Fade into the light

𓇢𓆸 𓆤 𖧧 𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𖧧 𓍊𓋼 𔓘

"ℍ𝕆𝕎 are you going to get into Balefire?" Aline asked the two siblings as they stood in the pouring rain. "Same way that thing gets out," Melody replied with a determined look in her eyes. They walked towards a gate door, chained and locked. Melody took out her hatchet and started hitting the lock until it finally broke, allowing her to enter. She closed the door behind her and turned to the others.

"Right, then. I'll find him. I'll see you soon, both of you." Philo looked concerned, but when he saw the fiery determination in Melody's eyes, he understood. Melody gripped her weapon firm with a sense of purpose and walked away, leaving them behind.

As Melody descended the stairs into the sewer, the sound of rushing water echoed around her. She waded through the water, holding her gun at the ready. Her only focus was on saving her love and ensuring nothing and no one would harm him. The flame in her eyes burned bright as she pressed forward into the unknown, driven by the unwavering resolve to bring him back safely.

ଓ༉‧.⭒ֶָ֢⋆.

As Jonah stood by the window, lost in his thoughts, a sharp whistle shattered the quiet. Instantly, the workers, including Jonah, hurried upstairs toward the source of the sound, closely followed by guards. As they entered the room, a scene of horror unfolded before them. Jonah's father, Absalom, lay lifeless on his bed, a pillow covering his face, and his stomach gruesomely opened with his innards laid out on the table. The room fell silent.

"Lady Piety was the last person to see him alive," spoke Hood, one of the men from the council meeting. Jonah's eyes narrowed as he demanded, "Where is she?" Hood replied solemnly, "No one has seen her since."

Jonah's gaze intensified as he insisted, "Find her." Before Winetrout, another council member, interjected, "Magister, you can't seriously think she had something to do with this?" Jonah, however, focused on the black gloves placed next to his father's disemboweled body. He recognized them as his mother's. "He was alive when she was in the room. Now he's dead, and she's gone," Jonah stated firmly, gripping one of the gloves. Hood added, "Clearly the Puck attacker had coconspirators," but before he could finish, Jonah cut in, demanding, "Find her!" The urgency in his voice echoed through the room.

Hood acknowledged, "Yes, Chancellor," before leaving the room, leaving Jonah and Winetrout alone. Jonah muttered the word, "Chancellor..." to himself, and Winetrout confirmed, "It's true. Until the next election, you are the acting chancellor." The weight of the position fell heavily on Jonah's shoulders as he prepared to navigate the turbulent waters ahead.

ଓ༉‧.⭒ֶָ֢⋆.

Vign softly grunted as he gradually regained consciousness, realizing he was bound by his ankles, wrists, and neck. Dry blood adorned his face, evidence of a recent struggle. Glancing around, he discovered he was in the dimly lit sewers, the flickering light of candles revealing the damp surroundings. Piety stood before him, a set of tools in hand.

"I am not a violent person," Piety asserted, her tone surprisingly calm. "I don't want to do this. But I will if you force me to." She fixed her gaze on Vign, who, despite his predicament, retorted, "You don't want to do what, exactly?"

"Just tell me where your friends are, and you'll never have to find out," Piety replied, her eyes unwavering. Meanwhile, Melody ventured deeper into the sewers, halting as she encountered a platform above her. There, she beheld the monstrous figure she had previously confronted with Philo. Melody readied her weapon, staring intently at the motionless creature. As she cautiously moved forward, eyes fixed on the monster, the tension in the sewers escalated, with Vign caught between Piety's ominous tools and Melody's encounter with the unknown creature.

"It's you? You made the Darkasher?" Vign exclaimed, his eyes widening with disbelief as Piety interrupted sternly, "Shut up. I'm the one asking the questions. Where are they?" Vign, undeterred, stared at the woman and questioned, "What do you want with them?"

Piety, visibly frustrated, snapped, "Fuck. Are you not hearing me at all? Do you understand what's at stake here? Do you have any idea what I've done?" She menacingly opened a pair of torture scissors, the blades poised dangerously close to his eyes. Meanwhile, Melody moved cautiously beneath the platform where the Darkasher lay, seemingly asleep.

"I don't know where they are," Vign replied as Piety used a scalpel knife to cut the buttons from his shirt. "Would you tell me if you did? Mm, no," she remarked, tapping his nose with the blade. "I didn't think so." Piety glared at Vign and declared, "And I gave you every chance in the world to save yourself. You should've just told me." Vign retorted, "You're a psycho." Piety smiled, continuing to cut below his stomach, causing him to groan in pain.

Meanwhile, Melody's movements inadvertently made contact with a pipe, awakening the Darkasher. Piety halted her actions, her attention diverted. The creature snarled as Melody walked away. "I think we're in luck. She's coming for you," Piety remarked, observing Melody's approach. Vign's expression shifted to shock and worry for his love.

As Melody continued through the sewer tunnel, she encountered the Darkasher, which began chasing her. Desperately, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her when finally, she reached a lever which was stuck, leaving her hitting it desperately trying to lose it as it finally managed to close a metal gate just in time, trapping the beast. With a hatchet in hand, she struck the creature repeatedly, blood splattering on her clothes and face until its head finally came off. Piety, holding her head in pain, returned to her normal state as Melody moved on. Piety took a deep breath and said, "Okay then," before leaving the room, leaving Vign desperately attempting to free himself reaching for the torturing scissors.

As Melody entered another sewer tunnel, she was met with a gruesome sight – dead centaur bodies hung upside down by chains, a puck on a table surrounded by fae and others, all missing their livers. Shelves adorned with jars filled with chemicals and various substances lined the area. Piety's voice echoed in the space, drawing Melody's attention. "I should have known you'd come for him," Piety declared from a platform above, looking down at Melody. An air of tension filled the room as Melody demanded, "What have you done to him?" Piety reassured, "He's fine. It's not about him. It was never about them. It was only about you and your brother. It's always been about you two."

Melody stared at Piety, who continued with a revelation. "You know, the irony is that I would never have even known you two existed if not for your mother's blackmail note." Melody, taken aback, asked, "Blackmail note?" Piety explained, "The lengths a mother goes to, eh? I can't take any chances. Not after all I sacrificed. I've come too far to turn back now. The time has come to finish this." Melody boldly declared, "It's finished."

However, Piety's eyes clouded over, and suddenly, Melody felt hands grabbing her. She was thrown, crashing into shelves and grunting in pain. As she looked at the Darkasher, it picked up its own severed head and reattached it to its neck, healing itself. "That's not fair," Melody commented as the creature screeched. Piety pulled a lever, closing the metal gate, trapping Melody inside.

Melody, determined, swung her hatchet at the Darkasher's side, but the axe got stuck. Piety, controlling the creature, seized the opportunity and threw Melody onto a table. Vign urgently reached for a blade to help Melody. The Darkasher pulled out the axe and advanced towards Melody. However, Piety, in a surprising turn of events, was stabbed from behind the head. "Don't touch her," Vign exclaimed angrily as he opened the blade, piercing through Piety's mouth. Piety fell lifeless to the ground, and the Darkasher followed suit, becoming motionless.

As the chaos subsided, Melody, bleeding from her head, struggled to her knees. Vign rushed to her side, wrapping her in his arms. They held each other tightly, a wave of relief washing over them as they realized that, against all odds, they were both okay.

ଓ༉‧.⭒ֶָ֢⋆.

As Jonah walked out of the room, Millworthy, whom he had summoned to be a chancellor's adviser, followed closely. "In the hard days to come," Jonah spoke cryptically. Millworthy, puzzled, asked, "Sorry. What hard days to come?" Jonah turned to him, a solemn expression on his face, and replied, "It turns out that this puck assassin was a member of a larger radical organization." Millworthy's eyes widened with concern. "What? What do you mean? And what does that mean for the city and the Row and all the innocent fae?" Jonah, about to ascend the stairs, paused and looked back at Millworthy, delivering a grim verdict. "It means that things are going to get worse before they get better."

With that, Jonah left Millworthy standing there, his mind racing with the implications of the revelation and the uncertainties that lay ahead. The weight of the impending challenges cast a shadow over the city, leaving Millworthy looking concerned about what would unfold in the days to come.

ଓ༉‧.⭒ֶָ֢⋆.

"Where is it you're going?" Aline asked Vign as they entered the train station. "Port Hoy. Then to New Freehold. Somewhere a pair like us won't raise eyebrows," Vign replied. Aline wished them luck, and Vign, feeling a sense of unease, asked, "You're not cross with me, are you?" Aline reassured him, "Why would I be cross with you?" Vign admitted uncertainty, and Aline spoke earnestly, "Look, Vign, you and Melody belong with one another. You two make each other happy and protect each other. You deserve to have your happy ending, the life you always wanted with her."

Aline looked at Melody, who conversed with her brother, bearing scars on her face from the recent fight. Vign smiled at her with love, and Aline seized the moment to convey his final request, "But I ask you one thing? Name one of your many children after me." Vign bashfully looked at his friend, and Aline chuckled. "But I am serious. Ask her to marry you before another does." Aline advised. Vign, inspired by the thought, promised, "I will." Aline nodded, and the two friends hugged, sharing a moment of genuine connection. "Go and be happy with that little dragonfly," Aline said, and Vign, filled with gratitude, smiled at him before making his way to Melody, who awaited him with a warm smile. Turning to Philo, Vign offered a handshake, and Philo accepted the gesture, shaking hands back. As Melody and Vign approached the security checkpoint by the train gate, a guard addressed them, "Come here, you dirty Critch. Those are the orders. Back to the Row." The guards enforced the command, moving a dishevelled man away from the gate. Melody and Vign reached the guards, and Melody showed her passport to pass through. Vign followed suit, but he was halted.

"You can't be here. You have to go back to the Row," the guard insisted. Standing by Vign's side, Melody questioned, "Back to the Row? Why?" Vign explained to the guard, "You don't understand. We're trying to leave." The guard responded firmly, "No Critch are getting in or out of the city until further notice." Melody pressed for an explanation, "Why? What's going on?" The guard delivered the shocking news, "The chancellor's been assassinated by Puck cultists. All Critch are to be sequestered to the Row. No exceptions." Vign and Melody exchanged a glance, realizing that their plans for a new life were abruptly halted by the unfolding crisis in the city.

ଓ༉‧.⭒ֶָ֢⋆.

As the guards led Vign out of the cell and onto a carriage, a massive crowd of fae folk surrounded the area. Melody, desperate to reach him, screamed his name and pushed through the sea of people. The guard's maneuverer Vign through the crowd towards the other side of the row, where humans and fae were divided. "There you go, son," a guard pushed Vign to the side. Melody struggled to make her way through the crowd, but the guards prevented her from entering. One of the guards addressed her, "You all right, darling. You're all right. Just Critch, little lady, move along."

"Melody!" Vign called out to her as they reached the fenced barrier separating them. He grabbed her hand, pleading, "Melody, I beg you, don't make trouble. I'll find a way out." They shared a moment, gazing at each other, before their attention was diverted by the sound of a whistle blowing and a shout – "We've got a flier!" Looking up, they saw Fleury on a balcony with a bag in her hand, preparing to take off. "Let me go!" Fleury screamed as Moria tried to hold her back. "Fleury, they'll shoot you out of the fucking sky! No!" Despite the warnings, Fleury attempted to take off but was shot dead. Vign muttered in disbelief, and Melody looked on in shock.

"I'll find a way," Vign assured Melody, releasing her hand and rushing towards Fleury. Melody watched him go, feeling a mix of worry and helplessness. Turning back to the guards, she attempted to walk away, but one of them stopped her, dismissing her, "I told you, lady. It's just Critch. Move on." Defiantly, Melody met the guard's gaze, asserting, "I am Critch." He scrutinized her for a moment, not believing her, until she removed her jacket, revealing her wings. The guard, taken aback, stepped aside, allowing Melody to pass through. She hurried to where Vign was with Aline, crouched over Fleury's lifeless body.

Vign looked up as Melody approached, and without a word, he stood up and ran to her, embracing her tightly. The tragic events unfolded around them, but in that moment, they sought comfort and strength in each other's arms.

𓇢𓆸 𓆤 𖧧 𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𖧧 𓍊𓋼 𔓘

By: SilverMist707