It happened so fast.
By the time Ciara realized what she had done, she had already seized Madam
Fier’s throat, knocking the tables and the plates on the ground.
“Ciara!” Victor and the Crude Brothers
shouted. The tension grew serious between them, but thankfully, no one had
tried to stop her.
“Go on, kill me my
child,” Madam Fier said, “This is my punishment,” Ciara bit her lip. Madam Fier
continued, “My time has finally come into an end. After everything has passed,
I regretted the day I told Virgo about the extermination. Even if I try to
escape reality by isolating myself in this hut, I can still see them hunting me
in my dreams. Please child, kill me. Send me to hell…avenge your family.”
Ciara tightened the
grip of Madam Fier’s throat. Kill her, kill her!
“I was waiting for
you to come in here—to kill me.” Madam Fier whispered, “I’m a horrible
murderer. If I didn’t tell Virgo about the Candidate, this will never happen
from the start.” Madam Fier continued, “There’s nothing we can do now. This is
our destiny.”
Ciara lowered her
head. Her future had been destroyed—all because of this woman. Kill her!
Kill her!
“Don’t do it,
Ciara—" Chase shouted, but she heard someone holding him off. Chase
protested, “Liam, what are you doing! She’s going to murder her.”
“This is my wife’s
wish,” Victor interrupted him. “I’m not going to stop her. If that is what my
wife wants, so be it.”
“But Sir,” Chase
began, “Are you sure you really want to…”
“Don’t worry, Chase.
Have faith in Ciara,” Liam assured him, “It’s up to her to decide, not us.”
A wave of memories
raced across her mind. The screams—the guns—the blood—the dead bodies—her
sister’s scream—her village’s wreckage. Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!
“For the
first time in 43 years, a disabled person shall start a war between the
Majestics and the Casts.”
“Useless
girl.”
She repeated those
words over and over again. Kill, kill. Voices sang inside her head. This
is your chance. Avenge your villagers. Make her suffer. Make her in pain.
Ciara looked up. All
she could see was darkness. Why it’s so
dark in here? Ciara wondered. She tried to grope her surroundings, but she
couldn’t feel anything at all. Then a knife fell onto her hand. She turned the
knife over and saw her reflection. She was blind.
If Madam
Fier didn’t tell Virgo about the prophecy, would she still be blind?
The blade of the
knife glimmered beautifully. Ciara thought. I need to kill her, for the sake
of my village.
But do
you think that killing her will do anything good?
z
Ciara snapped awake.
She let go Madam Fier and took a step backward. Madam Fier wheezed on the
ground.
What
have I done? Ciara
thought. I nearly killed a person…
The anger inside
Ciara quickly vanished, replaced by fear. I never felt so much anger before…Ciara
thought. What happened to me?
A hand touched
Ciara’s shoulder. Ciara screamed, but two arms embraced her into a hug,
soothing her. Ciara leaned her head on Liam’s chest, her hands gripping his
clothes very tightly.
Ciara burst into a
loud wail. What have I done!
“Shh…” Liam
said placidly. Ciara was fifteen now, and yet she was still crying like a baby.
But the others didn’t mind—Liam didn’t mind, and so she continued to cry.
“Ciara…” Liam whispered, “You did well. I’m glad that you didn’t stain your
hands red, just like what I did.”
Ciara felt Liam’s
lips brushing her cheek, and on her mouth. It was a pleasant feeling, and the
horrid pressure she had died down, as if Liam’s kiss made her feel better.
Liam broke the kiss
and Ciara steadied herself on her feet, wiping the tears off her cheek.
“Thank you,” Ciara
whispered.
“I’m surprised you
didn’t kill me yet.” Madam Fier said grimly. Ciara caught a glimpse of a plump
man beside her. Victor. He must be
helping his wife to his feet. Ciara guessed.
“I have no reason to
do it,” Ciara said sternly, “Killing you won’t make my life any good,” Ciara
muttered, “I still hated you for creating this mess, but blaming you is just a
way of escaping reality,” Ciara smiled, “Besides, I’m destined to be the
Candidate, right? It’s in my blood to fix this mess and stop the war.”
“You should have
killed me!” Madam Fier shouted, “I betrayed your villagers, made this village
into a ghost town and slaughtered your brethren—and yet…you still forgive me,”
Madam Fier sobbed, “I don’t deserve to live anymore!”
“Everyone has
chances,” Ciara said, “I told you once; killing won’t make my hate disappear.
It will just hurt me more.” Ciara tightened her fists on her side, “The past is
in the past. There’s nothing you can do to change that.”
“J-James…” Madam
Fier sobbed, “J-James…I’m so sorry.” Ciara heard a thud and a slam on
the floor. Madam Fier must be kneeling on the ground.
“Yvet,” Victor said
gently. “The Plop girl is right. James wouldn't be happy if you keep thinking
about the past. If he’s still alive, I'm sure he would be proud of you.”
“Victor…” Madam Fier
cried, “James…I’m really sorry…I’m really sorry…” and then Ciara saw her
getting up, “Thank you…child.” Madam Fier sniffed, “You really are an odd
girl."
Ciara didn’t say a
word.
Madam Fier staggered
up, her voice somber, “This is your fate, child. You have the power to change
things, especially the future.”
z
Dinner was a mess. Everything
had been destroyed, especially the warm-hearted meal that Madam Fier prepared.
The tension between Ciara and Madam Fier died down. It seemed like Madam Fier
had taken a liking to Ciara, even though she nearly killed her a while ago.
Ciara gazed down at
her hands. They were still blurry, but at least it wasn’t stained with fresh
blood. Now I know how Liam feels. The life of a murderer.
I’m glad
you didn’t stain your hands red, just like mine. Liam’s words echoed in her thoughts.
The Crude Brothers
volunteered to help Victor clean the mess. To clear her mind, Ciara sat beside
the fireplace, staring into space. The thought of killing someone was
terrifying enough. She had never encountered such a gruesome feeling before.
She didn’t realize
that someone had already joined her when she heard the shuffling of clothes.
Ciara looked up, and she felt Liam’s arm wrapping around her shoulder, pulling
her close to him.
“Hey, you shouldn’t
be sitting here alone, you know,” Liam said. Ciara lowered her head. She could
hear the fire crackling, heat warming her cold skin. Liam pleaded, “Ciara, talk
to me.”
“I don’t know what
to say,” Ciara muttered.
“Well, at least you made the right
choice.” Liam whispered. Ciara looked up. “—by not killing that Prophet, I mean.”
“Something stopped me.” Ciara
said.
“I’m so jealous,”
Liam said, “You can completely control your anger, even if you're in the verge
of killing someone. If I were in your state, I could have killed that woman a
long time ago,” Liam lowered his voice, “No offense, but I wish I could be like
you more…I wish I didn’t have this terrifying anger inside me.” Liam said
darkly, “I wish I didn’t have to be a damn freak, you know what I mean?”
“It’s not your fault,” Ciara said, “None of
this is our fault.”
“Maybe, if a certain
someone didn’t turn me like this,” Liam said murderously.
“I—” Ciara opened
her mouth, but Madam Fier had already interrupted them. “Now that everything is
clean and organized, I will now tell you the story,” Madam Fier said, “That’s
what you came for, right?” She must be talking to Liam. Ciara thought.
Madam Fier continued, “You three came here, because you wanted to know what
happened to the tragedy of Metric, am I correct?”
“Yeah,” Liam solemnly.
“Please take a
seat,” Madam Fier sighed, and Ciara and Liam did what they were told.
Chase was on her left side, and Liam was on
her right side. Madam Fier’s petite figure was in front of her, while Victor’s
plump outline was beside Madam Fier. Ciara squeezed her hands on her lap.
“Are you sure it’s
alright to tell them, Fier?” Victor said disapprovingly, “You don’t have to, if
you—"
“Victor,” Madam Fier
said sharply, “She’s the Candidate. No doubt about it,” she continued, “She
will be the one to stop this chaos raging in our world.” Victor didn’t protest
to his wife anymore. Madam Fier continued, “Now then. I’ve got one question for
you, Ciara Plop.”
Ciara gulped, “What
is it?”
“The day when Metric
was burnt down into ashes, you were at the Thinnest River fishing, right?”
Madam Fier asked. Ciara nodded. “When you came back, you and your sister tried
to escape Metric. But unfortunately, she was shot by a Rein guard...”
“Why are you already
telling me this?” Ciara said impatiently.
“Because I wanted to
make it clear for you,” Madam Fier said, “that your sister is still alive.”
Ciara froze. So
she’s really alive. At first, Ciara didn’t believe that it was true, but
hearing from the Prophet herself, she slowly realized that there was still
hope.
Never
give up. If you do, you will lose everything, her sister’s words echoed in her mind.
Ciara asked eagerly,
“Where is she!? Please tell me!?”
“Calm down, child,”
Madam Fier said, “I know that you’ve been looking for her, but I cannot
guarantee that you will be happy once you see her.”
“What do you mean?” Ciara said anxiously. “Did
something happen to my sister?”
“I’m sorry, child.
But I cannot answer that, for now, I'll just continue the story,” Madam Fier
said. “Your sister was the first one to see the Rein guards from afar. And to
warn the villagers, she went over to their houses and helped them leave the
place as much as possible. Some of the villagers had escaped, but some didn’t
make it. Time was running out, and the Rein guards were already destroying the
place, killing everyone on sight. Leverie knew that you would be safe in the
Thinnest River, so she hurried to her home. Only to find her parents being
burned alive inside their cottage.”
Hearing Madam Fier’s
words was like a knife stabbing in Ciara’s heart. Ciara, don’t cry. Don’t
cry, Ciara thought. But she couldn’t keep the pain inside her heart. Tear
dripped down her cheek, and she felt Liam’s thumb soothing her hand.
I didn’t
know my sister sacrificed so much just to protect me…to protect the villagers
and yet…Ciara
shook her head. Get a grip, Ciara. Everything is done; there is nothing to
be guilty about it anymore.
“Before her parents died, your mother told her
to find you and escape from the Rein guards. It was hard for her to see them
die, but she kept her promise and scurried toward the forest path—when you
bumped into each other on the way.”
“The mayor was
hanged from the highest cliff. Your teachers were shot to dead. Your classmates
were beheaded—all of your fellow villagers were murdered in front of your
sister’s eyes,” Madam Fier said gloomily, and Ciara bit her lip, stifling a
cry.
“I’m so sorry,
Ciara.” Chase said. Ciara had almost forgotten about the younger brother, since
she was still focused on the story.
“Don’t worry, Ciara
is strong, right?” Liam said. Ciara stopped biting her lip and looked at Liam.
Everything was hazy, except for Liam’s silhouette.
“I know, but I
wasn’t talking to you, Liam,” Chase said.
Liam sniggered, “At
least, I’m responding to you.”
“Hey, will you two
shut up!” Victor hushed the Crude Brothers.
“I’ll continue,” Madam Fier sighed, “Leverie
didn’t fight the Rein guards to avenge her family, because she had no chance
against them. She was confused. She didn’t know what to do.”
Sister…I
can feel what you’ve been through when Metric is in chaos, Ciara thought.
“One by one,
everyone was being killed. She knew she had been next. She knew that she had to
escape the town, until—"
There was an
insistent banging coming from the door. Everyone immediately stood up, alarmed
by the noises. Ciara’s heart pounded in her chest.
“What is that?” Liam
asked. I’m standing behind Liam, Ciara sensed. Liam continued, “Why
didn’t you two tell us that we’re expecting guests?”
“Um, Liam. That
doesn’t look like guests,” Chase said timidly. Ciara could sense Liam
brandishing his sickle because of the clang
of heavy metal.
“They’re enemies,
you dumb idiots!” Victor hissed, “Yvet, get behind me!”
A bang blasted the door open. Ciara knew that sound. It was the symbol
of the Epicenter.
“The Rein army is
here,” Ciara screamed.
“Blast it! What the
hell are they doing here in my home!?” Victor growled, “You three, get out of
here as fast as you can before—”
Dust exploded around
them. Thunderous gunshots fired at the other side of the Hut.
They’re
here, Ciara
gulped.
It was hard to tell
what was going on. There were so many things happening inside. The air was
thick and dusty. The boisterous sounds of gunshots, screams, yelling, and
stomping of boots stung her eardrums.
Ciara coughed and
heard several clicking of guns from the other direction. What is the Rein
army doing here? Have they come to take me away? Did Virgo found me?
You are
the one! You are the disabled person that could destroy our city—‘my city, my
rules and I won’t let that happen, not under my watch. Virgo’s
shrilly voice rang in her mind.
Fear squeezed her
stomach. She found me.
“Upstairs!” Victor
roared. “Escape the roof!” Everything went too fast. There were bodies shoving
and pushing her. Ciara didn’t know what to do. She blindly run to the other
direction, and tripped on the ground. What is going on?
A hand seized her wrist and yanked her up from the ground. Ciara could
feel herself being taken away by the wind—by the Crude Brothers.
The hand belonged to
Liam. There was no mistaking it, because of the tight grip and long slender
fingers. Liam was hauled her faster. Ciara’s lungs burned from the run. The
rambunctious noises were stringing her mind. She could smell burnt wood, and
murky dust around them. Where is he taking me?
“Ciara, hold tight,
and don’t let go of my hand!” Liam yelled. Ciara nodded and coughed, cupping
her free hand on her mouth. She could hear a set of footsteps tapping faster
across the wood.
“Where’s…Chase?”
Ciara muttered.
“I’m right here,”
Chase yelled. So he’s on the left side…Ciara observed.
“Ciara, we’re going
to climb the stairs,” Liam said as if to dictate what was happening. Luckily,
Ciara managed to keep her foot on track of the stairs, while Liam was pulling
her upward. 7 steps more. Ciara panted. There are 12 steps in
Victor’s staircase…right, left, right, left…
When they reached
the surface, Liam whirled around, pulling Ciara with him. Her hair swayed
backward, her heart lurched painfully into a beating frenzy.
”Old man!” Liam
roared. “Aren’t you coming with us—?” Liam coughed.
“Come on! We still have time,” Chase said
anxiously.
“Never mind us. Just
go and escape!” Victor bellowed.
“We’ll hold them
off,” Madam Fier yelled.
“Bu—”
“JUST GO!”
Chase clenched his
teeth. Liam continued to cough. Ciara turned to the Crude Brothers, yelling.
“We can’t just leave them here. Come on, we need to—“
Liam yanked her,
more forceful this time. The three of them dashed to the farthest side of the
house, away from the smoke.
“Liam,” Ciara wheezed, her legs painfully
aching from the run, “We need to help them.”
“Sorry, Ciara.”
Chase said gloomily as they climbed another set of stairs again. I can’t
breathe. Ciara thought. I need to stop running.
“Chase…Liam…Please…”
Ciara panted, “...help them…we need to go bac—”
But the Crude
Brothers were too busy to respond—when suddenly Ciara heard a sharp bullet
sound just inch in front of her. Her heart drummed louder. What was that? Ciara
thought. The shot had been followed by two stray bullets, and it made thack noises across the walls beside
her. One bullet hole was just inches from my feet, and one was above my
head. Ciara guessed.
Ciara turned her
head to search for the old couple, but Liam tugged her attention to them.
“Ciara, you need to focus on what is happening,” Liam said grimly, “Don’t look
back now.”
“Liam, let me go!” Ciara shouted.
“No!” Liam yelled
back.
“Let me go!” Ciara snapped.
“Ciara,” Chase said
sharply, “They’re on their own. There’s nothing we can do about them.”
“We can’t just leave
them behind!” Ciara tried to wrench free from Liam, but his grip was too tight.
“DUCK!”
They did, and
thankfully the bullets hit the wall above them. The sounds were deafening.
“Go!” Liam said
while the coast was clear. The three of them advanced forward, dashing and
avoiding the gunshots firing behind them.
“Please tell me what
is going on!?” Ciara shouted.
“The Rein guards are
invading the ground floor,” Chase quickly answered her question.
“We’re going
straight to the old man son’s bedroom,” Liam panted. “Don’t ask too many
questions. Just follow my lead, and we'll get out of this place alive.”
Ciara started to
protest—when Liam suddenly skidded into a stop, and heard a crash in front of
her. Judging by the sound of squeaking wood, Liam must have kicked the door
open.
“We’re going to jump
on that window,” Liam said and slacked his grip.
Crack!
Glass drizzled above
them.
“Really, does it
have to be your hand breaking that glass?” Chase complained.
“I told you, Chase,”
Liam said arrogantly, “Let the handsome thief handle this job.”
“Liam, this is no
time for jokes,” Chase said grimly, “The Rein guards are coming closer.”
“Okay, here’s the
plan,” Liam said intellectually, and let go of Ciara's hand. “Ciara, you go
first. Stand on top of the window pane, and I'll hold down your feet so you
won't fall. Once you’re steady, take out your fishing rod and cast it on the
roof.” Liam continued, “When you’re all set, climb the roof and pull us one by
one, okay?”
“Fine,” Ciara said.
She didn’t realize that she had been sweating a lot. Liam grabbed her legs so
she wouldn’t fall, and stood at what she thought was the window pane. Ciara
clasped the fishing rod and tossed it. Nothing happened. Ciara tried again, but
it was useless.
“They’re coming!”
Chase said hastily.
Come on,
Ciara. Ciara
urged herself. Think, think…Ciara thought. Since the window pane is
so small, I don’t have the correct position to get the hook to hang at the edge
of the roof.
After sixteen
attempts, she finally felt a dead weight on her fishing rod. The hook had
finally caught the edge of the rope. She tugged the string and checked if the rope
was steady. I hope I’m doing right, Ciara thought.
Unexpectedly,
Ciara’s foot slipped out the window pane. She tumbled forward. Cold wind
blasted across her face. Ciara screamed. She was blindly swinging in the air,
her heart drumming in her chest, when her feet slammed on someone's back. A
human!
There was a yell,
and a clank skidding on the ground.
A gun, Ciara guessed. I must have hit someone—a Rein guard, since
they’re the only ones who carry guns around here.
“You idiot!” Liam
bellowed behind her, “I told you to get to the roof, not at the bottom!”
It wasn’t her fault.
Ciara didn’t know what was happening. Her senses were clogged, and it was hard
to concentrate with the adrenaline rush inside her. She blindly crashed on the
sand and panted heavily, half of her body throbbing in pain.
Where am
I? Ciara
thought.
“Blast it. Don’t
worry, Ciara, we’ll get down the—”
Click.
Ciara froze. A gun.
Fear throbbed inside
her head. There was a black circle in front of her—just between her nose and
her forehead, and a blurry figure behind it. Ciara gulped. The Rein guard was
pointing the gun at her head.
Ciara’s hand was
shaking. She didn’t know what to do. It’s not just one Rein guard…Ciara
analyzed. I could feel a heavy presence surrounding me…Ciara continued. The
air is hot. There's no mistaking it....I can hear their footsteps marching
close to me. It feels like I've been cornered by the Rein guards.
You’re
so stupid, Ciara! Her
conscience scolded. Are you really trying to kill yourself! You just went in
front of the enemy—not just one, but a whole army of them!
Click. Click. Click.
They are
all pointing their guns at me. Ciara swallowed.
What am
I going to do? Ciara
asked herself, panicked. I’m surrounded. I don’t even have the strength to
concentrate…This is the end of me.
“Die,” the Rein
guard spoke.
Ugh!
She heard someone
groaning to her right, followed by the swift thump, and the gashing of
blood. The smell made her sick. Two thumps had landed on her opposite sides.
“You stupid girl!
Now we have to fight them again!” Liam shouted angrily. Ciara knew that Liam
was standing in front of her, armed with weapons. His sickle.
“Don’t get mad at
Ciara,” Chase scolded Liam, “If you were blind, how are you supposed to escape
those Rein guards, huh?" Ciara heard several thuds, swish, and
groans of Rein guards from 45 degrees to her right.
Something sweaty and
warm touched her back. Liam's body, it
looked like his back is leaning against mine. Liam whispered. “Okay, here’s
what we got to do. I’m going to tell you where the enemy is, but you have to
keep your back pressed against mine, got that?”
She knew the Rein
guards were weaponless now, because the Crude Brothers somehow knocked their
weapons when they came to Ciara's rescue. I
can't hear the slightest sounds of guns clacking from their shoulders.
Ciara thought. But how did Liam and Chase
manage to do it?
Something snapped at
the back of her head. “We got to save Madam Fier and the old man!” Ciara
yelled.
“It’s too late.”
Liam said blankly. “They’re already dead.”
Something heavy sank
inside her stomach. No, it couldn’t be.
When Ciara started to break their alliance, Liam’s hand gripped her wrist,
stopping her as he pulled her in with force. Liam shouted. “I told you! Keep
your back pressed on mine. You can’t fight, Ciara!”
He was right. Ciara
bit her lip to constrain the tears slipping down her cheeks.
“Alright! One
heading to your left, Ciara!” Liam shouted. Ciara gripped her fishing rod and
whirled it around. As the string swung into an arc, she regretfully heard the
splashing of blood and more thuds on the sand.
“Two on your right,
Chase. We need to toss those guns out of the water, so they won’t be able to
attack us.” Liam said urgently, and Ciara heard him slicing a body that dropped
on the ground.
“I
know, but they’re too many. We can’t handle them on our own.” Chase said.
Liam chuckled.
“Well, we just have to keep trying," Liam snapped, "Ciara, four
guards on your left. Chase above you!”
The three moved into
action, slicing, throwing, and killing Rein guards with their backs still
pressed against each other. More blood spilled on the ground; more bodies
crashing on the sand.
Their strategy was
successful and it went on for hours, as if it took them forever to finish every
Rein guard lunging at them. When Liam had finally killed the last batch of Rein
guards, the place became quiet and eerie again. They panted very hard, their
enemy now wiped out in the sand.
Liam dropped his
knees on the ground, wheezing. Ciara could hear him stabbing something on the
sand. The sickle. “Well…” Liam panted. “At least…we finished all of them.”
“Not quite.” A
shrilly voice cut them.
Ciara froze. Hearing
that voice gave chills down to her spine. Her eyes shook, her hands tightly
gripping her fishing rod. The high pitched laugh—the poster in Sore Tower—the
woman who nearly squeezed her to death—the woman who wanted information about
Metric.
Virgo.
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