Chapter 16 Cera - City after Duskfall
All that was left were the secretary's deflated clothes which fell on the floor with a rustle.
Madam Helena stood up with so much force the seat rolled back and banged into the wall. Her eyebrows knitted into a deep frown as she first looked at the garments and then all around before closing her eyes as if to sense something.
Cera didn't even dare look at the clothes. Her mind was still reeling in shock at the sheer wrongness of the events. Just how could someone disappear like that? This was unnatural. This was not correct. This wasn't happening. She must be hallucinating.
Oh Benevolent Ephram, grace my soul, let your light within me console. Oh Benevolent Ephram, grace my soul, and let your wisdom in my heart unfold.
She repeated the prayer a few more times before her heart finally calmed down, and her brain started working again. Was it really the time to be like this? What if this unnatural reaper came for her next? Or maybe Madam Helena?
"Ma'am, I—uh—what just happened? Should we hide? Is this an assassin?"
"No," that's all she said before striding towards the window, her eyes still closed.
A few seconds passed by, and Madam simply stood there, clutching at the curtains.
Feeling too timid to ask another question but too jittery to just stay put, Cera got up and joined Madam by the window.
She looked outside…and what she saw made her lightheaded. The world blurred before her eyes, and she swayed, disoriented by a sudden rush of vertigo.
Madam suddenly gripped her shoulder, helping her avoid the embarrassing fall.
Cera took a few deep breaths before she finally got a hold of herself, and her brain processed the scene her eyes had just taken in.
"What in the name of Benevolent One is going on out there!?"
It was horrible outside. Carriages were running amok, not stopping for the flabbergasted pedestrians on the crossing. One charged headlong into a building, while two others left a horrific tableau in their wake, reducing unsuspecting pedestrians into a gruesome mess.
Many people stood there looking lost. Some held clothes in their arms, while others just gaped at the empty garments lying beside them.
"Oh Benevolent one, grace my soul, let your light within me console. Oh Benevolent one, grace my soul, and let this dream go untold."
"Oh Benevolent one, grace my soul, let your light within me console. Oh Benevolent one, grace my soul, and let this dream go untold."
Cera chanted audibly, not minding Madam's presence. This was crazy. The world had gone crazy. She knew it must've been a dream. There was no way she first had such a great windfall and then this. Whatever this was.
"Oh Benevolent one, please help me wake up. Let this dream go untold. Let this dream go untold. Let this dream go untold—"
"Miss Cera. Please get a hold of yourself!" Madam's sharp voice cut through her prayers as the grip on her shoulders hardened considerably.
"This is not a time to play damsel in distress. The dusk has fallen, and it's worse than what anyone would have guessed."
"I don't have the time to babysit you, so get yourself some air and make your way home. I'll send someone over to inform you what happens going forward. If you're still willing to work for Von Industries, that is."
After saying that, Madam walked to her table and opened a drawer. From within, she grabbed what looked like a sketchbook and strode out of the room, not even glancing at Cera or the secretary's last vestige before leaving.
What did she mean by dusk has fallen? Cera stood there dumbfounded. Not knowing what to do or believe. Was this really not a dream? Was she really supposed to accept that?
But nothing had happened. No sound, no world-shattering natural disaster, no evil organization. This didn't make one whit of sense to her.
But she had to do something. Sitting here would accomplish nothing.
Still out of sorts, she walked back to her seat and noticed the drawing Madam was scribbling. Just like the situation, it didn't make sense either. There were hundreds of dots connected to each other with lines. Lines that seemed completely random to her.
Further spooked, Cera left the drawing untouched, packed her items back into the satchel and left the room. Donning the coat and wrapping her scarf around her neck, she absent-mindedly trudged through the corridor until she reached a staircase which she drolly descended before finally exiting the grand metallic building.
Outside was more of a nightmare than she had realized from upstairs. Smell of blood and gas permeated the air as panicked civilians scrambled frantically.
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"Help. Help. By the gods, Save my son! Someone took him away. Someone save my son!"
"Where did she go!? WHERE IS SHE??"
"Aaaaaaghhhh! What is happening??"
Cries of agony and mourning flooded her ears as people scrambled around to find their loved ones, clothes in their hands.
Most carriages had already found their destinations. Some upended the lamp posts, while others smashed open holes in buildings—gas and water leaking from the broken pipes. Then there were a few regular ones parked neatly by the side of roads, their drivers fleshly humans instead of a pile of clothes. They were also looking around, flabbergasted.
It just didn't make any sense. Not everyone disappeared, but many did.
Cera left the Von Industries' head station with haste. Madam was actually right. She should go home. What if Mum and Dad worried too much about her? Running around outside, given the state of his back, wouldn't exactly speed along Dad's recovery.
.
.
.
Every intersection she crossed, the unrest in the surroundings only grew worse. People ran out of their houses, shouting and begging for help. No one looked in their right mind as tears marred their faces, their voices already hoarse from shouting the name of their loved ones.
Some people huddled together in a group trying to make sense of the situation, while others went down on their knees and asked for divine intervention. Then there were those demanding answers from the emperor and his reapers high above.
The deadly peacemakers that used to dot the boroughs—dropping down from the skies at the first hint of disturbance, firmly ignored any and all pleas as they jumped from one roof to the other. All of them hurried towards the clamorous siren that originated in Ferrovane Heights—the borough that housed the royals and the castle of Emperor Aldric.
But she sped up her strides into a jog. Kingsmen wouldn't help her get home faster anyway. She had a lot of distance to cover, and the whole atmosphere gave her the chills. She was two bridges away still, and the conjectures in her mind were only getting worse by the second.
NO! Nothing would happen to Mum or Dad. The benevolent one wouldn't let that happen. It just couldn't be. She just had to make her way back home, and everything would be all right.
In just a few minutes, her lungs felt like they were on fire, so she slowed down and leaned on the railing of the bridge between Mosaic Mile and Fulham Borough.
But that was when a man approached her and exclaimed with great vigor, "Rinni. Rinni! I knew you were alright. I knew nothing had happened to you. Why did you scare me like that, Rinni?"
It was a man wearing gentleman clothes, definitely of noble upbringing, but something wasn't right with him. He wasn't even looking at Cera as he spoke. Before Cera could figure out what was going on, the man took hold of her arm and pulled her forward gently.
"Rinni, the city has gone crazy. We need to get out of here, Rinni, but don't run around alone, okay? Do you know how scared I was? I thought I lost you. You…you just disappeared. How did you—no. You're here. We just have to run, okay? Just don't leave me alone again, please."
Cera quickly realized what was going on. The man had mistaken her for someone else. But no. She didn't have the time to play pretend for some psycho. Her heart which was already racing due to the jog, only fastened its pace, apprehension and fear overtaking her thoughts.
No. Not today.
Cera stopped dead in her tracks, forcefully extricating her arm from his grasp as she said, "Excuse me, sir, but I am not this Rinni you're talking about. I have somewhere I urgently need to be, so I must take my leave."
Not waiting for his response, she started running. She had dealt with more than her fair share of creeps. If she gave him a chance, he might try to overpower her physically. She didn't have the mind to deal with any of that right now. So she ran.
But before she could get far, she realized the man wasn't even trying to catch up. Cera glanced back and heard, "You're—you're—you're not Rinni either? I am sorry. I am really, really sorry. I didn't mean to. You just looked so much like her, I am sorry." the man dropped on his knees as his voice cracked further with every syllable.
Tears started streaming down his face as he murmured, "Is she—is she really gone?" Cera didn't know how to react to this situation. May Ephram bless the poor soul. He seemed hurt. But she already had so much on her mind, and she really had to get back to Mum and Dad.
However, before she could make up her mind, the man pulled something out from his waist and her legs came to a halt instantly, terrified of what he might do.
"I am sorry. I am sorry. I am really sorry. I am really sorry. Rinni, I am sorry, but I—I—can't take this."
Cera then realized his intentions and reached back for the man, yelling at the top of her lungs, "NOOOO!"
BANGG!
The body fell limp on the bridge, a hole in its head as Cera looked on, her hand outstretched as if that would've stopped the man.
She closed her eyes and turned away, not having the heart to look at the gruesome aftermath. This wasn't meant to be. Why did it turn out like this? Oh Benevolent one.
Oh Benevolent one. Oh Benevolent Ephram. May his soul rest in your eternal embrace.
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Cera walked on in a distracted haze as she navigated Fulham borough. Was it her fault that he had died? Maybe not all of it, but she could have done something, right?
Soon, however, the gravity of the situation descended on her once again. Getting back to home was priority. Her conscience wasn't of concern right now.
I can blame myself later. She strengthened her resolve and started running.
No handlers arrived to rescue the injured—neither did the earth wardens as more people ran out from the burning buildings carrying a pile of clothes with them. Some broke down in tears while others lay dejected. Some cursed the gods, rest damned the emperor.
The city square, which was always a bustling hub of activity, seemed lifeless. The clocktower high above continued to tick away, but only empty stalls lined the streets. Many people were wandering around calling out names, their voices growing hoarse by the second.
However, even in this somber environment, few took the chance to swipe the contraptions and goods from the stalls, going as far as to ransack all the accessories from the now empty husks.
Kids cried out incessantly, calling for their parents, but no one moved to help them. Cera didn't either, and kept running. She had to get back home. She couldn't stop to support that woman with a fracture or help that old man who requested her to look for his sister. She had to get back to Mum and Dad. Nothing had happened to her, and she would show that to Mum and Dad. Similarly, nothing happened to them!
She loathed each and every second of this journey. Never had crossing two boroughs been so nerve-racking and distressing.
.
.
.
Finally, she was close to home and was crossing the bridge from Fulham borough to Tannery district.
This can't be real. Is this the divine retribution? None of it makes any sense. What will happen to—but then abruptly in the periphery of her vision, an orange glow appeared where there should be just darkness.
BOOOOM!!!
A thundering explosion resounded which swallowed even her frantic heartbeat. She lost her footing and tumbled violently on the sidewalk, skidding across the gravel.