Last Vogue

While a crowd stood together on the open dock, completely mesmerized by the vibrant rainbows shimmering in the sky, the atmosphere suddenly transformed. The gentle winds that had brought a sense of tranquility changed course, blowing in with an unexpected and biting cold. It wasn't merely the ordinary nip in the air; it felt more like an otherworldly gust descending from the heavens, signaling the imminent arrival of something significant.

This unexpected change stirred worry among the chief and their fellow onlookers. An unspoken question lingered in their minds, "Could this be it? Is it happening now?" Their concerned expressions mirrored the shared unease as they exchanged glances. The swift onset took them by surprise; they hadn't prepared for it to unfold so swiftly.

"Boss, we're due at the port tomorrow, but there's no way we'll make it in time," Jeff quietly informed the chief. The chief sighed and glanced at the group; they looked startled, holding their clothes tight against the cold breeze. Some hurried indoors.

"Should we let 'em know?" Jeff inquired. The chief, silent, sighed once more, contemplating their options. With things as they were, the chief wasn't certain they'd even see the next day.

Should we inform the others that we might not make it in time? That's what Jeff asked the chief. But the chief didn't say anything and just sighed, thinking about what to do. With everything happening, the chief wasn't sure if they'd survive to see the next day.

The chief was searching for Aiden and Leah because they were the ones who alerted him about the Supremes and their plan to return to Earth. But as he looked around, he couldn't find either Aiden or Leah, and it seemed like they were hiding something from everyone.

Meanwhile, Aiden and Leah were seated across from each other in a closed and empty room, one of the lower deck's unoccupied spaces. Aiden held a book in his hand, its pages opened to the section discussing the cliff and the lost city.

They sat there, heads down or gazing anywhere but at each other. Aiden found it hard to begin the conversation. It felt like he was back in time, two years ago, when he had saved her from a burning building, and they hadn't spoken since. Leah was constantly fidgeting with her fingers as if she had something to say but didn't know how to start. The silence between them grew heavy.

When their eyes met earlier on the open dock, their eyes did all the talking and Leah followed Aiden without a word. But now they weren't even looking at each other how were they going to communicate, they didn't know.

"Sorry,", "I've got something to say." Both of them blurted it out together. Aiden felt remorse for not keeping his promise to return, while Leah seemed eager to talk, likely about the supremes and the book. Their words halted, silence enveloping them.

"I'll go first," Aiden sighed, breaking the silence. "I'm truly sorry about that day. I needed time to clear my head. It's not your fault, you know." Leah nodded quietly in response.

"It's okay. I understand... I'm kinda used to it," Leah replied gently, her voice a comfort to Aiden, calm and collected. But what did she mean by being used to it? He pondered. Sure, there's an improved and elaborated version of the text:

"Anyway, what's really important right now is that tomorrow, we're going to arrive at the lost city." This news caught Aiden's attention, and he finally received the confirmation he had been seeking. It turns out they were headed to the lost city marked on the map.

"And it's not just a coincidence; we were meant to come here," Aiden remarked.

"What do you mean?" 

As I mulled over the mind manipulation stuff and all the crazy events going on, I couldn't shake Damien's death from my mind," Leah listened intently. "That guy that day said he was gonna off all of us. And today when I went to see him, he just..." Aiden stopped, taking a deep breath. "He said he was expecting me." Leah was shocked, trying to piece everything together. Why would that guy say something like this? Who even is Aiden? She wondered.

As Leah pondered what Aiden had just mentioned, he handed her the book. "If we're going to reach the lost city, what's the key?" Aiden inquired. Leah accepted the book and reread the phrase.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," she replied. "Wait, did you go to my room?" Leah was puzzled, as they had been sitting together, and Aiden seemed to already know what was written on the marked page. To clear up her confusion, Aiden nodded.

"I needed to talk to you," he admitted. "If we can find the key, we can establish a settlement with the supremes, because they're after that key, and it's the only way to prevent disaster." Aiden's explanation made sense to Leah. However, the bigger question remained: what exactly was this key?

Leah was engrossed in the book, flipping through the familiar pages with a determined focus. She knew it so well that her brows furrowed and eased with every phrase she scanned. Aiden hadn't noticed he was staring at her, deeply absorbed in her concentration. It dawned on him that Leah appeared a bit thinner as if she hadn't been eating properly. Guilt washed over him for having unintentionally avoided her for three whole days.

Realizing his negligence, Aiden finally mustered the courage to apologize. As Leah accepted his apology with genuine forgiveness, a sense of relief flooded through Aiden. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, thawing his once freezing and burdened heart. He questioned himself, wondering why he hadn't spoken to her earlier, mentally berating himself for the distance he allowed to grow between them. 

"I couldn't understand—" Leah stopped mid-sentence, her voice trailing off as she noticed Aiden's intense gaze fixed on her. "What? Why are you staring at me?" She inquired; her curiosity piqued.

Caught off guard, Aiden fumbled for an explanation, attempting to avert his eyes and find a reason for his focused attention. Leah, noticing his struggle, offered a reassuring smile to alleviate the awkwardness.

"Or maybe, if we reach the lost city," she mused, "I think its secrets might reveal themselves. Perhaps the meaning of these inscriptions will become a reality." Aiden nodded in agreement. Leah had a point; they just needed to wait a little longer, a few more hours, for the mysteries of the lost city to unfold.

Aiden leaned forward, his eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and concern. "What did you mean when you said you failed someone? Who were you talking about?" he asked, recalling their last interaction just three days ago. Leah paused, her gaze fixed on Aiden, unsure whether she should open up about this. However, with the impending end of the world, she reckoned there wasn't much to lose by sharing her story.

"It's fine if you'd rather not talk about it," Aiden offered, sensing Leah's hesitation. But she shook her head, gathering her thoughts and taking in a deep breath.

"It goes back to four years ago, during a time when the world was torn by conflict. My hometown, my country, was peaceful until that one tragic day when everything changed for me." Leah began, Aiden recounted his events when he was holed up in a hideout, struggling to survive with his group. Aiden couldn't help but wonder what must have occurred during that tumultuous time in Leah's life.

"Guess what? I used to be the troublemaker who never gave a hoot about history or philosophy," Leah shared, kicking off the conversation. Aiden chuckled, finding it hard to believe. He shook his head, indicating that he would have never thought of Leah in that light. Always spotting her buried in a book, he found it tough to picture her any other way.

"There was this party, a themed one - I rocked up as a pirate," Leah reminisced, casting her mind back to an event from four years prior. While she was aware of the ongoing wars across the globe, as long as her immediate surroundings remained unaffected, she hardly let it bother her.

"Man, this is insane! I could dance all night long," Leah exclaimed, enjoying the music and drinks with her friend. The dance floor was a wild scene, packed with people grooving, hollering, just completely lost in the beats and having the time of their lives. But things were about to take an unexpected turn.

Leah, in need of a drink, leaned in towards her friend, "I'm heading for a drink. You want anything?" Her friend shook her head, declining the offer. Wriggling her way out of the energetic dance floor, Leah was all set for a drink of her own. "Just a cola, please," she requested from the bartender.

"No booze?" the bartender inquired.

"Nah, not my thing," Leah responded, winking at the bartender before grabbing her phone and diving into her social media feed. She scrolled through the news, absorbing the ongoing conflicts happening in a far-off corner of the globe. The reports detailed the relentless wars that had persisted for two long years, and it weighed heavily on her heart. It was hard for her to fathom how people could resort to such extreme measures, inflicting harm and violence upon each other over seemingly anything. Each post she read only seemed to deepen the sense of sorrow etched across her face.

Then, amidst this disheartening stream of updates, an abrupt alert interrupted her thoughts. The notification blared across her screen:

"**Emergency Alert: Earthquake Warning**

Stay Safe! An earthquake is imminent. Take cover under sturdy furniture or in a doorway. Avoid elevators and windows. Stay tuned to local news for updates. #SafetyFirst"

"What the hell is that?" Leah exclaimed as she scrolled through the news. Suddenly, the piercing red alert alarm blared, catching everyone's attention in the bar. The urgent message swiftly reached all the occupants. The successive ping of the alerts created a palpable tension that reverberated through the entire bar.

Leah's gaze darted toward the dance floor, scanning anxiously for her friend. Amid the chaos, she spotted her friend staring at the phone screen. Leah called out her friend's name, prompting an immediate response as her friend hurried over.

Yet, the situation escalated rapidly. The bar transformed into a scene reminiscent of a marathon, with people darting towards the exits, spurred by the need to escape the tremors of the earthquake. The urgency in the air was tangible, and the once lively atmosphere now teemed with a frantic rush for safety.

With the crowd, Leah and her friend hurriedly left the bar, thinking it was an earthquake warning. But as the ground trembled and the buildings shook, something felt off. It wasn't the typical tremors of an earthquake; it was more like the ground was put on vibration mode. Suddenly, there was a clamor of people shouting, and heavy machinery and vehicles rushed toward them. It wasn't nature's fury; it was the chaos of war.

"Oh, no," Leah gasped, instinctively clasping her friend's hand. Without a second thought, they sprinted for safety. In her peripheral vision, Leah witnessed the brutality unfolding: people wielding guns like artists painting everything in their path red. There was biting, hitting, and sheer cruelty rampant in the surroundings, but she kept running, firmly holding her friend's hand. They were determined to escape the pandemonium surrounding them, focused solely on staying alive. 

"Let's head this way," Leah's friend urged, certain they had successfully distanced themselves from the rest of the group. With that, they veered off, dashing into an alley. Their feet kept pounding the pavement, not halting until they glimpsed a distant glimmer of light - a mall. Seemingly oblivious to the chaos, the area around it appeared undisturbed.

In a rush, they darted inside, brushing off the judgmental glances from onlookers. A security guard, who had observed their hasty entrance, approached to inquire about the commotion.

"War," Leah's friend murmured under their breath, and before the guard could probe any further, an explosion rocked the surroundings.

For a fleeting moment, everything seemed to blur into blankness for Leah. All around her, the world dissolved into a high-pitched beep, muffling any coherent sounds. She struggled to part her heavy eyelids, only to realize she was lying on the ground amidst utter chaos. The surroundings were in shambles and ruins.

"L-Leah, wake up!" a faint voice called out, barely audible over the remnants of noise. With considerable effort, Leah shifted her gaze toward the voice. Despite the smoky haze surrounding them, an eerie calm prevailed, devoid of the usual frantic bustle and clamor.

"The army's here, we're safe now," her friend's voice reassured her amidst the chaos. Grasping at her friend's words, Leah endeavored to rise. True to the promise, law enforcement, the military, and specialized squads had arrived to secure the area and escort everyone to safety. The sight of the authorities offered a glimmer of hope amid the mayhem. 

"I'll ask if there's any way to contact our parents if they are-" Leah heard her friend's voice break for a second. The mere thought of something happening to their families was the greatest fear anyone could face. The weight of the unknown loomed heavily over them. Her friend hurried towards one of the squad members while Leah remained seated, trying to gather her thoughts and compose herself in the midst of the turmoil. The silence around her felt deafening as her mind raced with worries and questions. 

"Get up," Leah heard someone say. She stirred and spotted a figure looming over her. It was a man, though she couldn't quite make out his identity in the chaos. He urgently urged her to rise.

"We don't have time, get up," he repeated, firmly taking hold of her shoulders and assisting her to her feet. Leah glanced at her friend who was deeply engrossed in conversation with the squad.

"Come on," the man insisted, attempting to pull Leah along. Dazed from the previous impact, she lacked the energy to resist. Desperate to reach her friend, she tried calling out, but her voice failed her. As they approached the stairs leading to the back door, an explosion tore through the place where her friend had been standing.

The horror that unfolded before her sent shivers down Leah's spine. The site was engulfed in flames, and she froze in place, clutching the stairwell doors. Overwhelmed by the devastation, she cried out, knowing that no one could have survived the blast. The sheer shock of it all caused her to collapse, passing out in the arms of the man who had dragged her away from the disaster.

"My friend passed away right in front of me, and I was utterly helpless." Leah recounted the painful memory, each detail-laden with emotions that caused her eyes to brim with tears. Aiden was wholly absorbed in her narrative, observing the depths of her pain. Almost instinctively, his hand moved, his thumb tenderly brushing away a tear that had trickled down Leah's cheek. His palm softly cradled her face as he murmured reassuringly, assuring her it wasn't her fault. In that moment, Leah felt a sense of warmth and comfort, melting into his supportive gesture, managing to summon a faint smile. 

"I can't recall what happened next, but when I finally came to, I found myself in this weird underground base." Leah recounted as she rose from her seat, strolling over to the nearby window. "It was all dim and somber down there. I saw a bunch of folks who seemed like survivors. I wanted to find the person who rescued me, just to express my gratitude, but I didn't even know what they looked like."

Aiden inquired, "How did you manage to get the book?" 

"It was just like the first time you came up to me here. There was this guy, never got his name 'cause it never really came up, and I went over to him. Can't remember who kicked off the conversation, but suddenly he's talking about this book, and he hands it over to me. Spills everything about it, and before you know it, about a year and a half goes by. Then, the base gets hit, chaos breaks loose, and we bolt upstairs into the building."

"And that's when I found you," Aiden interjected, capturing Leah's attention, and she nodded in agreement.

"The man who handed me this book said something that really got me thinking," Aiden continued.

"What did he say?" Leah asked, intrigued.

"He mentioned, 'I'm letting you know because you asked, you have a heart of gold. When you get the key, don't let it go in any case. The world will face what's written here, but if you give up the key, it'll be an end to everything."

"I messed up, Aiden. I was supposed to find the key. Maybe things could've turned out different," Leah said, her voice quivering as she tried to stifle her sniffles behind her hand. "I thought we had time, but everything happened so fast... something feels off, Aiden. Something's changed," she murmured.

Those words were enough for Aiden to spring from his seat and rush to envelop Leah in a comforting hug. He held her gently, allowing her head to rest against his chest as he cradled her. This small gesture seemed to pull Leah back from the edge.

"I was really feeling great, thinking I'd keep searching for the key once we hit the port. But now, with just a few days left, I messed up," she said, teary-eyed. Aiden tried to soothe her, hushing her gently and swaying her from side to side. Leah held onto Aiden tighter, seeking comfort in his warmth. 

Aiden's voice softened as he murmured against her head, "Hey, it's not your fault at all, and we've got plenty of time. Once we reach the port, we'll sort out that key." He gently planted a kiss on the top of her head. With a swift movement, his hand reached out, cupping Leah's face for a closer look. "You, my dear, are the most wonderful person I've ever met. Don't ever doubt yourself. You're giving it your all, and I'm right here with you, every step of the way," Aiden whispered. Leaning in, their faces were mere inches apart, almost touching noses. 

At that moment, as they locked eyes, the moonlight painted a soft glow on their faces, unveiling the depth of adoration they shared. Aiden leaned in, and instinctively, Leah closed her eyes as Aiden's lips gently met hers. It began as a tender touch, both of them embracing the warmth, but swiftly evolved into a deeper exploration. Their hands caressed each other, igniting a profound, passionate kiss. 

Before long, the room transformed into a cozy, heated cabin adorned with strewn clothes and resonating with the sweet symphony of love. Leah nestled her head against Aiden's bare chest, savoring the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat. She softly uttered her gratitude, then closed her eyes, synchronizing her breath with his. Aiden tenderly caressed her head and reassured her, "No matter what awaits us tomorrow, we'll stand by each other. I won't abandon you." He sealed his promise with a gentle peck on her forehead, earning a radiant smile from Leah. "If circumstances were more favorable, I would proudly introduce you to my family as my fiancé."

Leah chuckled in response and remarked, "Well, Mr. Aiden, under better circumstances, we might never have crossed paths."

Aiden grumbled playfully, pulling Leah even closer to his chest, "No, I would have found you, one way or another."

They had no clue about what the next few days might bring. Two scenarios lingered: either discovering the key and hopefully securing a favorable deal, or facing the unsettling fate that had befallen others. Leah grappled with the uncertainty ahead. However, having Aiden by her side infused her with a newfound sense of hope, rekindling her optimism.

Yet, amidst this optimism, she couldn't shake the specter of worst-case scenarios. The looming threat, a potential world-ending event, had shattered everyone's peace. The night lay in darkness, with only faint moonlight seeping through the window. Aiden and Leah closed their eyes, deliberately shelving the looming tension for tomorrow. All they craved at that moment was to drift into a peaceful slumber, holding each other close. Who could predict if this might be the end?