The Spirits (Ch-16; The London Accords)

The Spirits And The Devastating War

Chapter-16

The London Accords

Peter fainted in the middle of the room, with the syringe fallen on the floor. Ramesh’s shield which was kept on his lap, because of his unconscious support, fell on the syringe and vial, concealing it from people's vision. He, probably, was not able to bear the reactions inside his body. For hours, he was just lying there fainted until Harry came finding him. Harry was a lot worried about him. He feared if Peter was another victim of the MANIAC. It was very unexpected for him to see Peter in the death room (Ramesh's room). He, without any thoughts, called people. Took him on their shoulders into the medical wing. 

After giving him a dose of glucose, Peter came back to his states. He found himself in the medical room and was astonished to notice such a drastic change in his surroundings in a blink of an eye (for him, it was just a second). He felt to be in the death room and then found himself in the medical wing of the office. The whole team was surrounding him with Harry holding his hands in fear. They stood near his bed and everyone rose a ray of hope in themselves with the gradual opening of Peter’s eyes accompanied by the shining rays of sun peeping through the window. 

Peter woke with grunted pants and moaning eyes. Then in fear, he exclaimed, “Where am I? Harry, you here? All of you! I was supposed to be in his room! The Death Room...”

“Calm down, Peter...You aren’t in the Death Room! This is the medical wing! Remember?”, Harry said calmly, “We found you there fainted... Were looking for you for ages! And you unexpectedly turned up in the Death Room and that too fainted! I thought we’d lost you, mate...But you’re all fine and that’s the thing!”

“Oh!”, Peter understood.

“Wait a minute! What on Earth were you doing there? With Ramesh’s shield fallen on the floor?”

Peter acknowledged the situation. He understood no one had seen the syringe or vial because of the shield fallen and with a deep tremble of telling a lie in his voice, he said, “I was looking for some clues! Ramesh’s death! Didn’t find except the irregular shaped sign that turns up every time someone opens a portal. It was Maniac and that finalises the murderer.”

“Fine! But you fainted? You’re all muscular now! How?”

“Maybe hypertension”, Peter lied, “There’s a lot of it these days... Been practising for muscles! In one night I did this! Isn’t it cool!”

“Acknowledged, my mystery solver...”

“Mystery Solver? What is it? New name? For me?”

“Yes, I like to make made-up names. Like Nerve Tacker, Egaliator and Mendator, too.”

“Nerve Tacker reminds me of him! It’s better not to say his name! That regrets...”

“Why not to?”, Sapna entered from the door with all looks changed. She was all muscular just like Ramesh, “He is with us. All of us! You see, in here!”, Sapna pointed at Harry’s heart while she came closer to the team.

“He never left! He will remain in our hearts for always, as you say!”, Harry asserted.

Harry and the whole team were not much interested in asking Peter about his body and Peter believed that the vial worked. He had some headaches and side effects but that was all fine. That day had passed and Harry had attached some handles on Ramesh's shield to use it. Days were passing very progressively increasing the world's curiosity with the team spending these days adversely. Everyone in the world was scared. 

On the night of the new year eve, instead of functions and parties, the world was put under lockdown. Every country that signed the Accords was put into a severe lockdown. It was because if Oliver attacked any place, there shall not be mass murders where people are accumulated on a large scale. 

There was going to be genocide but the plan was perfectly executed to keep the human race living and that too, not under Oliver's rule. Harry had opened the portals at each and every part of the world. Still, the city which was most vulnerable to the attacks was London and the headquarters of THE SPIRITS. On the day of the first of January, Harry's heart bet aloud along with the world's... The first day passed without any difficulty. According to the poster, it was this day that Oliver planned to attack. But in the whole world, no case of any attack was found. Harry was literally happy and thought that Oliver had dropped the plan to attack the world. The team sat in the office for the whole deciding what to do if there's a sudden attack.
The very next day, in the main employee room of the office, Harry stepped in and said, "Yesterday, the world wasn't undertaken as my opinions said earlier. But this doesn't mean we should rest. Twenty-one days have been given for the world to rest. It's on us. Put on your adrenaline and be ready. You have no idea what it'll be like and keep working. Any signals that you receive shall be reported the same instance."

Each day was passing and Harry kept motivating everyone. Still, the world was losing faith in THE SPIRITS and during the mid lockdown, people started to disobey it. Still, the world gave Harry some time. They waited for those twenty-one days.

During this lockdown, people were taken care of their appetites because necessary shops were open. Still, many countries and people who were not economically stable had to suffer a lot. It affects one individual and therefore, society is affected on a whole. Many in the world had to perish off hunger. Many became victims of hypertension and overstress due to the world's condition. But Harry was concerned that this would surely happen. 

On 15 January, Peter came near Harry who was busy in solving Rubik's cube while thinking about the whole world, "I fear Harry. If this is a betrayal, then Oliver knows that we know the world's going to be attacked, he won't attack us."

"We'll see about it later!", said Harry with the most depressing voice.

"See Harry, if the world is not under danger and is not attacked by 21 January. Do you know what the condition of THE SPIRITS will be? You have any idea?"

"We'll see about it later!", Harry said in the same tone.

"What later, Harry? This is the final showdown. This is all a joke or none of it is.", Peter roared, "What're you thinking for that part?"

"I know it very well, Peter. If the world isn't attacked, do you think we've enough money to pay for the economical crisis?"

"We won't"

"Then we'll have to flee. Travel through portals the whole life. I am thinking we'll wait for a month and then will just surrender ourselves to the whole world or in front of Oliver. Do you know how dangerous it'll be?"

"I know Harry. It's very complicated but if the world isn't attacked, I won't be able to free myself of the guilt of so many lives lost. So many innocent lives!", Peter exclaimed.

"Same with me! This Oliver is just a piece of a fool for me now! How can he live with him?"

"No one's bad for themselves, Harry. Everyone is right from their individual perspectives. For us, Oliver is the villain of our story but do you think he is the villain for himself?"

"NO! Of course not!"

"Therefore, he is not relatively the villain. He is just the villain for us!"

"That's a bit interesting, Peter!"

"Yes, it is! Perspective is a very fascinating word! Well, what do you think about us! If the world isn't attacked?"

"We'll surrender and that's just as simple.", said Harry eerily.

David, Valencia and Sapna were in the same state as Harry and Peter. The last six days also passed. On 21 June, the world was in anguish. Because they felt they were fooled. There were millions of casualties around the globe and many were not reported. Harry, at a point, was happy but was frightened, too. That day Harry had to attend a video conference with the queen of the United Kingdom and their Prime Minister. 

"Mr. Osborn", stated the queen, "You know what you're up to? If the world isn't attacked, what will be the condition of our country in the world."

"Sorry for the words, ma'am", Harry said with his lowest voice, "But you want a genocide for your reputation?"

"You're executing it wrong, Leader London. You've made this condition. Millions have perished and you're well aware. But if you have nothing to prove, then you have everything left to think. You have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear"

"I know the world's condition. Still working on that part, ma'am!"

"I hope you should take your decisions fast... You've not got much time.", the queen terminated the meeting.

Harry shut the laptop with his full force. He was too much tensed. Today was the last of lockdown but people had taken this lightly and believed this was all a fiction. 

Harry was answerable to the whole world and their sufferings. Even in the U.N. Meeting, Harry promised to pay for the economic crisis if the world isn't attacked. All the things were just wandering inside the whole team's mind. While on the other hand, Charlotte spent her life happily sitting in an air-conditioned room and eating unlimited food. She was deceiving the whole team and no one even thought of it. She knew what is Oliver's plan and had no tension? 

Edwin also seemed to be tensionless these days but this was uncanny. He was managing director of the company. Everyone knew, if the world wasn't attacked, THE SPIRITS would be disintegrated and Harry along with the whole team would be inquired in the INTERNATIONAL COURT of JUSTICE. 

The whole story, Harry told the world, was established with a very weak pair of pillars that asked the answers of the questions about Harry's origin of powers and the U.N. Meeting Attack.

The final hours came. Many countries had even passed the margin hour of twelve-o-clock. The draft of London Accords was signed according to GMT. London is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) only during winter months. The final hour was crucial and everyone wanted to know what will happen. All the International Politics played by the team had all gone useless.

Harry had lost all his hopes and in the final minute, he just incanted, "Londus...Incantum...Sevetum...Travilio"

A portal opened and Harry had trod in the final second. He knew the world will approach him after that. The world would seek revenge. A huge crowd had gathered under the building which broke in after twelve. All the countries were criticising the country and Leader London.

The whole team along with Sapna, Charlotte and Edwin were sitting in the same room seeing Harry opening a portal. Out of fear, Harry took everyone's hand and stepped in the portal along with Ramesh's shield as his memorial. It's not mandatory that only a Cygnian can travel through a portal. Only a Cygnian can open a portal but everyone can go through it... And that's what Harry did. He fled and no one found him in the room the next day.

Harry became a criminal for the whole world leaving millions dead but there were no proofs that Harry could show the world to represent his unintentional mindset regarding the devastating London Accords 2019-20.

-To Be Continued

(Abhinav Srivastava)