Chapter 36 (Patreon)

Soon, Wretch left, leaving the prisoners alone in the silence of the decrepit clock-tower.

“He isn’t coming back,” Cynthia said in a hushed tone. 

“You don’t have to whisper,” Victoria muttered, gesturing towards Boris’ corpse, laying in a heap of darkening blood. “The oaf’s not listening anymore.” 

“Yeah…I know.” Cynthia said, clearing her throat. “Just a habit.”

It was quiet for a moment. Only the continuous ticking of the rusty gears above.Then Cynthia spoke again.“I hope he leaves us. Call the officers over and the professor will get what is coming to him.” She said with a sigh. 

Victoria shook her head. “You saw him. Ripping himself apart like that. That’s not a man on a reasonable path. Not anymore.”

Cynthia nibbled on the dried fruit Wretch had given her. “Do you think he can hurt them?” 

Victoria scoffed. “After what they did to him? What they turned him into…What could stop him.”

Cynthia smiled. “For the first time, I’m glad I’m not in their shoes.”

Victoria ran her five fingers over the filthy, bloodstained shirt that once belonged to Boris.“I never thought I’d miss wearing clothes like this.” 

Cynthia chuckled. “If you come by my tailor store in a few years, I will make you something way better.” 

Victoria’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “I’d like that.”

Up above, the first rays of the suns pierced over the Scar Spines. Spraying the light of dawn across Ezra’s skull-like face through the multicolored glass. 

The boy chewed on the dried fruit, fidgeting with the small pocketknife in his hand. It was polished to a shine. His gaze wandered over the sprawling city of Nov Yanosk, the Spires rising in defiance of heaven and the Lows still seeped in dark. His sunken eyes stopped, fixed on a familiar house, nestled near the base of Saint’s Summit. The sun had not reached high enough to bathe its surface in the morning light. 

He stared for a moment. Then angled the knife, letting the rays of the suns pierce down towards the city below.  

Chapter 37

Edmund looked up from his cup of coffee with a pleasant smile, tiny wrinkles appearing at the edge of his eyes.“You’re up early. Haven’t seen you up before eight until recently.” 

Elenya poured black liquid from a kettle, then slumped down on the sofa with yawn. The cat, Whisky, jumped up to greet her with a purr. “I’m heading to the Lows. Gonna ask around about new disappearances,” Elenya said, taking a sip from the steaming cup. 

Astrid exited her room in a long black dress and wide-brimmed hat, her round glasses resting neatly on her nose.  

“You don’t want to come along to the Bureau?” Edmund asked.  “Any real leads are more likely to come from there.” 

“I will let you smart-hats handle it.” Elenya said, eyes flickering towards Astrid. “Besides, those bureaucrats make my skin crawl.” 

Astrid crossed the creaking floorboards, then stopped. For a moment she simply stood there, eyes moving between her two remaining co-workers. She removed her hat, tilting her head back to study the ceiling, then drew in a long breath. “I think we should move on. It’s been seven weeks.”

A sharp crack rang out. Whisky darted under the sofa. It was the ceramic cup in Elenya’s hand, a thin crack twisting along its surface. “I don’t give a damn how long it’s been,” she said with venom in her tone. “I liked the kid.” 

Astrid’s voice stayed calm. “So did I, but it’s been almost two months.”

Elenya replied with a growl. “I don’t leave anyone behind. You know that.” 

Astrid met Elenya’s gaze without flinching, calm against thinly veiled fury.“We can’t chase ghosts forever. If we don’t work, the Richter’s go under.” 

“I don’t care. I’ll find him. Dead or alive.” 

Astrid took a step closer, her voice soft. “Please, Elenya…” 

Elenya shot to her feet, the cup shattering against the floor “He ran away to save us!” She said,  “And you’re leaving him behind. Well, I ain’t leaving shit.” 

The room grew quiet. From the sofa, Edmund exhaled deeply. He shook his head and for a moment, he looked older than he had any right to be. 

“My wife died of betrayal." The two Hunters turned towards their captain.“Why a fellow hunter would strike us down, I’ll never know. Perhaps he was a Gulschak agent, or simply greed.” 

He knitted his fingers together, staring through the dimly lit common-room, past the kitchen alcove and beyond. “That was the day my first company broke. Since then, I’ve seen dozens come through this door.”

“Sometimes they break because of the horrors, others from within. But most…most burn out like this.”

His voice grew low.“You lose someone. And you never move on.”

At last he looked up towards Elenya. The shattered cup at her feet and fury in her eyes. His only showed fatigue. “One more week. That’s all I can give.”

“And then?” Elenya’s voice was sharp. 

Astrid didn’t flinch, her face as unreadable as ever. “And then we take another mission, and bury an empty casket.”

A shiver went through Elenya, muscles shifting beneath her shirt.A door creaked open. Jonna, one of the twins, stepped out, draped in a white nightgown and rubbing her eyes. “What’s going on?”  

Edmund was quick on his feet. He passed Elenya and let his hand brush lightly against her shoulder, a few paces later he dropped to one knee in front of his daughter and gently took her hand in his. “Nothing love. Go back to sleep, It’s Saturday, no school. Sleep in, little bird.”

The dark-haired twin yawned.“Okay. Ugh, but the annoying light is back.”

Edmund blinked.  “What light, love?”

“The light on the balcony.”Edmund’s eyebrow rose. “Light?”

She nodded, running her free hand through her hair. “Yeah. It comes early, shining through the blinds. Something from one of the tiny spires.”

The room froze. None of the three hunters moved. Jonna tried to turn around but found Edmund’s hand wasn’t letting go.

Slowly, they turned towards the balcony door. A faint light shimmered there, weak and soft. But too bright to be before dawn. 

The fury drained from Elenya’s face, her eyes widening. “When?” she whispered.

Jonna fidgeted with her hair, glancing between them. “It was gone for a while…” 

“Try to remember love.” Edmund asked, a strain beneath the calm. “When did it start?” 

“The day of my midterm math test...”

Edmund gave a look to Astrid.“seven weeks and four days ago.” she whispered, eyes locked on the light. “Three days after the attack.”

Elenya paled. She lunged for the balcony door and ripped it open, glass rattling in the frame.  Edmund and Astrid rushed close behind. 

They peered up. Dawn painted the top of the Spires in shades of gold and crimson. From one of them, a light glimmered. It wasn’t strong nor focused, but washed the house in a few lighter hues than the surrounding buildings. 

“That clock-tower is reflecting the sunrise.” Edmund said.

“Any piece of metal could do that," Astrid said. “But the timing…”

Elenya responded only with two words. “It’s him.”