had run away, abandoned a person he could have easily helped. He wasn’t sure that he liked that image.

It doesn't mean he has the solution to Cinder’s problem though, he still had no plan. His current plans were nothing more than things done in a state of heightened emotions. Truly what kind of plan is to just kill everybody? Or his second best, just grabbing Cinder and running away, with no actual end goal and no means of preserving her livelihood. In all honesty, he was flying by the seat of his pants.

But, Jonathan was scared shitless of one day looking in the mirror and not recognizing the person in the reflection.

Therefore, looking at Cinder through the mirror, who was being tortured with electric shocks whimpering on the ground. Gritting his teeth at the cruel mistress and Satan spawns mocking Cinder relentlessly as she apologizes for things that were not her fault. At last, when he saw Cinder retreating into herself to preserve her sense of self, Jonathan came to a decision.

So it is done.

***

“I want to help you.” Jonathan's words sounded like cannon shots for Cinder, making her tremble uncomfortably. Cinder stood with her arms raised, as if to defend herself. Her personal little sanctuary, her personal world. It had been defiled. Destroyed. Not empty.

“How did you come here!?” Cinder didn't know what she was supposed to do, she didn't know what to expect next. Why did Jonathan come here? What is he planning to do?

Why is he interfering with her life again?! And how did he find her Sanctuary!?

“Get out! Get out of my room!” Cinder barked as loudly as possible, trying to sound threatening. But, as expected, she was too drained to do anything too strenuous, so the result was not at all what Cinder had hoped for. Cinder, at best, could reach Jonathan's armpit when comparing their height and size, so any physical fight is no contest. Furthermore, the whirlwind of emotion boiling inside Cinder made her threat come out more like a panicked exclamation than a true threat.

Jonathan sighed slowly before repeating what he said to Cinder again. "I want to help you."

Cinder froze, she literally couldn’t understand what Jonathan was saying.

It was weird. It was something that she couldn’t parse - those words were not things that are spoken to her. Never.

Not in the orphanage, not at this hotel. Neither by the visitors, by Miss Sunny or her sisters. It’s not something that were ever said to her as she was tortured every single day.

Cinder drew in a deep breath, her collar still scorching under her clothes. After the punishment, the pendant had a disgusting side effect of heating up, leaving burn marks on her skin. After each punishment session she needed to concentrate on her dwindling Aura to not get another burn on her chest. However, with her mind in disarray, she couldn’t help the panicked reflex of trying to take off the burning collar. With the need to keep the collar secret, Cinder stopped her hand before touching the damn necklace.

However, judging by Jonathan's gaze, she didn't do it fast enough for Jonathan to not notice.

“I want to help”, - Jonathan said it again, with a tinge of sadness to his voice. He then looked down, staring into Cinder’s eyes and… he smiled. Not the taunting and angry smile Cinder was used to from her sisters. Not the patronizing or condescending ones she could see from the many Hunters passing through Miss Sunny’s hotel. But… a kind one.

Jonathan just smiled kindly at her, as if he wasn't going to do anything else. As if he wanted to help her.

“Get out!” Cinder cried out again, but this time there was no anger in her voice that she should have felt, there was only panic and resentment. But most of all, confusion.

“Get out now! Go away!”

“Cinder,” Jonathan then raised his hands slowly, as if showing that he meant no harm, still smiling all the while. “I just want to help.”

Cinder clenched her fists until she could feel her nails piercing skin, to mask the pinching feeling in her eyes. It was a vile feeling, Cinder didn't like this feeling.

To cry is to be weak, and Cinder hated weakness.

“You will help me by going away!” Cinder squeezed her hands painfully, staring at the floor. “I don't need your help!”

“It's okay, Cinder.” Jonathan slowly got up from his seat, before taking a step towards Cinder, “I'm here, and I want to help. I promise I don't want anything else.”

“I don't need help! Not from anyone and especially from you!” Cinder broke down, shouting, stamping the floor loudly like a child throwing a tantrum. “Needing help is a sign of weakness! Needing help is an admission of your weakness!”

“Cinder” As Jonathan called out to her softly, Cinder can only look at the floor in front of her, powerless to do anything, as Jonathan begin to approach her.

“Needing help is not an admission of weakness. We all need some help, sometimes.”

Cinder clenched her fists till it turned white, still not looking up. Hearing only the approach of footsteps, she hissed barely audibly, “I don’t need help! I'm not weak!

“Of course not, Cinder,” Jonathan's kind voice made Cinder choke on air.

He didn't sound evil or derisive. Neither arrogant nor condescending. No, he sounded... So strange, so alien. “You are very strong, Cinder. Very, very strong.”

Jonathan was now next to Cinder, forcing her to freeze in place, waiting for... Something. Anything! A Strike! Ridicule! Or even some Punishment! Cinder suddenly felt hands on her head and she reflexively looked up, looking at Jonathan.

“You are strong, Cinder.” And he smiled at her. He looked fatherly, supportive, and so, so sad. It looked so wrong...

Cinder looked down the pinching feeling on her eyes growing stronger.

“You are the strongest person I know of, Cinder,” Jonathan said. So stupid! So strange! But… also very kind. “You've been through so much, you have endured for so long, enduring a torture I cannot even imagine. You are very strong, Cinder.”

Jonathan slowly raised his hand to hug Cinder, then pulled her to him. It was a simple human action. One that people would do to console one another.

It was so warm. It was so strange...

“That's why I want to help you, Cinder.” Jonathan talked, talked and talked, but her ears for some reason is no longer working. “Because you are the strongest person I know.”

“I'm not weak…” - Cinder said quietly, feeling the pinching on her eyes again as tears started falling down. “I'm not weak!”

“No, you are not weak”, - Jonathan hugged Cinder, burying her head in his chest, - “You are very, very strong.”

“I'm not weak... I'm not weak…” - Cinder, who had been standing with legs trembling from exhaustion raised her hands in response, hugging Jonathan. As the crying Cinder pressed against him, Jonathan could feel his shirt starting to get wet.

“I'm not weak... I'm not weak... I’m not weak…”

“No, you’re not weak.” Jonathan slowly raised his hand and ran his fingers through Cinder's hair, once, then another, and then another…  “You are the strongest…”

***

Cinder, having spent the last remnants of her strength, was absolutely exhausted. She did not even try to resist when Jonathan took out a handful of Dust from his pocket.

With a sharp movement, he pressed Cinder into himself, blocking her view. After a second, Jonathan let go of the barely on her feet girl.

Cinder blinked blankly before letting go of Jonathan, whose T-shirt was now wet through and through, and rubbed her eyes. Eyes which were now dry and starting to pinch unpleasantly. She then looked at her surrounding with tired confusion.

For some reason she now found herself in Jonathan's room, even though she had previously stood in her room… it seems that she’s more tired than she thought.

Cinder sniffed before looking around and slowly yawning. She needs to sleep, she had only four and a half hours of sleep left…  After that, she must wake up to continue cleaning the carpet...

Jonathan sighed as he stared at the dead at her feet Cinder before shaking his head and looking at the shirt sticking to his body. Cinder suddenly felt ashamed that she had stained Jonathan's shirt as she looked down.

“Do not lower your gaze, Cinder.” Jonathan noticed Cinder’s movement, speaking quietly and calmly. “Better look at me in the eye. When you look down, I start to worry that I disappointed you somehow”

Cinder froze as she glanced at Jonathan. He was an adult, a lot younger than Miss Sunny, but also much older than Cinder herself. He had money, strength, connections, with the way he could travel to cities, Kingdoms. And he smiled at Cinder. He was good and not at all judgmental… So to think that he had disappointed Cinder somehow…

He looked at her calmly, with a smile, with... kindness.

Cinder dropped her gaze instantly, before remembering Jonathan's words and looking up... before lowering it again.

Jonathan, noticing Cinder’s strange behavior hugged her again a little. Then he lifted her, making her sit on the bed, and then sat down next to her.

Cinder frowned at the fact that someone had hugged her, but did not pull away. Finally, making up her mind on what to do, she buried her gaze in her knees.

“Why do you want to help me?” Cinder said quietly and with a frown, continuing to look at her knees. “Nobody cared about me, no one.”

“Why? Hmm… ” Jonathan sighed before hugging Cinder a little more, pulling her a little closer. Cinder did not have the strength to resist, so she allowed herself to be pulled, being hugged with one hand. “Indeed, why…”

Jonathan sighed again, and then looked from Cinder to somewhere forward and up. Cinder, who glanced at him, noticed how Jonathan was looking at something far away...

“Probably because... So it is done.” Jonathan said something ridiculous nonchalantly. “As you know, my name is Jonathan Goodman, and the surname obliges…”

Cinder made a slight sneer at Jonathan's words as she continued to stare at him.

“I want to help you, Cinder, I really want to.” Jonathan closed his eyes, then exhaled slowly and looked at Cinder, eye to eye. “So tell me, Cinder. What can I do for you?”

“What can you do?” Cinder looked away, hearing Jonathan's passionate words.

After which, no longer caring to keep Miss Sunny’s secrets, she reached out her hand under her shirt. With a projection of Aura around her hand, she grabbed the still sizzling pendant, no, her collar. She pulled the collar that keeps her chained out from under her clothes, literally poking Jonathan in the face.

“This is…  this is my collar. No matter what you do, as soon as Miss Sunny presses the button I… ”

Imagining the shocks that would run through her body, Cinder flinched. Jonathan hugged her tighter, allowing her to unclench her fist. As she let go, a large Dust crystal fell off her opened hands, pulling Cinder's neck with it. A reminder of who she was at this hotel.

“If you try to take it off without Miss Sunny's key - it will explode.” Cinder shuddered. “If the collar is three hundred meters away from her - it will explode.”

“Oh, the metric system…” Jonathan said it quietly, with his lips only, but Cinder could hear him calculating something. “About... A little over three hundred yards? I see…”

Cinder ignored Jonathan's words, lost in thought.

"I can just destroy it," Jonathan came to the obvious conclusion. His exclamation making Cinder flinch and immediately shake her head in fear. Her shaking forcing Jonathan to hold the girl so that she does not fall out of bed.

“No!” Cinder disagreed vehemently. “If you break it, then…”

“Explosion.” Jonathan sighed, instantly figuring out the unspoken consequences.

He shook his head at imagining what kind of person would stick a bomb to a young child’s neck. He suddenly froze, a realization. Suddenly, he looked again at Cinder’s collar attentively.

“It's… just a Dust crystal, isn't it? An Electric Dust crystal welded to metal as a protective barrier, and... probably with a small command element... Hmm…”

Cinder looked up at the deep in though Jonathan carefully. The idea coursing through his head forced him to slowly close his eyes to think.

“Maybe… maybe I can turn it off without destroying it?” Jonathan suddenly looked at the collar with scrutiny.- “Like, hmm... Like pulling the battery out of a remote control.”

“A battery?” - Cinder frowned at the unfamiliar word uttered by Jonathan. “What’s that?”

“Ah, ahem,” Jonathan blinked, quickly trying to think up some kind of explanation. “ It’s Dust... from the remote control… yeah, something like that.”

Cinder sighed, then looked down once more. “Miss Sunny always monitor the charge on the Dust. If its level drops low enough, she will simply replace it…”

Jonathan thought about the new information for a second, before smiling at Cinder. “Then the solution is simple no? It will just be necessary to extract all the energy from the Dust instantly… and safely.”

Cinder looked at the confident Jonathan carefully. Then, while not letting her hopes rise, she asks. "Can you do this?"

“Yes,” Jonathan answered instantly and confidently, then shook his head. “But... I need some preparation and time... But I can do it, I’m sure of it.”

Cinder perked up, as she could the chance to finally leave Miss Sunny and her cruel daughters. But her joy was short-lived, when she realized another crucial fact.

“What then? Even if you can remove this collar what then? Where will I go?” Cinder asked Jonathan.

“Do you have other relatives or friends?” Jonathan asked.

Cinder looked down instantly, her future now uncertain again. “No.”

“This is a big problem.” Jonathan now looked less confident about his plans.

“Take me with you then.” Cinder said it quietly, but Jonathan heard it.

“What?” Jonathan was pulled away from his thoughts.

“Take me away from here, with you.” - Cinder repeated, again. “Away from here, from this jail.”

“I…” - Jonathan sighed slowly and shook his head, and his response almost broke Cinder’s budding hope.  “I can't.”

“Why?” Cinder looked at Jonathan, feeling a large and disgusting lump rise to her throat.

“I…” - Jonathan sighed. “I may have… lied a little to you. I am not a traveler and Atlas... I’ve arrived here illegally. And… furthermore, I'm not exactly the best company for little girls. Huh…”

Cinder averted her gaze. She was a smart girl, she understood that these words did not mean anything good for her future.

“And so what?” Cinder looked up, looking at Jonathan with desperation. “Take me away from here. Please.”

“I don’t…  I don’t have a place to stay.” Jonathan shook his head, - “All I have is a room rented here at the moment... I have nowhere to take you.”

Cinder lowered her gaze again, feeling her eyes begin to pinch again, before speaking in a lower voice. “Please... I... I only eat a little... and I can clean up and wash the dishes, and the floors, and wash clothes, and, and, and…”

“Cinder.” Jonathan’s voice sounded like a death knell to Cinder. “I... I’m not really a good option for you to stay with. I have no house, am here illegally, and don’t even have a source of income, I have serious problems with money and... You should not live in such conditions. Maybe an orphanage... I can take you to an orphanage, there must be another place where you can stay.”

“No.” Cinder suddenly looked up, full of determination, - “No. You’re going to take me away from here.”

“Cinder, I really can't and…” At that moment Jonathan suddenly realized an important thing. Cinder was holding on to him very tightly, and she can make her hands melt plastic, not a great combination.

“Cinder... Let go of my T-shirt, please.”

“No”, - Cinder frowned as she looked into Jonathan's eyes. “I will leave here only with you.”

“Cinder,” Jonathan sighed slowly and exhaled. “I... staying with me is not really the best option for you.”

Cinder, not listening to Jonathan's protests, pulled on Jonathan's shirt and made Jonathan sway with a force he obviously wasn’t expecting from the little girl in his arms.

“I won't let go.” Cinder then buried herself in Jonathan’s cloth. She, frowning, continuing to puff out, while her hands were clenched so hard they were trembling. “I won't let go if you don't take me with you.”

“Cinder,” Jonathan sighed again, - “I... Really, I... I would be happy to do so were my circumstances are different. I would like to take you with me, but I cannot provide you with a house, or food, or even a decent living conditions... I cannot give you what you need and I… Believe me Cinder I really would like to, but I cannot, for your sake. Think about it, I…”

Cinder did not listen to Jonathan anymore, buried in him completely. She didn't want to listen. Jonathan suddenly felt his T-shirt, which had begun to dry out, become wet again.

“I won't let go… ” Jonathan heard a sob and felt a child's face pressed into him with all her strength.

“I won't let go, and you won't go anywhere! You will not leave me and I will not be alone! I won't... I won't be alone! Everyone... All left, nobody helped me! Only you stayed! You will not leave!” Jonathan froze at Cinder’s heartfelt cry before taking a slow breath.

“This is a bad decision, Cinder.” Jonathan slowly put his hand on Cinder's head and ran it through her hair, - “You know, I can’t give you the life that you deserve. Staying with me is…”

“You won’t leave!” Through her sobs, Cinder pressed into Jonathan with such force that he was forced to exhale so that Cinder would not accidentally burst his rib cage open. But, in the end, Jonathan was forced to concede.

“Fine, I won't leave you behind, you win” Jonathan slowly ran his other hand through his hair. An Adept of the Order of Hermes being defeated by a little girl, how embarrassing.

“This is still a very, very stupid and bad decision, but if you are so vehement… Okay, Cinder. I will not leave.”

Cinder continued to press against Jonathan and furthermore, sobbing every other time. So Jonathan continued to run his hand through her hair.

Slowly, gently, soothingly...

So strange.

Cinder herself did not know when she fell asleep...

***

Jonathan put the asleep Cinder to bed with a sigh.

This is a bad decision. Bad decisions awaited people at every step of their lives, a foolish, impulsive action with unpredictable consequences, ha...

The old man once said that the day when Jonathan realizes the difference between a ‘good’ decision and a ‘right’ decision will be the worst day in Jonathan's life.

The old man knew what he was talking about...

Jonathan ran a hand over his face, slowly trying to calm himself down before realizing that another of his T-shirts was wet through and through...

Haha, he bought three T-shirts, and it weren't enough.

If this was not a metaphor for how Jonathan's seemingly excellent foresight proved to be so inadequate in the real world, then Jonathan knew nothing about metaphors.

Jonathan sighed, thoughtful.

He has made a promise to Cinder.

Jonathan had not broken any promises before. And even if he admits to himself that one day he could make a promise that he could not do, this is not that day.

Jonathan wasn't stupid, nor is he weak. Jonathan could have easily escaped Cinder’s grasp, but... Why would he do that? What will he achieve by doing that? What will happen to Cinder?

Cinder won't forgive him.

Jonathan, that Jonathan in the mirror won't forgive him.

Jonathan sighed and grinned grimly.

Well, Jonathan, it seems that you have begun to determine your plans and take decisive steps in this world! The old man would be proud of you, Jonathan.

Jonathan wasn't sure if his last line was sarcastic or not. Jonathan generally wasn’t sure about his life at the moment, but Jonathan understood the bare minimum of what he needed to understand.

He knew for certain that he would take Cinder with him. It was an extremely idiotic decision. It was a Bad decision, but the Right decision.

He will also need to flee to a new state as there’s no way a person like Miss Sunny will let Cinder go. Another very bad decision, but in the light of the past it is also a good decision.

He also needs to find a significant amount of money, taking care of another person isn’t cheap after all. So to recap; he needs to prepare a teleport, remove the collar from Cinder; develop a few rituals - and conduct them...

The last part didn't even sound as idiotic as all the previous parts. Jonathan could even pat himself languidly that his bani Bonisagus nature was made manifest in this world.

Jonathan sighed again before looking closely at the sleeping Cinder.

So small, she’s about the age that children had to go to school now... First or second grade of elementary school. The age where she would go with her parents every weekend to a café, asking for new dresses, or discussing the stupid boys in her class...

Jonathan sighed and rubbed his face before shaking off his silly and pointless philosophizing.

Yes, he had chosen a very, very bad path, but it was the right one. And so now he, at least, knew what he needed to do.

The first thing Jonathan needed was to look at what he wanted to destroy - or, in this case, deprive of its essence.

Looking at Cinder, huddled in a fetal position, Jonathan slowly took a step towards the sleeping Cinder. He then gently turned her onto her back, causing Cinder to reflexively tense even through her deep sleep. With a steady hand he reached out to the collar lying on the girl's neck...

Jonathan found it unpleasant to even touch such a thing as this. But with a sigh, remembering the Art of War... A book the old man appreciated… Know your enemy as you know yourself.

Jonathan closed his eyes, exhaling slowly, while reaching out to the nearest sealed container of Dust he had bought.

He opened the lid, before pouring a generous handful of Dust on his fingers and slowly applying the resulting powder to his eyes, creating a kind of mask of light gray color.

Through the eyes and his gaze combined with the quintessence, he sees it. He sees through it. After another moment, he raised his hand to his eyes, feeling how the quintessence reacts to his actions.

He touched the tass applied to his eyes, and with a swipe erasing its corporeal form. Instantly, he could feel the power of the quintessence contained in the tass following his Will. With it, he frees himself from the veil that prevents him from seeing this world.

As he opened his eyes, he now looks at the world in the way that only the Awakened can look at it. Then, he turned his gaze toward Cinder.

The girl herself looked... probably the way umbral beings was supposed to look like. Jonathan was not the greatest expert in this area, so he could not say anything more specific.

A force glimmered inside her that Jonathan had never seen before... Which also did not say much. Though, he admits, he wasn’t interested in this aspect at the moment. With that out of the way he picked up the pendant on Cinder’s neck with his hand and slowly brought it closer to his face.

The artifact in front of his eyes was a rather rough, but powerful artifact. It was powered by a huge amount of quintessence contained in the rather large Dust crystal in its center. Though the way the pendant uses it was so inefficient, such that Jonathan internally groaned on the wastefulness of it all. Yet, its purpose being such, perhaps it is for the best.

Dissatisfaction at the wastefulness of the artifact over with, he began to inspect it more attentively.

Apparently, his early assumption was true, the built-in tass, a crystal of Dust, was the main source of power for the artifact. At the same time, it is also used as a storage element filled with quintessence with a distinct resonance... Lightning, or electricity to be specific.

Jonathan frowned. While the craft was rough and clumsy, it was also its strength. There were no knots or cunning schemas that could be easily confused to destroy or deactivate the artifact. What was left for Jonathan to do was to manually ‘de-energize’ it by taking the quintessence from the Dust crystal and transferring it to a new ‘battery’.

Again, it was not so difficult to do - the collar was not protected from such interventions and Jonathan could easily do it. However, looking only at the truly magical nature of such an artifact, Jonathan could not predict how the possible connection between the collar and Miss Sunny's remote control would behave if he were to tamper with it.

It is quite possible that in the case of a slow transfer, she would be able to detect such changes. And if the creators of the artifact understood what exactly they were creating and how their artifacts would be used in the future, then she would wake up from some kind of alarm.

This means that the transfer had to be instantaneous... Which somewhat complicated the matter.

Jonathan breathed out - transference of energy... Jonathan did not know how to ‘freeze’ spells as well as some Adept Major of Ars Temporis... But he knew how to create... ‘certain’ types of artifacts.

So he needed to create an artifact that, when used, would extract all the energy from Cinder's collar. It also needs to be done at the last moment, as he prepares for teleportation...

However, this created other problems as well. As it was highly desirable for him to at least understand where exactly he was going with Cinder. Furthermore, Cinder needs to not attract any attention to herself until they are ready to leave.

The problem also remained that if Jonathan and Cinder disappeared from the hotel at the same time in an unknown way, this could very eloquently indicate the interconnection of these events...

Not to mention the fact that Miss Sunny would probably file a police report for the missing Cinder. And, given that there were only five major cities in this world, surely Atlas would easily pass information about him and the missing girl to the other cities...

Jonathan grimaced - so he needed a lot of preparation.

A cover for both him and Cinder. A lot of money to guarantee their livelihood, and a place where kingdoms would not seek him while remaining somewhat safe from the Grimm.

And, oh that’s right, Jonathan also shouldn’t forget that he still did not have any proper documents. He should remember to get Cinder’s too at the same time…  Ha, Cinder's documents. No, it would be better for Jonathan not to take them. Cinder's documents probably also contain the identity of her foster family and place of residence.

Jonathan ran his hands over his face again.

So, to reiterate. He needs to pump out the quintessence from the artifact; find a place of residence that is not related to the Kingdoms and their legal and documentation system.

Then what’s left is to officially check out and leave the hotel and find a lost of money.

Jonathan exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. Magic, Magia. Magia will always help him find a way out. So, all he needed to do at the moment was...

Jonathan rubbed his temples, feeling a plan slowly form in his head. It was bad to steal, very, very bad. But Jonathan needed a lot of money and quick.

Well, he could at least make sure not to inflict too much damage... Or at least the damage he did had to be bearable for the target of the attack.

And... He has a goal for all that money. A noble goal even.

And while the ends did not justify the means, but… Jonathan shook his head.

So it is done. The words that exemplify his Order…  Jonathan has already made a bad decision…  all that was left for him was to follow his decision to the end so that the bad decision did not become meaningless.

So Jonathan sighed and figured out exactly what he needed at the moment.

A Knife, a small penknife.

A Video camera. The cheaper it is, the better, perfect if it is a consumable one.

The simplest electric circuit diagram with a control element. Jonathan could draw this himself.

Scissors, the sharper it is, the better, but any will do.

Glue, durable and high quality.

A permanent marker, Black.

Dust, both electrical and aerial.

A pair of air-tight containers, but a box is better.

A crowbar, or really anything else that could move a sewer hatch.

Glasses, Jonathan needed the glasses for many activities.

Bag, the most common bag albeit very large. Very, very large.

Jonathan inhaled and exhaled noisily. As one could understand from the list of necessities...

For Cinder's sake, Jonathan was going to rob a bank.