The smell of cooked bacon fills my nostrils, waking me up with its delicious aroma. Getting off the couch, I look into the open kitchen and see my mother smiling at me. "I knew the luxurious smell of bacon would wake you up. It was only a matter of time."
"Oh really?" I ask beaming.
"Ohhh yeah. No one can resist," she says reassuringly. Walking into the kitchen behind her, I look at the gigantic breakfast that she has begun preparing for us. "Is there really enough for both of us?" I ask sarcastically.
"Ha! ha! Just trying to make sure my darling girl gets some food in that belly of hers. Like really, what have you been eating? You're a skeleton."
"Now YOUR exaggerating."
"What?! It's true. But you know what? I'm going to make sure I visit more often and feed you, because this," she says pointing up and down. "Is not going to work. Especially because I want grandkids pretty soon."
"Mom!"
"Just putting it out there," she says putting her hands up. "Anyways. While you're being generous..." Quickly, I grab two slices of bacon as she’s cooking the eggs and start running. "Hey, bring that back you hethen! You only get one. Who did you think was slaving over this hot stove?" she declares as she chases after me.
“You know, you really should come over more,” I shout laughing.
Then, like every other day, I wake up. A stream of warm light lies across my face as I open my eyes. The fiery light blinds me as it comes through a crack in the curtains along with the smell of bacon from nearby. Tapping my watch, I shift through apps. Shifting until I find the local news, I swipe toward the wall in front of the couch. There, a bigger version of the news plays on the wall. With the news on, I clean the glass from last night and then prepare myself eggs and toast. “It's a glorious day now that Princess Delara will soon be announced a future Queen as her coming-of-age ceremony gets closer to the present. With this, the queen and her family will soon be attending Ebony Hall this coming week. If you don’t want to miss the chance to witness this amazing ceremony then-.”
“We have breaking news with details on a horrific crime that took place just last night. We are now on the site of Falcone Newman's estate, where a mass murder took place. It is a very gruesome sight, and due to it being an ongoing investigation, police won't say much, but there are thoughts going around that this could be a silent attack from the neighboring kingdom, Astiria. There are still questions on why this could be, but some are thinking that it is in relation to the princess's coming-of-age ceremony. Sadly though at the moment, there is no proof to validate these claims. But we are dedicated to uncovering the truth and delivering the facts." As the reporter finishes her speech. A woman with her child comes up to the camera, her pale white cheeks stained with mascara and silky, long blonde hair, a disheveled mess. While her daughter looked just like her mother, she didn’t display any type of emotion. Taking the mic from the reporter she says, "If you are out there watching this, and I find you. And I will find you. I'm going to kill you! Do you hear me?" With security trying to take the woman away, she still speaks. "I will ruin your life just like you ruined mine. You hear me you son of a bitch. YOU HEAR ME!" The broadcast is cut off and the screen goes back to the anchor. "Well... ummm… we will be back when we have more information on the case.”
Standing in place, I stare blankly. My body frozen but my mind running in circles. The image of the little blonde-haired girl replaying in my mind and then being scribbled over with a little black girl. With the entire world covered in darkness, she is just standing there staring at me. Suddenly the popping of toast startles me out of my daze. After eating my breakfast, I quickly get dressed, grab a water bottle and leave my apartment when suddenly I bump into someone. I touch my forehead in pain. "Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Looking up at the man, I am drawn in by his worried dark green eyes. Snapping back to my senses, I walk away saying, "Don't worry about it. I wasn't planning on using my brain much of today anyways." Touching my forehead again he trails behind.
"Are you sure you're okay? I can have a look if you want. I am a doctor if that makes you feel any better."
"No. I am fine." After a moment of silence, he catches up with me saying "My name is Aidan by the way." Holding out his hand, I ignore it. "Uh, I just moved in and don’t know anybody here yet."
"I’m sure you won’t have a problem making plenty of friends."
"Oh really, thanks. Actually, I was planning on having a housewarming party later and was wondering if you would like to come?"
"Didn't know we were friends now," I say slightly irritated.
"Well. I was hoping since we have run into each other, we could be."
"I'm sorry to say this, but I reallyyy, don't like people." Getting into the elevator, he trails behind. "Are you following me now?"
“Oh no, Im umm… just going in the same direction … as you," he says as I click the first-floor button. Going down the elevator we stand in silence again. "Sooo... what do you do as a career?"
"None of your damn business."
"Oh, okay," he says defeated. When the elevator door opens, I leave him standing there as I walk out of the building.
It's cool but every once and a while, patches of light will shine down on us. Due to the masses of land, the dragons sit on in the sky, what light we would have gets taken by them. Walking down the sidewalk, my hair blows in the wind as hover cars zoom past. Skyscrapers, restaurants, and shops decorate the streets with neon lights, lighting up the otherwise dark world here at the bottom. Voices clash as people use their ViroEyes to talk to friends, family and even attend business meetings while every few blocks a homeless person would be walking around asking for rubies. In vacant lots, men and women wear face masks while covered in dirt carrying pickaxes, drills, pans, and more. Quickly walking out of the mine, a man with a big object covered in cloth makes his way out of the area until a group of his friends eagerly greet him. They look curious as they ask what he is carrying and take a peak without him knowing. “O..O.. OPAL!” one of them shout as they begin fighting him for it. Suddenly everyone was fighting over it. Ignoring the commotion, I continue on, after all, who can blame them. Unlike others, these people's lives are in these mines hoping to find something grand enough to set them and their families for life. Hoping to one day have enough to get a chance to become like the incredible craftsmen, artists, cooks, and musicians that live every day with the sun. Further ahead, there are jewelry refineries where people cut and shape the gems into beautiful designs for the dragons. Too much is never enough is how the saying goes. Farther ahead, I see a cluster of houses built one after the other on top of one another. Kids play outside covered in dirt and families hang their clothes from strings. Unlike District Marana, the people here do not cry from hunger and lack of care from the government. They believe they are happy because General Tonya does way more for us than any other district. They have grown content with what they were given. How sickening.
Entering a flower shop, I grab two red carnations and walk up to the register. "Hello there Mrs, it's always nice to see you. Still buying the same flowers as always I see. Do you have a boyfriend that you are always giving flowers to? You seem like a really nice girl. Hopefully, your relationship stays strong. There are a lot of young people around your age that I constantly see with broken hearts. You know this life can get you down," the store lady says as she rings up the flowers. "I'm pretty sure you know the price."
"Yeah," I say while giving her two rubies.
"Thanks again. And next time, bring your boyfriend, I would love to meet him." If only she knew
Walking a little bit farther than the flower shop, I make my way through a graveyard. In a secluded area, I go to a grave that reads, "Taren Grey, a loving brother, and friend. 2223-2230." Crouching down in front of the plaque, I take out the dead flowers and replace them with the new carnations I bought. Changing the water with the bottle I bought, the grave seems to have come to life. "Hey, little buddy. How are you doing up there? I hope it's fine, you know, being with mom and all. I'm glad you finally get to see her. I bet she's cooking breakfast for you and tucking you in at night, although, I'm pretty sure you miss your bear, Izzy." Trying to hold back my tears, I laugh. “Don’t worry about me, okay. I’m fine, I always am.” Suddenly, my watch blinks red with the words, Dr. Freyr displayed across the screen. Clicking my earpiece, I answer the call and Dr. Freyr's lab appears through my ViroEyes. "Hello, Myra. I'm sorry to disturb you from your.... meeting, but Mr. Cavaro wants to see you, and if you saw the news this morning, then you should know why."
"Yes Sir." Cutting communications, I am back at the graveyard. Crouching one more time, I kiss my hand and touch the plaque.
At headquarters, I walk into a skyscraper with one hundred floors. As I walk in, there is a front desk with three people managing security cameras and a woman sitting front and center to greet all the guests. "Hello, Myra. Mr. Cavaro is ready to see you," she says as I walk to the elevator straight ahead. Going into the glass elevator, I examine the city. The city decorates the skyline while hover buses with maids and other servants head to the top for work. Them being personally selected by the generals of each district for being pretty and clean, which is only afforded to the middle class and rich down here. Then, a little ways away from Ethoria, a gigantic forest with ruins of cities of old sit untouched, frozen in time, in the war, the massacre. Looking where the clouds engulf the skies. Large sums of earth float above the city and its people. The very place where the queen and her children reside.
On the top floor, I make my way to Cavaro's office where the door is cracked. Looking inside, I see Mr. Cavaro holding a man by the throat against the glass, blood splattered everywhere. "How is it that none of you can seem to do your job correctly," he says as he continually slams the man's head against the glass, making it crack further.
"I'm... I'm sorry boss. Pl... Please, let me go. I'll do better. I have a family.... to take care of."
"I don't keep brainless nobodies in my organization." Cracking the man's neck, he lets his lifeless body hit the cold, solid floor. I take a deep swallow as I look at the man's nearly blue face. Turning around, he notices me and says, "Come in, come in. This appointment is done." Walking over to his desk, he sits down and pulls a handkerchief out of his dark blue suit pocket. "I'll call the janitor to take care of the mess over there in a few. Sadly, he didn't seem to know how to do his job, so I relieved him of his duty. Anyways, would you like anything to drink? Some coffee or tea?"
"No thanks."
"Come on, you need to lighten up sometimes, but, suit yourself." Walking to his desk, I notice his office is pretty empty with only a hardwood desk filled with papers, three chairs, and some Greek paintings of the anatomy of men that decorate the wall. With Cavaro himself filling the rest of the empty space with an uneasy aura. Combing his fingers through his jet-black hair, he throws the bloody handkerchief into the trash and sits back in his chair. "First off, congratulations on eliminating Falcone."
"Thank you"
“Now, back to business. I called you here because I have your next mission.”
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