103. Growing Cracks

Isaac drummed his fingers absentmindedly along the tablet, his eyes staring out into the dark tunnel walls. Ever since he’d left the Inferno, he’d been riding the train back and forth between various stops, idly watching other passengers as they got on and off.

As a group of laughing humans stepped off at Solonell City’s station, all of them holding wooden practice weapons and drenched in sweat from whatever training they’d been doing, Isaac was once again struck by the normalcy of it all. Even in Solonell City, where one of the murders had occurred, the people of the Underside simply continued with their lives like nothing had happened.

The doors slid shut as the last human exited. Silence hung heavy in the train car, the group’s laughter seeming to linger in the air. Isaac tapped his fingers a little faster.

When the tablet screen lit up gold, he didn’t hesitate to accept the call.

It occurred to Isaac, as he tapped the screen, that he and Lilith hadn’t really left on the best of terms. After he’d seen Olzu’s name on the list, he’d exited without another word, and their argument had never reached a proper resolution. He tensed slightly as he waited for Lilith to speak.

For a moment there was no sound, simply the swirling golden glow of the screen. Finally, after what felt like ages, a familiar voice rang out.

“How are you, Isaac dear?”

It wasn’t quite the same as Lilith’s usual whimsical tone. This one was more subdued, more flat and weary, but it didn’t sound angry. Isaac’s shoulders slumped.

“I’m…okay. It’s been a lot,” he admitted.

“I see.”

For a second neither one spoke. Isaac shifted in his seat and cleared his throat.

“Uh, about last time,” he began. “I’m sorry for being so stubborn about the—the investigation thing,” he said. He wasn’t going to back down from the idea itself—the idea of letting the murderer get away still made his stomach roll—but he didn’t want to be needlessly antagonistic, either. Isaac heard shuffling on the other side of the screen.

“Actually, I wanted to apologize as well,” Lilith said. The woman released a long sigh. “Admittedly I still don’t have much faith in the investigation, but I was perhaps needlessly callous.”

Isaac frowned. The subway train lurched, and he tightened his grip on the tablet to avoid dropping it.

“It’s fine,” he said. “This whole situation is probably really stressful for you.”

“No more than it is for you, I’m sure.”

Isaac smiled wryly. “Is it that obvious?”

It was a relief to hear Lilith’s bell-like laughter ringing out and filling the space of the train car. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the sound.

“Isaac dear, we both know you’ll stress over even the most inconsequential of things. Why, I remember when you wouldn’t stop muttering about some silly little metal shapes. I was half convinced you were going to have an aneurysm!”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Isaac muttered. That incident happened over a year ago. He’d received an order from someone he’d learned worked at a large tech company in the city. Isaac had seen it as a potential opportunity to get his business’s name out, and he’d probably stressed about it a little more than was necessary.

Isaac shook his head. He couldn’t help but smile a little at the memory of him pacing around Lilith’s home contemplating different piping tip combos. The day seemed so long ago now.

“Speaking of stress,” Lilith said carefully, interrupting Isaac’s thoughts, “Might I ask how the investigation is going?”

Isaac deflated, the brief reprieve immediately disappearing. He sighed and stared down at the screen. “It’s…going.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m pretty sure someone was targeting the demons. I talked to Lucius about it, and he said he was going to do some investigating and get back to me.”

“I see.” Lilith’s voice was unreadable. Isaac frowned, hesitating.

“I was meaning to ask,” he began slowly, “I went to Paradise and ran into Casimir, and I got a little suspicious. But his defense was just that there would’ve been more people dead if he’d done it.” Isaac shuddered slightly at the memory of those blank, icy eyes. He was becoming increasingly unsure of how to respond to the angel, whether with anger or caution. He shook his head and forced himself to focus. “It got me thinking, do you think the person who did it could’ve been really high level?”

Lilith didn’t respond immediately. When she finally did, Isaac leaned a little closer to the tablet to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

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“To be honest, an extremely high level perpetrator is just as unlikely as an exceptionally low level one.” Isaac heard the creaking of wood as the woman presumably pulled out a chair and sat down. When she spoke again, there was a distinct weariness in her voice.

“I don’t have infinite power, Isaac. In order to maintain control of the System, I have to pick and choose where to exert more or less power.” Lilith sighed. “Considering how much of a disparity in power level there is in the Underside, it was necessary for me to focus most of my power on keeping the System in place for those high level beings. The System’s hold on them is much stronger than it is for someone, say, level 11.”

Lilith paused, collecting her thoughts. Isaac waited for her to continue.

“…When the System went down, it wasn’t a complete shutdown. My magic weakened, and as a result some people were able to slip through the cracks. I doubt that would’ve applied to anyone of exceptionally high level, however. The System’s hold on them is simply too strong for a minor weakening like that to have broken it.”

Isaac nodded slowly.

“Believe me Isaac, we would have much bigger issues if that had been the case.” Lilith laughed dryly. “In that sense, I suppose you could say Casimir was telling the truth.”

Isaac bit back a retort that the issue was plenty “big” already; he knew what she meant, and he really didn’t want to argue again. He had to get his emotions under control.

Before Isaac could ask more questions, however, the train came to a stop at the next station. The doors slid open, and Isaac’s eyes widened when a familiar fey stopped onto the train car.

Aster had a look of equal surprise on her face, her eyes quickly darting over to the glowing tablet and narrowing in suspicion.

“Sorry Lilith, I’ll talk to you again later,” Isaac muttered, moving to exit the call. Just before he did, he heard Lilith say, “Be careful” before the screen faded to black again.

Isaac turned to face Aster, who was still standing near the doors. On closer inspection, there were dark circles surrounding the fey’s eyes, and her shoulders were more slumped than usual. Even her hair, which usually stood straight up like a field of grasses, seemed to be drooping slightly.

The sight of the fey brought back memories of a pillar of silver light against the red sky of Solonell City. He remembered watching her and Olzu as Olzu struggled to fly, remembered listening to the two’s banter. Compared to back then, the fey looked significantly more tired. Despite that, though, Aster’s expression was just as sharp and perceptive as he remembered from the tournament.

“What were you talking about?”

Isaac thought back to Yarrow’s words on the Collapse and how the fey didn’t have a good opinion of Lilith.

“I’m investigating the murders,” he said truthfully. “I was just getting some more information.”

Aster paused. “Oh.” She rubbed her forehead. “Right, those,” she muttered. The fey shook her head and walked over to sit down on one of the plastic seats diagonal from Isaac. He watched her cautiously.

“…How much do you know about them?” he asked.

“Enough,” Aster said simply. She frowned. “That sort of shit spreads fast. Anything about the System weakening is gonna travel.”

Isaac wasn’t sure how to feel about people’s major concern being the System possibly weakening, that that was what the deaths were known for. He shifted his position and set the tablet down on the empty seat beside him.

He eyed the fey carefully. “…Do you know the victim list?”

For a second Aster just stared blankly at him before a memory seemed to rise. “Oh, that.” She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms. “…That tiny demon was on it, wasn’t he?”

Isaac felt a surge of irritation flare up. “Olzu,” he corrected. His anger must’ve been more obvious than he thought, because Aster turned to face him fully and frowned.

“Look, I don’t know what you want me to say. I didn’t really know him that well.” She sighed. “I am sorry it happened, you know. He seemed like a decent person, for a demon. But the murders don’t concern the Woodlands. We’re already dealing with enough shit on our own.”

That made Isaac pause. He leaned forward a little, brows furrowing. “…What do you mean?”

Aster winced and cursed under her breath. “Nothing, forget I said anything.” She waved dismissively.

Isaac frowned. “You just said—“

“I said it’s nothing,” Aster snapped. She shot to her feet as she spoke, fists clenched at her sides. Isaac eyed her warily, but just as quickly as the anger had flared up, it seemed to seep away just as fast as the fey slumped back down on the seat. She tugged on her hair and exhaled.

“Look, just stay away from the Woodlands,” she bit out.

“…Does this have anything to do with the merfolk?” Isaac wondered how Seaton was doing. He stared at the floor, remembering the dropped cake left in the alleyway. After the murders, he’d completely forgotten to check up on the man. He didn’t even know for sure he was still alive, or if there had been complications with the healing process.

Vaguely, Isaac wondered if talking to Aster was also a betrayal, in a sense. He shook his head. In the end, the System was to blame for the merfolk’s lost arm; he and Aster had both been trying to get a rise out of each other during their match. The fey just happened to be the one who was successful.

Isaac could feel memories of that day threatening to bubble up, and he quickly shoved them down before they could.

Aster grimaced. “For once, no.” She hesitated. “I… wouldn’t go to the ocean right now, either. I don’t know exactly what’s up with them, but I think they’re having problems too. The tides’ve been really rough lately,” she muttered.

The subway train lurched, and Isaac looked up to see that they’d reached the next station. The doors slid open, and before he had a chance to ask more, Aster got to her feet and made her way to the exit. Just before she left, however, the fey paused, glancing back.

Aster had a strange look on her face, one he was unused to seeing on the usually fiery fey. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her eyes darted to the side in uncharacteristic hesitation. She looked like she wanted to say something, but before she could, she seemed to think better of it. Aster’s jaw snapped shut. Without another word, the fey turned away and soon vanished from view.

Isaac was once again left to contemplate in the empty train car. As the doors slid shut, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the Underside was falling apart right in front of him, and he didn’t know if there was anything he could do to stop it.