Elara's funeral will be in two weeks...
Elara's funeral will be in two weeks...
Elara's funeral will be in two weeks.
The message rang uncontrollably in Darian Vaughan's grieving head, twisting and constricting his brain and thoughts.
Reaching his shaking hand, he pushed open the large glass twin doors and was met with a crowd of visitors. From the corner of his eye, he noticed multiple military personnel trying to block the doors.
"Looks like the crowd isn't going to stop anytime soon." An older lady remarked as she walked past Darian, whose shoulders twitched at the sound of her voice.
"Y-Yeah…" Darian managed, and the lady, who had soft grey hair and big blue eyes, shifted her gaze toward the silent Emory. Using her hand to cover her agape mouth, she smiled, "Oh my. What an adorable baby."
Emory's crimson eyes surveyed the woman as she bent down to rub his cheek. Looking at Darian, the lady began, "Are you also looking to leave?" Darian nodded his head.
"I see. Well, the exit is full, so we can leave through other methods." Darian's interest was piqued; his eyes widened as he reciprocated. "Other methods?"
The lady smiled, "Yes, my dear." She spread her arms out, her light blue cardigan stretching alongside her movements. "Hold very still," she told Darian.
A faint, sky-blue aura began circulating the old lady; her body started to glow a blue hue. "E-Excuse me.." Darian's eyes widened as his mouth twitched. The lady replied calmly "I said hold still."
The ground beneath them liquidized as if it became a pool of water. In a second, Darian, Emory, and the old lady fell to the ground and reappeared a block away from the hospital. Not being able to process what just happened, Darian's mouth involuntarily dropped.
The woman relaxed her body and exhaled, "Maybe these powers aren't a curse." Her eyes softened as her tone became delicate. She looked over at Darian and motioned him to bend down so they could be face-to-face.
Doing just that, Darian felt a hand faintly rub his cheek; he looked into the woman's eyes. Smiling, she spoke in a voice that reminded him of Elara, "Are you okay, my child?" Uncontrollable tears began falling from Darian's eyes and slid down his cheek.
His face was turning red, and his mouth quivered, "...No." He choked out. The woman's expression became more relaxed as she kissed him on the side of his face. "The world hasn't been nice to you, has it?" Darian shook his head, tears flung from both sides. She had noticed that he had lost someone dear to him.
"It's okay. It's okay to be sad." She ran her hand softly through his hair. "Just remember to be grateful. You have been blessed with a beautiful baby boy." Darian nodded.
"You will be a great father, little one." That was the last thing she said to him before descending back into the ground.
Darian spent the next couple of minutes quietly sobbing in the corner of the street.
. . .
After leaving the hospital, Darian and his newborn companion embarked on their journey back home. The bumpy road jostled Darian's cheap stroller, tipping it now and then.
Darian would often hallucinate that Elara was right beside him and start talking with her. It wasn't until he had received strange looks from passersby that he realized she wasn't there.
The further they traveled, the clearer the poverty became. In Trila, poverty and crime were not uncommon attributes. Focusing his attention left, he was met with a couple of children begging on the streets. They were ragged and wore torn tunics.
Reaching into his pocket, Darian pulled out a five-dinar bill and walked towards the children. The kid's eyes lit up as they stumbled toward him. "S-Sorry, this is all I have." They didn't care and accepted the money with immense gratitude.
It put a smile on Darian's face to see those children elated. He would often go on walks with Elara, and whenever they spotted homeless people, she would always give them any form of money.
As he continued his journey, he thought to himself, The government should do something about all this homelessness.
While Trila was known for its fleeting fish markets and its complex underground railway, the issue of poverty was often disregarded. Theales, the country as a whole, did not emphasize solving its poverty situation. Often making excuses and/or ignoring protests.
The two powerful kingdoms that neighbored Theales were just as bad. Lebrad and Gliasia, while both boasting incredible knowledge and immense militaries, respectively, struggled when dealing with the poverty issue.
Gliasia was the kingdom with the worst relationship with Theales. Years of bad blood between the kings and queens meant war could erupt any second.
Then, just three mere days ago, disaster struck Theales. Its crown, Empress Thala Selwyn, was brutally assassinated by terrorists who infiltrated the palace. The result was the sole leadership that was left to Emperor Magnus, who immediately suspected Gliasia.
After thick tensions surrounding the mysterious island of Preole Grye, a small piece of land south of the Western Cradle that was taken from Gliasia by Theales, Gliasia had always been thought to wage war on its neighbor.
However, no war had taken place. Instead, Gliasia's monarchy went into shambles. Their former monarch, Emperor Quinton Maxi, was murdered, and a new leader emerged: Edmund Evermoor.
Magnus knew a war with a big kingdom like Gliasia would be a bloodbath, so he stopped his attack. Instead, he sent Theales' Secret Police to sneak into Gliasia and Lebrad. Their job was to collect information about who was behind these deaths and why.
The sudden homicide of the empress hit Theales drastically. The economy tanked, and even the fish markets, which usually boomed, crashed.
Citizens of Theales started pointing fingers at the Elevated—those with special powers—blaming them for the queen's death.
Protests to eradicate the Elevated became rampant. People who once protected this nation during the 4th Era Great War were now targeted.
Fortunately, Magnus surprisingly came to their defense and dismissed any accusations. Murders still became extremely rampant in Theales, causing the military to take action and deploy inside the country itself.
Weapon shops opened on each block, and every man, woman, and child now held any kind of weapon. Who knows if they get attacked next? Theales has become a kingdom infested with murder.
Darian pushed Emory's stroller past Fisher's Market, which used to be a bustling metropolis. While it was a place infested with scamming and social class divisions, it was still a staple of Theales.
It's all empty... While surveying his surroundings, Darian couldn't help but remark on the significant absence of the public. The wheels on the stroller began spinning once more as they left the area and approached the municipal living precinct, where Darian and Elara lived.
A piercing shriek emanated from the area. Darian's back muscles tensed, eyes darting to where it came from. Emory, however, stayed as quiet as can be.