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Epilogue

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"I just don't understand it, Lane. Nothing about this case makes any damn sense. Rich, successful man suddenly turns his house into a fireworks platform, attacks a half-dozen police officers and then disappears into thin air!"

Exclaimed an older, balding man in a heavy-set trench coat. Beside him stood a second, similarly aged individual wearing a scruffy anorak jacket and rounded glasses;

"Not to mention the complete lack of 'istory for 'man," he said back in a thick northern accent, "No matter how hard we dig, we can't find anything, no family, no birthplace, not'ing."

The two stood in front of an old London townhouse, one now surrounded with yellow police tape and squad cars.

"And what of his motive? I mean, we all have midlife crises, especially you. No offence, Lane--"

"None taken, Chief."

"--But no, the man showed no signs of that sort. Rumours say he had even got himself a new partner. There's just no sense to this case."

"Aye-up, here comes trouble," said Lane, gesturing his head behind them. Approaching them was a tanned woman with long shoulder-length black hair. Dressed in a pristine suit dress, a lanyard around her neck identifying her as a "Dr. Firen Shika".

"Gentlemen, what progress?" She asked with a tone of authority.

The two men simply shrugged. A scowl came across the good doctor's face;

"Chief. Inspector Halford, you cannot honestly expect me to believe there has still been no movement anywhere in almost twenty-four hours?"

'Halford' sighed, "CCTV, ANPR, word of mouth - None of it gives us anything. There are no clues in the house either, no sign of him taking any luggage wherever he went. I've posted alerts to all the nearby airports and--"

"The nearby? Make it nationwide, man!"

"With respect, ma'am, he isn't that high-value a target, surely?" The northern Detective said back.

Shika's brows furrowed agitatedly; "Inspectors, Pierre Havelock is the highest value target you have ever dealt with in the whole of your careers. He had unrestricted access to almost all data concerning the UnderCurrent incident. The things in the book he wrote are public knowledge, but schematics for the weapons used or the spacecraft seen? Those could shift the power balance of our whole world and turn Britain back into a superpower!"

The old man's face alighted at this news, "So you think that's his motive? Take that information and sell it to a foreign power? CIA or the Russians, China even perhaps?"

But Doctor Shika shook her head doubtfully; "Possible, but I don't see it. He has a government contract to document, to 'arbiter' the project for the next ten years. He would have made more money than he could ever desire.

This discovery, the things he could have written on, the way they will change all our lives very shortly - Well, his legacy could have been forever. He would have lived in literary history for millennia to come, longer than I and my team will for actually making the discovery - Known alongside the likes of Shakespeare even! Why would he throw such an incredible legacy away?"

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"A better offer?" Shrugged the Chief inspector.

"A woman?" Grinned Lane, causing Halford to smirk. Dr. Firen Shika simply shook her head with disdain.

****

Within the land of Bhaile, the central planet of the so-called 'UnderCurrent Solar-System', there is a great menagerie of legends and folktales. Among them, two from around the same time are of some interest to this humble archiver. One is a story known by a great many. The tale of the Empress Aardig, the greatest ruler of all time.

Seen by some as a living saint and by others as an embodiment of God - And agreed by all to have been the most powerful being to have ever walked the planet's surface. Her Empire is said to have lasted a thousand years, the day of her victory proclaimed by many as the day the First Age turned into the Second. Even now, 'The States Union' that rules over the Third Age, millennia later, is still situated on the central continent and still has its home where Aardig's throne room once stood.

But the end of her tale is most peculiar. By all accounts, near the thirtieth anniversary of her final victory over the continent: Aardig simply vanished. She left no heirs, nor was there any funeral. She and supposedly even her Golem simply disappeared.

Of course, the politicians spun it well, claiming she had been requested of by God, that she would never grow old and die, that she had ascended to the heavens up above - But in truth, she was never seen again - Turned into the legend of the God-Empress to be worshipped for all eternity.

Conversely, in the rural country of Ivernia, there are hundreds of myths. Foremost of all is undoubtedly the legend of 'Aila and The Two Great Giants'.

But I would draw attention to a different story, a much lesser-known one in fact. A tale called 'The Oracle and The Lady'. It comes from a small village in the mountain ranges to the south, where it is said the families of some of Aardig's loyalist followers retired after they were finished serving her in carving out the Empire.

The legend goes that one day, a man and woman arrived at the settlement nestled in the hills. They were quiet folk who kept to themselves at first, building a small home of their own. But in time, they came to be relied upon by all the villagers. They would tell stories together to the children and adults alike - And when wolves or bandits came baying in the night, it is said the Lady would turn them away with ease. While the man became known as a renowned sibyl, predicting the weather with deft accuracy and even saving many lives by foreseeing landslides and rock falls, often weeks in advance.

It is unclear if the two were married or ever had children, but what is known is that they lived out the rest of their days in quiet contemplation there. Said to walk the highlands almost every day, always covered in kind smiles for one another as they laughed warmly - Beloved and revered by all who saw them.

Surely it is not for this lowly orator to comment on these two tales, on the fact that Aardig's disappearance so closely aligns in date with the arrival of this 'Lady' and her oracle - However, as my predecessor, the previous recorder of the UnderCurrent and its legends used to say - "There are no coincidences in stories, just happy beginnings.”

The End - Thank you for reading😊😊