Neutral Through Chaos

Chapter 25: An Urgent Intrusion

Everything around me was spinning uncontrollably. Whether it was the daunting realisation that so much blood had been spilled for things to stay unchanged or my own blood loss that I was experiencing I wasn't certain. Shaking, I tried to ground myself. I felt assuring hands gripping my shoulders, pulling me up.

"Are you alright y/n?" Vi asked, her voice cracking in worry.

She had decided to stay with us after the crystal went missing.

"I need to see a doctor," I replied, my blurring vision focusing on a slumped Caitlyn beside us, "And she needs to see one as well."

Caitlyn's head perked up, her ocean-blue eyes meeting ours.

"I know where we can go, I'll show you the way," she announced.

Vi went over to aid Caitlyn in standing up and I followed her, but she quickly waved me away.

"No, you're injured, focus on yourself," Vi urged me.

Backing away somewhat reluctantly I clutched my bleeding arm. The sound of the sirens still blaring in the distance was adding to my dizziness, overwhelming me. Vi who was now supporting Caitlyn nodded at me, and we started to continue along the backstreets again. The sun was peeking through cracks between the buildings now, the sky erupting in orange flames. Caitlyn was occasionally giving us guidance on where to go next as we twisted through alleyways. Finally, we lowered our heads to conceal our faces as we walked out into a street with breath-taking mansions lining it.

"We're here," Caitlyn announced suddenly after we had continued further down the road.

A towering house stood above us, well it was much more than a house. It was practically a palace, with captivating, ornate architecture. Clearly whoever lived here was of great importance. I had no time to ponder this however, as Vi had hopped the fence in front of me and pulled Caitlyn after her, ushering for me to follow.  I winced in pain as I pulled myself over it, Vi helping me down to the ground. Our next challenge would prove even more troublesome however. Caitlyn stopped at a wall, pointing up at a window.

"We need to get in through there," she whispered.

Vi looked at us both with concern, climbing would be difficult with our injuries. She went first, Caitlyn second and myself last. I groaned out in agony as I began to scale the wall, using my wounded arm with great struggle. Caitlyn was in a predicament too, her leg not being able to support her body well enough as she clambered above me. My hands were grazed by the bricks as I clung onto them for dear life, gasping as I lost my grip and nearly slipped. There was a looming drop below, making me dizzy as I peered down at it. I found my footing again quickly and ignored the anxiety growing in my gut. I was now motivated by the window just above me, I didn't have long to go. Eventually I reached it, heaving myself through.

A bandaged hand met mine, and I grinned as I saw Vi in front of me with her arm wrapped around Caitlyn to assist her. My feet met the ground, and the vertigo from my near drop ceased. I let go of Vi's firm hand as we made our way across the room.

"Who lives here? Another councillor friend of yours?" Vi asked Caitlyn.

The door crashed open abruptly, my veins going an icy cold. We all froze in our tracks, in the doorway stood a woman holding a gun, pointing it directly at us. As quickly as the woman had drawn the gun she lowered it. Her eyes grew wide in shock.

"Caitlyn!" she exclaimed.

A man skidded to a halt behind her, his hair was a deep navy. Like Caitlyn's.

"Oh we were so worried," he exhaled, rushing over to Caitlyn as she met his embrace, "Thank goodness you're safe."

I glanced over at Vi and she looked back over at me, confusion plastered on her face. I knew that the woman's eyes were familiar, she must have been Caitlyn's mother. And the man was her father.