Nightfall

-5-

***
A bit unrelated to the Seremeese storyline, but we have the Aylan hierarchy and power structure in the diagram. Might be useful in the future. And if not, think of it as fun world-building. 

Anyway, let's move forward with the story.

***

Allowing Antonio to work there was a mistake. While the exact nature of the threat that plagued the company was unknown at the moment the decision was made, now that the people were disappearing so suddenly without a trace even with someone as observant as him there...

Roberto was not well. Not in the physical way, although the wine started to fuss in his stomach and hint he may have had a glass too much, not as much as in his own mental turmoil. He was there and saw nothing! A man disappeared in thin air and no one noticed for so long. If what - because he highly doubted a human, magical or not, was able to kidnap someone as massive as the missing man without him noticing- was behind this disappearance took Antonio as well back then, how long would it have taken someone to realize?

When did his senses become so dull? Was it because of all those dead rodents and overwhelming odor he failed to acknowledge the danger lurking so close to them? Was it because he let himself too comfortable with his current knowledge on Obscurians to even consider the probability of them becoming smart enough to remain hidden? That condescending witch did mention something about a potential increase in their intellect, but so much so fast? It would be impressive if it wasn't so terrifying.

Not to mention the absolute shit he'll get from his 'beloved' coworkers for failing in such a trap. He was enough of a laughing stock even before, but now he could just become the official jester of the military police. The commander didn't say anything about his failure, only that he was happy he and Antonio didn't get hurt in the process and to be more careful from now on. It was odd to say the least how apparently unbothered by this whole fiasco was commander Amarante, but deep down Roberto knew it was not the case. There had to be a reason he acted this way, obviously, but who tried the commander to fool with this behavior?

Nothing made a damn sense anymore and Roberto was certain it was not solely the wine's fault. Maybe he should start listening to Ezra and quit this bad habit of his before he develops an addiction, but at the same time...

What was another bad decision to add to the list? His life was already full of those, so it mattered little in the long run if he could fool himself even for a few hours that his life wasn't so sad and filled with unfulfillment and that it was his fault. Well, not entirely per-se, but a good amount of the bad stuff could have been avoided if he made different decisions. If he was someone else. If he was something else.

Great, now he was thinking like his father. A man so disappointed in his youngest children because they were not like his eldest that he was ready to screw their lives just to benefit his dear Matteo. What would have happened if he and his sister obeyed back then? Would things be better?

Of course not, it would just be another flavor of disappointment, except far more people would have to carry the burden of being associated with the unloved Conti children and their shortcomings. And despite what other people said about him, Roberto wasn't the type to drag others in his misery just not to suffer alone, so that nagging voice in his head could shut up for good. Ruining those alliances forged in lies and empty promises was the best thing he and Genevieve could have done at the moment and no amount of alcohol-induced guilt could prove the opposite.

Damn, if this wasn't the sign from above that he should really stop drinking then he didn't know what else it would be.

"Alright, let's try this again." he said to no one in particular, and grabbed some old papers with no relevance whatsoever to write on them. "What was the first thing I noticed?"