Synchronicity: Floating City

Kyo toki-sei: Tenku no shi (part 8)

I’d stepped through a huge ancient archway. My mouth hung open when I first sighted the gigantic tree, which was roughly about a kilometre high, breaking through an old glass dome. The tree glittered with golden apples. I couldn’t believe such tree could actually hold up a city in the air on its own. This was truly one magical tree. The white blossoms bloomed on the lash green lawn, creeping over broken remains of an old architecture and sculptures from the past.

A computer was buried deep in the trunk of the tree. My father stepped on to the platform that was made out of broken marbles slabs.

“You sure you want to do this?” My father asked.

I figured that the question was directed to me, I knew that I would be safe once I release the data from my mind, that bothered me every time I was asleep and weird codes show up in my dreams.

“Of course, she would,” Luka said.

I could hear the hunger in her voice.

I walked forward and up on to the broken steps with Luka right on my heels. In the corner of my eye, she was dying for more power. Her eyes became enormous each time I got closer to the computer and her patience started to wear out. I stood there, my hands hovering over the keyboard as I stared at my father, waiting for his signal.

“Luka, you don’t want this,” my father tried to persuade her, “You are already the most powerful on in the whole city, you even drained out your own sister’s powers and claimed it as your own. Your greediness will just get us all dead. What about the residents? The city will collapse if you take the powers away from the tree-”

“SILENCE, you fool!” Luka said furiously. "Who cares about those beggers?  To be alive is to be selfish."

I stared blankly at the screen, wondering what I should do. Then Lennard stood beside me, his eyes glued to my face. I noticed something silver sticking out of his jack, a metallic smell pricked my nose. Without thinking I’d pulled out Lennard’s gun. Everything went slow motion, when I pointed the gun towards me and pressed the level; Luka was murmuring her words as fast she could as my father and brother tried to stop me. The choker tightened, bittery, raw smell stung my nose.

I cried and pulled the trigger. I felt hazy and pain spread through my body. Before I lost conscious, I drew out my father’s katana and turned to Luka who was horrified at my stupid action.

“Hareiye Ki Sama!” I yelled as I plunged the sword into her stomach.