Run Away Mad Dog

CHAPTER VI: Forgotten Family Memories

CHAPTER VI

4/12/837 Kingdom of Esterlas

Forgotten Family Memories

The locks of Jane's laboratory door unlocked as she stepped out, her eyes meeting the spiral of stone steps that led up to the surface of her family's keep. In her hand, she held a device that emitted soft little beeps as it scanned the room. The beeps grew more continuous as she moved, and a glass touchpad with a basic map of the castle lit up, trying to find a signal.

Deep in Jane's mind, a fear had taken root. The notion of herself being caught in a bootstrap paradox had haunted her for most of her life. The anxiety of knowing that her future self could be involved in shaping her own destiny, with the risk of encountering her own self, loomed over her like a spectre. The implications of such a paradox had the potential to unravel the very fabric of the universe. Jane realized that she had been placed in this predicament for a reason, and now she was determined to find the first lead on her journey.

As she ascended the stone steps, she pondered on where to start her investigation. Should she seek out her mother? The woman she had glimpsed as a child, accompanied by the mysterious Black Vulture? Or perhaps she should turn to Olesya, who surely must know something about her future self's presence in the laboratory while she was absent.

"Where are you?" Jane muttered under her breath, frustration lacing her voice, as she reached the surface and glanced at the scanner, which continued to emit soft beeps. The townspeople, who had been going about their daily lives, suddenly stopped in their tracks, their eyes fixed upon the princess who had vanished for months and now emerged from her secluded sanctuary.

Turning in slow circles, her modern-day shoes clicked on the stone pathway leading to the castle. The townspeople, their curiosity piqued, began to gather around her like avid fans spotting a beloved celebrity.

"Lady Hail has returned!" one of them exclaimed with excitement.

"It's Dr. Hail to you, now get out of my way," Jane retorted sharply, causing the man to shrink back in shame.

A pang of guilt washed over her as she realized she had spoken harshly to someone who had always been kind to her during her princess days. Now, however,

"Where did you go this time?" a voice queried from the throng.

"Why did you leave?" chimed in another.

Jane closed her eyes, a mounting anxiety constricting her chest as the crowd closed in around her. "Lady Hail has returned!" the townspeople continued to announce, their excitement intensifying as more gathered.

Feeling overwhelmed, a person in the crowd tapped her on the shoulder, and in that moment, something within Jane snapped. The oppressive weight of the crowd bore down on her, making it feel as though she couldn't draw a breath. Panic gripped her, and seeking solace, her trembling hand found the comforting touch of the metal hilt of her energy pistol in the pocket of her lab coat. Fingers quivering, she started to pull it out, the weapon charging with an ominous hum.

Raising the pistol, she fired a shot into the sky. The bolt of focused power streaked upward like a firework, colliding with the blue hexagonal field that shielded the kingdom like a snow globe. Whispers escaped her lips as she addressed the townspeople around her, "Back... off."

Her warning was a hiss, directed at the person closest to her. But as the lone individual slowly stepped away, the others clapped and cheered, staring at the beam of light as if it were a magical spectacle. More onlookers gathered, children mesmerized by the ethereal display in the sky, perceiving it as fairy dust.

Jane's breath came heavy under the weight of the crowd, her warning lost on their oblivious ears. The inner demon took hold, her thoughts darkening as the crowd egged her on for another performance. Her face, normally stoic, turned stone-cold as she looked at the smiling faces around her.