Fourth Victim

Little Three looked at Aisling with suspicion. Aisling smiled back at her without any guilt about using her sound manipulation skills on the two young men. After a moment, Little Three looked away because she remembered how horrifying the power could be.

Dr Parvana returned shortly to the room with a bagged white jumpsuit.

"I hope this is your size. I made a general estimate." She waved the bag.

"I will still take it." Aisling finally stood up and stepped on the strangely warm floor.

"Eew!" She had forgotten that she was in a hospital and did not have shoes on. She sat on the bed again and curled up her toes.

Parvana laughed at the childish word and behaviour. "The floor is quite clean. There is a self-sanitising mechanism incorporated."

"I still refuse to step on it," Aisling said stubbornly.

In the end, Parvana had to bow down to her mule-headedness and find her a pair of hospital shoes used by the personnel when working long hours. They were ugly, but they got Aisling from the bed.

After thanking the good doctor, Aisling and Little Three got ready to leave the hospital.

"How long will they take to bring my luggage?" Aisling asked as they walked through the quiet corridors of the military hospital.

She looked around her with unveiled interest.

As Parvana had said, the incidences of sickness were low. This was especially true for military hospitals because the members of the Order were tough. Only on a few occasions were these soldiers injured enough to require medical attention.

"Probably a couple of hours." Little Three responded to the distracted Aisling. "Should we stay here and pass a bit of time?"

Aisling looked at her flatly. "Is Farallon City so boring that it can't keep me entertained for a few hours?"

"I am curious. Do people in the secular world know about Panthalassa?" Little Three asked.

Aisling had heard Dr Parvana use that phrase before. "The secular world?"

Little Three realised that the term was probably not used elsewhere, apart from Panthalassa.

"We refer to the outside as the secular world while we in Panthalassa are a reclusive world." She explained.

"Interesting. And yes, we know about Farallon and Panthalassa. In the past, people thought it was a mythical place made up by some fiction writer. I didn't read the book, but I watched the movie." Aisling showed a hint of nostalgia at the memory.

"You do know we have movies here, right?" Little Three said, assuming that she was missing home.

"It's not that. I just remembered something from the past." That movie was the last one she had watched with her family in Ireland before things fell apart.

Little Three noticed Aisling's poor mood, so she tried to distract her. "What do people say about Panthalassa?"

"There are all kinds of theories. Some say that the land is inhabited by giants who can crush entire cities with a single foot. Others say that Panthalassa is not really on earth, and the Pacific Ocean is just a portal to an alternate dimension. There is also a theory that it is a continent underwater like Atlantis. I also heard that there are all kinds of magical treasures here." She explained.

"Really? Are people curious? Do they want to explore?" Little Three's eyes lit up in question.

"There was a man who bought a ship and decided to sail the seven seas until he found it, conquered it and became the pirate king," Aisling said nonchalantly.

Little Three took a moment before she realised that Aisling was just playing. "Come on, be serious."

"You are no fun." Aisling sighed dramatically. "The reality is a bit boring. Long ago, a scientist found proof of the existence of Panthalassa. When he published his findings, people did want to go to the ocean to explore. But the Consortium revealed that the land had always existed."

Aisling had only learnt about it from history books, so she did not know how much was true and what was propaganda by the Consortium.

"They explained that the land was filled with beings more powerful and older than anyone could imagine. But they were a private people without an interest in the other seven continents. However, the Consortium claimed to have a good relationship with Panthalassa to ensure the trading of resources and sharing of information."

Little Three was silent for a while. "You are right. That was boring"

Aisling laughed. The people of the so-called secular world did talk about Panthalassa and Farallon with awe. And everyone imagined how it would feel to be there. Books were written, songs sang and movies made.

But no one had any real experience or even a photo of the place.

Yet, she was here.

She did not know how her life would change now that she had come to this hidden continent. However, at that moment, she was glad that she had made the journey.

When they stepped out of the hospital, she looked up to the sky.

She felt the warmth of the sun on her skin, bathing her and refreshing her. Then, she lifted her hands, her palms turned up to the sky, and she spun around in a very un-Aisling way.

She was happy to be alive.

In the black tower at the centre of Farallon City, Abaddon Rex looked at his Cadre with his compelling eyes. The four people were silent as they looked at their liege, waiting for his cue.

Unlike the Order, the Cadre did not serve the people of Farallon. The Cadre lived and would die at the will of their liege, Rex. Their devotion and their souls were bound to the demi-angel who stood above everyone else in Panthalassa.

"Tell me about the fourth murder." His voice had a deep, commanding quality.

Ammon had briefed him about the occurrence of the murder, but he had left before he had heard the complete details.

Malena stood up to give an account of the case. Though she was the only female in the Cadre of Four, her strength could not be ignored. She had a keen eye coupled with unrelenting focus.

"The fourth victim is Raum Letard. There is seemingly nothing noteworthy about him, but he was the strongest in the Kist Clan. The clan is known for its construction legacy. It is believed that their impact dates back to the Tower of Babel. While they are not involved in business within the metropolis of Farallon City, they are prominent stakeholders in the environs." She concisely shared the information.

Bai Hu, the resident technician in the Cadre, showed the relevant data on the projection screen in front of Rex.

"How was he attacked?" Rex asked.

"It is still uncertain," Malena said with a frown. "Based on our calculations and the information provided, he left one of the Kist construction sites in the evening, at about six o'clock. He should have arrived home through a compact train by half-past six."

"He was found exsanguinated after a precise cut of his carotid artery about fifty kilometres from the construction site, in the opposite direction of his home." Malena paused. "Based on the time of death and the location, it would have been impossible for him to have been transported via a compact train, even a private one."

"We have reviewed the sites and consulted with the Order. There is no indication that there was any vehicle in the area. However, it would have still been difficult to reach the area in any vehicle within the short timeframe." Malena continued.

"Our conclusion that the killer has an ability allowing for teleportation or high-speed travel holds. However, we are still uncertain of the means used. It is obvious that we are dealing with a smart and organised individual." She finished.

"What makes you think that it is not a group?" Rex questioned.

"We have considered the possibility that there is more than a single killer. However, the level of control and speed exhibited in each murder does not support that theory. Even with a subordinate or a submissive partner, a second party would affect the speed of the kills." Malena answered.

"The Order is working under the assumption that it could be a group, so this issue is covered." Ammon stepped into the conversation.

"Show me the map with the locations of the four murders, Bai Hu," Rex said.

Bai Hu quickly put a display on the screen with complete details.

The lava-like eyes looked at the map for some time with hidden thoughts before turning to the only person in the Cadre of Four who had not spoken.

"What do you think, Oceanus?" He asked.

The man smiled at his liege. "I have been thinking about the powers which could allow a person to travel a long distance within a short time. I have come up with travelling, true teleportation, speeding and," he paused for a long moment. "angel wings."