And Promises Will Speak
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“You don’t understand,” he said, his voice a low growl. “I’m not going to do it.”
She stood up and walked around the table so that she was standing beside him at its edge. Her arms were still crossed over her chest but now they were resting on top of each other in front of her body as if she wanted nothing more than to grab hold of them.
He could see how much weight she’d lost since their last meeting. The bones beneath the skin were visible through all those taut muscles—a stark contrast from when she had first come into view.
Her eyes glittered with anger. She looked like one of those girls who always seemed angry no matter what. And yet, there wasn’t any real emotion behind this expression; it only served to fuel the intensity burning inside her.
This time though, he didn’t feel threatened by her. In fact, even without looking directly at her face, he knew she would never hurt anyone unless absolutely necessary. So while she may have been intimidating, that intimidation was based solely upon the strength of will within her rather than some sort of power or magical ability.
That’s why she scared him… because despite being just a girl, she possessed such an immense amount of control over herself. Even so, there was something about her calm demeanor that made him want to believe everything she told him.
It was almost as if she believed in every word coming out of her own mouth. Which is impossible for someone of your age to do! His mind rebuked itself. There are plenty of people who can be completely convinced of anything if given enough evidence. But you’re different. You’ve always known exactly where I stand before making decisions regarding me.
That’s right, she did know where he stood most times, which meant she also understood precisely why he felt compelled to follow whatever course of action he chose.
It took a moment after she spoke these words for them to sink in. When they finally reached his brain, however, he realized she had hit the nail squarely on the head. For years he hadn’t cared whether he lived or died.
Now, suddenly, he found himself caring about his life far too deeply to ever consider killing again. Not that he would give up the job anyway; money has become the sole purpose of my existence, but at least I won’t kill anymore. At least not willingly.
He stared back at her for several seconds trying desperately to find the answer hidden somewhere deep inside his heart and soul. Finally, unable to think clearly under her gaze, he turned away instead. “So, what happened? Why am I here?” He asked, changing the subject entirely. “Did they catch you and send you to prison?”
The corners of her lips curled upward slightly as a small smile broke across her face. “No,” she answered simply.
His eyes widened with surprise. How could she possibly know that? Did she read minds then, too?! No, wait. He quickly shook the thought off and returned his attention to her face once more. After staring longingly at her pretty features for a few moments longer, he cleared his throat nervously.
“Anyway…” He began hesitantly. “…what does the letter say?”
She sighed softly as she placed a hand gently against the side of his face. Then, leaning forward until she was inches from his ear, she whispered: “Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out together.”
***
A New Beginning
After leaving her apartment building, she started down the sidewalk toward the main street that ran along the east end of town. As soon as she stepped outside her door, the cold air assaulted her senses—stinging her cheeks and making her gasp loudly in response.
A light jacket covered her body but couldn’t keep the wind-chill factor at bay, causing her hands to shake violently. She clutched the handle of her bag tightly to try to steady herself. She hated winter. Hated it. Every single second spent freezing her ass off reminded her of another miserable night spent in jail.
As she continued walking, she noticed quite a bit of commotion going on in the streets ahead of her. People everywhere were running in all directions, screaming frantically as they tried to escape from something.
She stopped briefly to take stock of what was happening but saw no sign of danger lurking among the throngs of people rushing past her. Instead, most appeared panicked, confused, and terrified.
Then, suddenly, a bright flash illuminated the sky above the crowd below her. Instinctively, she crouched low to avoid being blinded by the sudden burst of light that shot across the heavens. Looking up again, she gasped when she caught sight of a massive cloud stretching high overhead.
Dark clouds raced across the horizon beneath its surface, covering nearly half of the blue sky above. The dark mass moved rapidly through the atmosphere, growing larger and darker with each passing second. Suddenly, a loud rumble rolled across the land before the entire scene vanished into the darkness.
An instant later, a tremendous shock wave slammed into the ground, causing hundreds of buildings to shudder and shake violently. Trees toppled over onto sidewalks and roadways alike. Power lines snapped in two as they fell to the earth, sparking dangerously close to people standing nearby.
Screams filled the air as everyone scrambled around searching for shelter. Many ducked behind cars while others dove into shops and stores lining both sides of the street. Some even managed to scramble up the fronts of houses to hide themselves away on rooftops.
In one case, however, none of this seemed to matter much to the residents hiding atop their homes’ roofs. They remained perfectly still as they watched the terrifying spectacle unfold before them without any hint of fear.
Their faces revealed nothing but utter confusion and terror—they looked like they’d lost complete control of themselves. Even so, they were completely motionless. In fact, they didn’t move a muscle whatsoever until an hour passed.
When that time elapsed, many of the city’s inhabitants slowly emerged from their shelters only to be met with a terrible truth: everything had changed.
All around the town, there weren’t just a few trees lying across roads and power wires. There were dozens upon dozens of them scattered across every part of the sprawling urban landscape. Buildings lay crumbled to the ground as if they’d been struck by lightning.
Streets and sidewalks buckled under the weight of thousands of tons of concrete, steel, and stone crumbling to dust beneath their feet. And worst of all, the skies above the city remained darkened by countless ominous black clouds that loomed ominously overhead.
Even though the sun shone brightly beyond the thick curtain of clouds, it wasn’t enough to dispel the gloom that shrouded the area in perpetual shadow. It would have made sense to assume that the storm was caused by a natural disaster such as an earthquake or some other equally catastrophic event occurring elsewhere in the world.
But unfortunately for the citizens who lived within the now-destroyed town, the cause of the devastation was far less mysterious than anyone might’ve imagined. For those unlucky souls trapped inside its borders, the reason for the destruction was painfully clear.
It was simple really. Just look closely…
There stood a man dressed in a white suit and sunglasses with short blond hair slicked back neatly against his head. His expression betrayed little emotion; it was hard to tell whether he was angry about anything at all.
He turned toward a group of men carrying large crates full of equipment through the middle of the street. One of the workers glanced up at him momentarily before turning and continuing on with his task. After watching them go, the man in the white suit nodded to himself as if satisfied.
The next moment, a huge explosion shook the very ground beneath his feet. A powerful shockwave blasted outward from where he stood, sending debris flying across the pavement and smashing into storefront windows along either side of the street.
The blast sent shrapnel flying through the air as well, leaving bloody splashes of red blood and flesh embedded deep within the shattered glass. He paid no mind to the damage done to the buildings and pedestrians surrounding him, instead focusing solely on the crate sitting directly beside him.
Just then, another deafening boom rang out as the building exploded right in front of him. The force threw him forward several yards backward, knocking him off balance and landing him flat on his face.
As he struggled to regain his footing, smoke billowed into the air around him as bits and pieces of rubble rained down upon him like tiny pebbles falling from an enormous cliffside. When he finally regained his senses after the initial blow, he rose unsteadily to his feet once more to survey the devastation left behind in his wake.
“What…” he muttered to himself as the sounds of screams echoed throughout the streets. “Was that?”
His eyes widened in surprise as a pair of figures stepped out from between a row of parked cars to stand beside the crate he’d been examining moments earlier. Both of them wore matching gray suits, making it impossible to determine which of them was male or female.
Though both were tall and slender, their bodies appeared oddly thin compared to what the average person might expect from someone of their build. Their heads and shoulders were covered by hoods pulled low over their foreheads, obscuring their identities entirely.
As they approached the spot where he’d been standing not long ago, the man in the white suit gave them both a curt nod.
One of the figures spoke first, her voice coming across as strangely soft and gentle despite how harshly she pronounced each word. Her words carried none of the usual aggression associated with the speech patterns of most people living in the modern era. She said, “…You’re too late.”
Her companion responded immediately afterward, saying nothing at all. Instead, he merely stared straight ahead at the scene unfolding before him while wearing a blank expression devoid of any emotions whatsoever.
After a brief pause, the woman continued speaking, saying, “I’m glad you showed up when you did. We need your help to stop whatever this is before it gets worse.”
She paused briefly again, giving the man in the white suit one last chance to respond. However, he didn’t say a thing. Not even a single sound came forth from his mouth.
Instead, he simply watched silently as the two mysterious women walked past him without so much as acknowledging his presence. Then, with barely a second thought, he followed after them until he reached the edge of the road leading away from the demolished cityscape.
Without warning, he jumped down onto the grassy field below, landing softly on his feet and disappearing into the distance.
***
A young boy sat hunched over in a wooden chair, hands resting tightly together in his lap. His eyes remained fixed firmly shut as he concentrated intently on breathing deeply and slowly. Every few seconds, he’d glance downward for just a fraction of a second before closing his lids tightly once more.
In contrast, his mother leaned heavily against the bedpost near the window, staring wide-eyed at her son’s every movement. At times, it seemed almost as though she wished to reach out and touch him but was unable to find the courage to do so.
Eventually, a knock sounded on the door, drawing both parents’ attention sharply upward. They exchanged a quick glance with each other before nodding simultaneously to acknowledge that someone had arrived. Before long, a woman stepped inside holding something wrapped in cloth.
Upon seeing who it belonged to, neither parent could hold themselves back from taking an involuntary step backward as fear and dread washed over them.
In silence, the woman placed her bundle gently atop the bed. With shaking hands, the father carefully unwrapped the fabric covering the object and revealed what lay within: his wife’s severed arm lying lifelessly upon a table nearby. The sight brought tears streaming down his cheeks as he took in the reality of the situation.
Moments later, the mother let out a weak sobbing cry and collapsed onto the floor beside her husband. Even as he cradled her limp body close to his chest, the man still couldn’t bring himself to look away from the gruesome display of violence that now occupied his home.
All he could think about was how desperately he wanted to see the monster responsible for this atrocity punished. Yet no matter how hard he tried, it would never be enough. He knew deep down that there was only ever going to be one outcome if they failed to act swiftly.
It wouldn’t take long for the creature to come looking for them next time…or maybe even sooner than that. No, he was certain of it! If anything happened to his precious daughter, he wasn’t sure he could survive such pain twice.
The woman in the bed began crying loudly as well, wailing endlessly as she clutched tight to her remaining limb while rocking back and forth in an attempt to comfort herself. Eventually, she stopped moving altogether, falling completely silent except for the faint rasping noise produced by her labored breaths.
As for her husband, he stood frozen in place like some kind of statue. For several long minutes, the room was filled with nothing but deafening silence.
Suddenly, a loud bang rang through the air as another figure entered the bedroom. This new arrival wasted no time before approaching the bedside, kneeling down beside his wife and placing a hand on top of hers. After doing so, he glanced toward the man standing behind the woman then looked back down at his own wife’s face, speaking quietly.
“I’m sorry,” he said plainly. “But I have no choice but to ask you to leave us alone here.”
At those words, both parents froze in their tracks, momentarily stunned by the revelation. However, rather than making any effort to resist or protest, they simply nodded along obediently as tears streamed freely down their faces.
Neither made an attempt to speak anymore either; instead, they kept quiet in order to give him the space needed to work. And indeed, it didn’t take very long for the man to finish what he set out to accomplish. Moments later, however, something unexpected occurred as he turned around once more.
A sudden chill ran down his spine as he realized just how dark everything suddenly appeared to be. There were no windows anywhere in view which meant that nightfall must’ve already passed hours ago. How exactly…? Hadn’t he closed and locked all the doors earlier? But where did the light go?! Suddenly, he felt a strange tingle run up his legs as he noticed a pair of black boots standing directly behind him.
He instinctively spun around to confront the intruder and found himself facing a tall, thin figure dressed entirely in black leather armor. On closer inspection, however, the man soon discovered that the person was actually male despite the fact that he wore a mask concealing most of his features.
Despite being covered head to toe in heavy clothing, the stranger somehow managed to exude an intimidating aura that caused the man’s blood pressure to skyrocket. Just what is my life coming to?! he wondered silently as he struggled to keep himself under control.
Still, he couldn’t deny feeling a sense of relief knowing that help finally arrived after enduring countless sleepless nights. So much so, in fact, that he didn’t hesitate to drop his guard and allow the masked warrior to approach.
As the man knelt down beside his wife’s side, he reached forward and pressed his fingers into her shoulder blade to check for a pulse. Only when he confirmed that she was truly dead did he turn back to address the newcomer again.
“Thank you,” he whispered softly. “We can’t thank you enough…”
However, his expression quickly soured as the masked man drew near. In response, he moved to shield his daughter from further harm by raising his left arm above her small body protectively. Unfortunately, though, this action proved futile as the mysterious man effortlessly grabbed hold of his wrist without breaking stride.
At first, the man thought that perhaps he’d been tricked since it seemed impossible for anyone to move so fast yet remain perfectly silent throughout the entire process. Then, he watched in horror as the figure pulled off his glove, revealing a single finger covered in black fur beneath.
The sight was almost too horrific to comprehend and sent shivers running down his spine. Before he had time to react, however, the man was lifted bodily from the ground and thrown backward against the wall. His breath caught in his throat as he gasped for air while staring wide-eyed at the terrifying figure towering over him, holding him tightly in its powerful arms.
It took him mere moments to realize why the masked man chose not to kill him right away. Instead, he allowed him to suffer in agony until exhaustion eventually overcame him. By the time the man slumped unconscious onto the floor, the masked warrior stepped aside and retrieved his gloves from atop the dresser next to the closet door.
He then placed them back on slowly and methodically, allowing the tip of each finger to brush across every inch of skin between them with deliberate care before pulling them snugly back on. Once done, he turned to look down at the man lying helplessly on the carpeted floor before stepping over him and exiting through the bedroom doorway.
As he shut the door behind himself, he cast one last glance inside only to see both parents still sitting motionless upon the bed. With nothing else needing to be accomplished there, he exited the house and headed straight towards the main entrance hall where he could hear the sound of footsteps echoing loudly within.
Upon reaching the front foyer area, he paused briefly before entering the living room, taking note of two figures seated on opposite ends of the sofa. Both were young boys who appeared to be about the same age as his own daughters.
It was clear that they were related given their similar facial structures and hair coloration. However, unlike him and his wife, they looked completely unharmed save for minor scrapes and bruises. Even worse, they sat quietly playing together using some sort of handheld device as if completely oblivious to his presence.
What are these kids doing here?! he wondered aloud as he stared at them in shock. They’re supposed to be…
Just then, however, another voice broke through his thoughts.
“…we don’t know anything about what happened to your wife or children! We just came out here looking for someone who might have seen something!”
The source of the new voice belonged to a slender girl wearing glasses whose long brown hair fell past her shoulders. Her attire consisted solely of a white blouse tucked into tight blue jeans which showed off her slim frame and toned legs. She stood up nervously as she approached the masked warrior and introduced herself politely.
“My name is Alice. I’m a student at St. Clare’s Academy. And this is my partner, William.”
A boy standing behind her added his own introduction.
“I’m Alex. This is my sister Rebecca.”
At length, the masked warrior decided to speak up after seeing how uncomfortable the girls clearly felt.
“Well, whatever the reason may be, you’ve already caused us more than enough trouble by trespassing onto our property without permission. You should really leave now unless you want me to call the police.”
Alice responded immediately with a firm nod.
“No need to worry. That won’t happen because we haven’t committed any crimes. We’ll gladly head home once you release us.”
With that said, both siblings walked past the armored figure and made their way outside. After watching them go, the masked man sighed heavily before approaching the couch. While he remained quiet for several minutes, his eyes kept darting back and forth between the two girls’ faces. Eventually, he found his resolve and spoke again.
“So, let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: I will never tell you what happened to your family members or reveal exactly who killed them. If I do decide to answer either question, it would be only after receiving payment in return. Do we have an understanding?” final warning. If you choose to ignore it, things are likely to end very badly for all three of us.”
Both sisters nodded firmly in reply.
“Understood. But can you at least show us how to contact the authorities? Our friends told us about the police station nearby so I assume they must have phones there…”
He couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly at her comment.
“You’d think people would learn by now that calling the cops always results in even more trouble instead of less. In fact, most of those who did try it ended up dead themselves shortly thereafter. The only ones who ever actually survived such encounters were those who had plenty of money and influence to pay off whoever needed paying in order to keep everything under wraps.”
The girls shared nervous glances while trying desperately to hide their fear.
“Please stop talking like that!” exclaimed Alice suddenly. “We understand that your life has been terrible since losing your wife and kids, but we didn’t come here to start causing trouble for anyone else! We simply wanted to find someone who could tell us what happened to our loved ones!”
As expected of a child, she understood full well the implications of asking questions too soon after a tragedy. At the same time, though, she also seemed to possess a strong sense of responsibility not to make matters worse for others.
Given their circumstances, he couldn’t blame her for being anxious considering the current situation. Still, there was no point in sugarcoating things anymore so he decided to give a simple explanation of events rather than dancing around the subject.
“Your father died due to a car accident while driving drunk late last night, Your mother passed away when the building collapsed on top of her during the quake today, and your younger brother disappeared after falling down a mine shaft yesterday afternoon… All victims of tragic accidents.”
The masked man continued speaking calmly despite his heavy heart.
“They weren’t murdered, nor did they suffer any injuries beyond cuts and scrapes. Instead, each of them perished instantly following their respective mishaps. No matter how many times I repeat myself, you will never recover your family members because they aren’t coming back.”
Once finished telling his story, the cloaked figure turned to face the pair once more. He stared coldly at them for several seconds until finally adding some final words.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I believe I am done answering your questions. Once this conversation is over, you will never see me again, whether in person or in death. So please refrain from making any further attempts to talk with me whatsoever.”
Having delivered his parting statement, he slowly started walking towards the exit. Before leaving, however, the masked man briefly glanced back at the two girls sitting silently together on the couch.
“…And remember that I’m still watching you wherever you go, regardless of where you run to next.”
Then he left the room without another word and closed the door behind him.
***
After finishing his business at the convenience store, William headed out of town and began heading west through the forest. His destination lay just ahead somewhere within the dense trees. As far as he knew, his little sister might be hiding inside there along with other children who suffered similar fates.
With nothing else to lose, he resolved to look for them all regardless of the danger involved.
Upon arriving at the edge of the woods near his target location, he carefully scanned his surroundings using his smartphone’s flashlight app. Fortunately, the light from its display did not shine directly into anyone’s eyes.
Then, after confirming that nobody was looking his way, he stepped forward and looked around intently. However, after spending a few moments searching every nook and cranny of the area, the young man eventually grew increasingly frustrated.
There were no signs of any survivors anywhere nearby. It appeared that everyone present had already departed for safer territory long ago. This meant that there was absolutely no chance that his beloved little sister may have lingered here alone. Feeling utterly defeated, William slumped against a tree trunk and hung his head dejectedly.
Just then, something caught his eye. A faint glow of red light was visible through the thick foliage ahead; probably a fire burning within a campfire set up nearby. Although not particularly bright, the illumination provided enough visibility for William to determine that several figures sat huddled close together beside the flames.
Curious, he took a closer look before realizing that one of them bore an uncanny resemblance to his own younger sister. She had short hair like him and wore the same clothing, albeit with a slightly different color scheme.
Furthermore, although he couldn’t tell exactly from this distance, there was definitely a small child clinging to her side. Judging by the size difference between them, he assumed she must be either the girl’s daughter or grandchild.
William felt a pang of relief rush through his body upon recognizing his sibling among the group. He’d always wondered if she might’ve survived somehow. Now it would seem fate had answered his prayers. If only my parents hadn’t gotten themselves killed, perhaps they wouldn’t have abandoned us…
With these thoughts running through his mind, he stood up straight and walked forward towards the campsite. The moment he entered the clearing, he immediately spotted his sister standing off to the side. She was staring blankly into space and mumbling incoherently while holding tightly onto the child who clung to her chest.
I can’t stay here for much longer…
He didn’t know what prompted him to say such a thing aloud but suddenly, his sister snapped to attention and spun around to face him. Her expression was filled with panic as she frantically pleaded for help.
“M-Mr. William! Mr. Will!”
She was clearly frightened and distraught, yet he could detect no trace of hostility or aggression in her voice. Despite everything she’d been through, his little sister was surprisingly kindhearted. And even though she was obviously suffering greatly herself, she was also worried about others besides her own safety.
In fact, given how hard things had become for her personally, he doubted she had ever considered harming anyone else. At least, not intentionally anyway. Still, he couldn’t afford to remain complacent and simply ignore the possibility that she was secretly hostile.
The End