Chapter 19: Fear Within

Within the empress' city-sized ship, smaller ones seen flying across it, all flying to and fro from each other, some are entering, and leaving the ship.

Among them, a gray one is seen flying through the traffic of other ships. As most pass them by in the opposite direction. The ground below has small, short buildings.

Alecia looks away from the window and gives a downcast look. She stares at her hands. Her mind circulating with thoughts of something that's eating her inside; thoughts of what happened decades before, events that caused all of this, the damaged relationship of her sister, her inability to cope with the things that has changed. Her hands close into fists, she starts to frown.

"Where is he?" she said, her voice sounding cold and bitter, anger beginning to grow within her chest.

"Who, Clay?" Aven said looking at her, to see the unpleasant expression on her face. Only for him to look ahead once more.

"No, Silas." She answered, looking ahead of herself. Her fists clinch tighter.

"Where is he?" she looks at Aven with a glare, almost demanding an answer.

Aven raised his eyebrow at her with a stunned look on his face. Only for him to look ahead with sigh.

"Well..." he said, pausing as he stares at a large building as it passes by.

"You won't find him here. He's far away, probably interstellar space."

"Interstellar space?" Alecia said, trying to grasp his answer. Now even more puzzled, she narrows her eyes at him.

"Doing what?"

"How should I know?" Aven said, looking at her with a frown, and looks ahead once more.

"He went without notice."

"On his own?" She asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.

"When was this?"

"Three months ago." Aven said, still staring ahead, with a concentrated look in his eyes.

"I think he left after your sister sent me to find you. When we came back, I got a report of a missing crew ship, and he was nowhere to be seen."

He pauses, and darts his eyes at her, only to stare ahead once more.

"We haven't heard from him since."

Alecia crosses her arms with a huff.

"Good. I hope he got what was coming to him."

"How can you say that?" he said, turning to her with a disturbed look on his face.

"There were probably others with him, innocent people."

Alecia looks at him, a sudden feeling of shame jolted through her. Only for her to sigh as she looks ahead.

"I'm sorry." she said, averting her gaze at the window, and watches as small ship slowly pass by.

"I'm just tired, Aven. I've been so frustrated."

She gazes down with a frownful look.

"After what he did." she said, thinking back.

"What he took from me." Her bottom lip trembling, her eyes now glistening.

The ships ahead of them slow down, forcing them to slow down too.

Aven turns to her for a moment, his expression, soft, only for him to look ahead once more.

"I'm sorry." he said with a gentle tone in his voice.

"If I could do anything then, I would have-"

"But you didn't." Alecia interrupted, looking at him.

"You instead spent a long time knowing what he did, and you just pushed the thought aside, and accepted it."

She turns her gaze to the window once more, now shaking her head slightly.

"He probably lied to my sister about me." said, only to look down for a moment.

"I just realized..." she paused.

"That I'm no different. I'm a liar too. I told you to lie to Ruth's face about me." her eyes closes with a sigh.

Aven looks at her, and ahead, only to turn to her once more.

"Hey." he said, which urges her to look at him.

"Don't talk like that. You had your-"

"But Aven." She interrupted, and looks ahead of herself, gathering her thoughts on what to say.

"She doesn't seem to forgive me, and I just don't know what to say to her anymore." she begins to fiddle with the sleeve of her grey top as she stares blankly at the ship in front.

Aven sighs, and looks at his device for a moment, only to place it back in his pocket.

"I just want you to know that." he said turning to her once more.

"You had your reasons for lying, and as your friend, I did as you asked."

After everything that has happened to her. Aven has been there by her side as long as she can remember, a teacher, as well as a friend.

Alecia looks at him, and manages a slight smile.

"I need to repay that favor someday." she said, now with a gentle tone in her voice, only to look ahead of herself.

"No rush." he said, looking ahead, once again.

"Though I wish this traffic could hurry up, and get scanned." he leans up and scans his eyes across the area ahead, only for him to sit down once more.

He turns to her with curious gaze.

"I was wondering." he said, his voice trailing off. Which urges her to look at him.

"Do you know the woman they apprehended? Did you see her?

Alecia narrows her gaze, as she thinks about what happened earlier, a strange woman. An unsettling feeling emerges within her chest, just thinking about her.

"She's a gin." She said, looking down with a blank stare.

"I can tell by the violet skin tone, and glyphs under her eyes."

"The name sounds familiar." Aven said, looking at the window.

"Have we encountered gins before?"

"I think so." she said, looking at him.

"I hardly remember them... But." she looks down, as her eyes twinkle.

"She was strange. She seemed to take notice of me, as if she knew who I was."

Aven looks at her with his eyebrow slightly raised. His face grows soft, and his lips twist into a smirk.

"Can't say I'm surprised." He said, with his voice calm, and collected.

"We've travelled throughout the galaxy. There will be those who'd take notice of us."

The last ship exits through and Aven flies his own after it.

Alecia grabs the ends of her hair, her eyes having a blank stare. Thoughts of Raine, the way she obsorbed the essence from her own crew she killed. Why would she do that?

Was she going to kill her too?

That's a question, that plagues Alecia's mind. She now feels Aven's ship accelerating faster.

"She was standing right in front of me." she said, her eyes still staring blankly. Aven looks at her for a moment, and looks ahead once more.

"Bodies surrounded us both." Alecia continued.

"She had a chance to add me among them, but she didn't." She takes her hand away from her hair and looks ahead.

"Aven..." she said with a quiet tone, which urges, Aven's eyes to twinkle.

"What I sensed from her, it terrified me."

She averts her eyes at the window.

"I'm shocked that Leah, managed to bring her in." she said, her voice trailing off.

"My sister can suprise you." Aven said, looking at her with a slight smile, and focuses his attention ahead once more.

"So..." the tone of his sounding calmer.

"This woman..." He continues.

"She scares you?" He turns to her with a curious look on his face. Only to look ahead, and back at her, now and again.

Alecia slowly turns to his attention, her eyes filled with dread. Her mouth opens slightly, her lips trembling.

"We've been through so much together, Aven." she said, staring at him.

"I have always been fearless in the past. Back when we were with Silas, and Kevra."

Away from Aven's ship, through the buildings. Among the sounds of the ships flying through them. Near the empress' palace.

"But her..." Alecia said once more.

"What I saw her do, to her own crew members. She did it with ease. Her movements were so fast."

Back within the guard halls. Where a few workers walk to and fro. Chatter of multiple voices are heard throughout the passages.

"If your sister wasn't there." she continues.

"I wouldn't even be here now. I feared for my life."

"Don't worry." Aven said, with cheerful tone in his voice.

"She's contained. She's not getting out of there."

"I hope so." Alecia's voice quietened.

Two guards are seen escorting a prisoner down the hallway of cells, each of them having an energy field surrounding them. Armed guards stand idly by, while watching their surroundings. Gray sphere-drones patrol the hallways, while avoiding any guard they come across.

"She might escape." Alecia's voice continues.

"I'm sure they have a secure system." Aven said, with a calm tone.

"What if that's not enough?" Alecia said once more.

The last cell at the end, where a guard stands still in front of it. Raine is seen seated on the bed. Her eyes shut. Dark-blue flames, gently emitting from her body. Her eyes open, with her pupils glowing, only for them to fade out as they turn back to orange.

"I now fear for my sister's safety." Alecia said, once more.

"Then, let us hope it is enough." Aven said, with a calm collected tone.

"For everyone's sake."

The flames around Raine's body light up, and slowly slithers down to the one side of her body, to her arm, only to flow around it and gathers into a glowing sphere within the palm of her hand.

She stares at the glowing orb, the light reflecting off her eyes. Calmly she gazes upon it for a moment.

Raine, slowly raises her hand with the orb still within it. She turns her attention towards the energy field of her cell, only for her to frown.

She looks at the sphere within her hand, only for her to crush it as flames spew out.

She stares ahead once more, only to lower her head, and closes her eyes.