OLYMPIA

Gathering Storm

The room is dark. No light from the sun can go through the heavy curtains that covered the windows, and there are no lights from within. Julia herself laid on her bed, covered in a blanket. Though her crying have stopped by now, her eyes remain sore from it. It must have been a few hours now, and she can tell that Micah has been trying to reach her via her HLD. She can't answer, though. She doesn't have the will, the motivation, or the desire to do so. All she has for now is her emotions, swallowing her up into deeper and deeper despair.

"Hello," said a voice from inside her room. It was the voice of a girl. A voice she now knows well, having spent a lot of time with her in the past few months.

"Venus..." She didn't move from her position. She remained in the comfort of her bed, unwilling to nudge even a little bit.

"Micah was here earlier, she was wondering how you've been."

"Micah? Please tell her I'm fine. I just feel a little sick."

Venus took her seat besides Julia's bed. "You don't look fine to me. What happened?"

"I said it was nothing. I'm fine. I just need some rest, please."

"And I said you don't look fine, so just tell me what's wrong!"

"I said I'm fine!" Julia snapped, finally breaking free from her blanket to take a seat in her bed.

"Do you think I'll buy that?"
Venus pulled out her HLD, showing her her call history. There are not many names listed on it, but it still caught Julia's attention. Louis Monet, listed on the very top.

"I already have an idea what happened. I just want to hear it from you. Please - I only want to help you."

With what she saw, Julia slumped back down into her bed, tears starting to once again fall from her eyes.

"That's just unfair, you know? It's so, so unfair!"

"I know, I know. Just let it all out."

***

"At first, I was wondering if I'm going mad..." said a person in the phone with Louis. "There were voices in my room, yet there's no one there but me. I can hear them talking, and I recognize who's speaking clear as day. And what I heard there - it made me angry. So please... Just this once... Please help me again!"

"But... You will die... Just like the others..."

"I don't care if I die! I don't care what happens to me! That bastard has to die! He has to pay for what he did!"

Wild Flower paused for a moment, before finally speaking again in a calmer voice.

"Do you still blame yourself for their deaths?"

Louis remained silent. It feels like someone caught his voice and wouldn't let it go, burying itself deep into his heart and torturing him some more.

"It's not your fault, you know? We all knew what we were getting into when we joined your cause..."

"That's exactly why it's my fault!"

"It's not! The heist went awry, yes, but that has always been a possibility we were aware of! That's a risk we knew we were taking! And we don't blame you for it. So please... one last time..."

"Well you should! I endangered all your lives while remaining in safety myself! Strings and Pike... They died because of my plans! I just don't want to lose another... I cannot send you to Charles..."

"You won't be sending me to him... I'll be going with or without your help. But I know that if I do that, I will likely never even catch a glimpse of the man. So please help me one last time..."