Haven And Chaos

51) Worlds apart

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GALE'S POV
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The air felt refreshing here in the countryside. Even the night sky looked more beautiful as the thousands of stars twinkled all over in perfect harmony.
As I stared at it, I caught a few shooting stars, reminding me how much Cindy loved them.

My heart ached, a pain that would never go away no matter what. But at least I was coping with it without showing the world how hurt I had been since that cursed night.
Every day, I'd wake up expecting her vibrant voice calling for me so we could pray. She had been a devout Christian, never missed her morning and night prayers. Went out of her way to help those who needed it, even the bastards who were simply taking advantage of her kindness.

She was the only reminder of the best mistake I ever made in my teen years. And now, she had left me all alone like her mother did.

Something wet trickled from my right eye, drawing me back in the moment.
I ran my thumb across it and brought it before my vision...a tear.
I chuckled. How long had it been since I cried? Months? Years perhaps?
Yes, I did not shed a tear at Cindy's grave. Why you may ask? Well, I was too bitter about her killer. But maybe this was just me being in denial which led to my emotional instability that threw me at the psychiatrist's door.

I took in a sharp inhale, overlooking the village, shrouded in heavy fog, coming to life from the balcony of the new house I had purchased.
Here, I was not the archduke, rather, I had taken on the identity of a merchant who was interested in the wine they made and their vineyards which stretched over thousands of hectares of land. Some of which were visible from where I stood.

The distant rooster crows that had been going on from five sounded like a melody, one made even more pleasing by the birds chirping all over.

Now with a lit cigarette in my mouth, I watched dawn break, spreading its crimson claws all over the puffy clouds floating in the sky. Bit by bit, the stars I had been admiring from four-thirty began fading as they made way to the morning light. As the orange ball peeked from the horizon, the fog began dispelling, making the village visible just like the smoke rising.

Taking in these serene views made my chest feel lighter and dilated, allowing me to feel some positive emotions I hadn't felt in over a year like...joy.

"My Lord?" Chris called as a warm heavy fabric was draped on my shoulders.
I looked down to identify a brown shawl which must have been heated before being brought to me.
"Your coffee is ready. Where should I serve you?"

"Who made it?"

"Um... Me, my Lord. We still haven't acquired a maid yet being that we're new in town and they have great trust issues with outsiders."

"That was expected. After all, they have been extorted so much tax money without ever seeing their use..." I sighed pressing the cigarette stub on the metal railing before handing it to Chris for disposal. "Any news from the spies?"

"Yes, My Lord. They just sent a message saying that the money could not be traced electronically because he collects it in cash."

"Bloody bastard. So they've gotten this smart!"

I made eye contact with him. "Anything else?"

"Um..." He looked away for a split second, "It's said that they use the archduke's name to intimidate the residents here."

As expected. They could even lie that the emperor was asking for that money for an emergency. Those scheming thieves. Tarnishing my name for these little gains.
"Okay. Have them collect more information about the date when the tax collectors come around."

He bowed. "Right away."

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MAYA'S POV
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The orange light stabbing my shut eyes whispered to me that it was time to wake up. But waking up meant dealing with my painful inanition.

I had not summoned enough courage to beg for food from these strangers. And from how alert they were about my presence, even a decent place to sleep.
I ended up walking around at night as the fog descended to look for a spot where I could lie down.

Luck wasn't fully against me after I successfully found a rundown wooden shed and managed to sneak in.
I had inhaled the dust which bit its way into my lungs. But that was not all I had to endure through the chilly night; bugs, cold, and pain from my foot.

At one point, I remember shedding tears as Gale's words flooded my memory. The warmth of the last night we shared comforted me through the night until dawn broke.

Hungry, dirty, hurting, and angry, I made my way out of the shed with dried tears on my face.
Why was I already this broken when I had practically yelled at Gale that I could survive as long as I had my freedom?
It was only day one, yet my spirit was already half shattered. Pitiful.

I limped down the gravel path, avoiding any eye contact with the busy residents working outside their houses. Some whispered to each other, making it obvious that I was the topic of discussion.
It stung so bad being the object of ridicule without even knowing me.

As the pain grew deeper by the minute, I knew that the small cuts were now infected. But without any supplies, I couldn't clean it myself.
In a small village like this one, there might not be a hospital, but at least they'd have a clinic, right?

And thus I set my mind on finding it for the sake of my foot. I didn't want it to fester and cause permanent damage to my tissues.
Determined, I walk-limped my way for over ten minutes until I saw the cross sign. But it wasn't a clinic, no. It was a church.
My heart broke, but I was determined to survive. If the priest kicked me out, then I was hopeless and would probably be half dead by the time Gale showed up.

I dragged my drained body up to the large double doors and banged on them desperately.
Some noise came from behind them as someone came to unlock the entrance.

Thrilled, I stepped back and waited eagerly.

Finally, one door opened on the inside, giving way to a young male probably in his early thirties. His light blue eyes moved along my body before settling in mine. "You must be the alien they talked about. "

"I...I..." My vision was growing blurry and my world was starting to spin. I felt nauseous, weak, hurt, and dizzy.
Even though I wanted to scream for help, I ended up losing consciousness as my world fell into a void.

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I was startled awake from a nightmare of Gale plunging a knife into my chest.
Panting and frightened, I patted my chest just to be certain that it had been a dream.
When I felt nothing out of the ordinary, I heaved a sigh as my last memory pulled itself together.

This room... It was strange to me.
Oh, right. I had fainted at the church. Was I inside it?
Looked like so from the crosses hanging on the wall as well as the Bible sitting on the wooden desk to my left.

My eyes studied the room a bit more until they landed on two buns in a plastic bag next to what looked like a thermal food box.
My stomach growled as if the sight of food had triggered my starvation. And without caring whether they were mine or not, I fled the bed to grab them, forgetting about my sounds as well.
Fuck it!

I had never eaten a bun as if it was the tastiest thing in the world at that moment... With my mouth stuffed, I hurried to open the food box. The alluring aroma of meat caressed my taste buds wet, elevating my appetite till my head felt like it was about to explode from the craving.