The fall

Chapter 20

Blake

I couldn't stop. I couldn't let myself stop. Not until I found her.
For three whole days, I'd been searching for Penelope, for any sign of where she'd gone. I barely slept, barely ate. She's never gone for this long. My eyes were bloodshot, my head pounding from the constant strain. But I'll search every fucking corner of this city If I have to. Yet It feels like she's slipping further away from me.

I started with district eight two days ago, every corner of her campsite. Then I checked her house, which hasn't been touched since we spent the night together. There were still dishes from when we were eating pancakes that morning, so everything felt empty.
I even checked the park we used to play at when we were kids, but it was all empty—It's like she's never been here in the first place. I miss her, I need her—before I break.

I even reached out to her close circle, even Gabriella. But no one had heard from her, which obviously means she's gone missing. With her recklessness she'd maybe have been training for hours—but no, nothing.
I've been retracing my steps multiple times when we have been together, going over every conversation we had. Yet she mentioned nothing of wanting to run away. What have I missed? Was there something she said, something I hadn't caught?

I stare out on the map on the table infront of me, come on Blake, you're the highest in command. Think. Where would Penelope go? I have to find her, she's everything to me, If she was hiding from me then I'd seek her out. No matter the price.
My gaze was pacing around the map, thoughts still tangled with unanswered questions.

Suddenly my phone rang, startling me out of my thoughts. I lift my phone out of my pocket. Lucian. I answer, raising my phone to my ear with a sigh.
"Luc, I'm a tad busy. Can I call you later?"

"Brother! No no, don't hang up!" He says immediately, his frantic and panicked voice causes my heart to clench. It definitely was my little brother, but he sounded nothing like the aloof thirteen year old I knew.
"Blake, you have to come home, now! You have to—Dad's—he's—"

I didn't catch that as his voice cracks with panic, words tumbling over each other in a way that makes my stomach drop. My chest tightens.
"Lucian, slow down. What happened?" I keep my voice steady, but even I could feel the fear creeping into it.

"He's dead, Blake! Dad's dead!" Lucian screamed, and I could hear him sobbing, gasping for air between the words. "I—I don't know what happened, but he—he's gone! You need to come home, please!"
I froze. Everything around me seemed to fade. I could barely process what my brother's saying. My father, dead?
Lucian continues "I came to visit him, and he was just lying there. God—there's so much blood, Blake!"

I immediately get up to leave, leaving my house. I try to make sense of what is happening. Penelope is gone, my father's dead, Lucian is panicking. I'm panicking. What will happen now? Penelope is still out there, but now, I to face something else—I can't just stand here, not when my brother needs me.

...

I can't remember the run I just had, I arrive at the sight with my heart hammering in my chest as I stumble towards that's house. I can't still believe that my dad, the former commander was dead. He was himself a light evol user, how could he have died? The man himself who raised me to be an emotionless robot.

The front door was wide open. Inside, the air was too thick to my liking and with silence that comes with tragedy. People from district six was here since it's the closest to the inns. Some soldiers stood with their heads low, their voices also hushed as they spoke with a few servants and neighbors.
Dad was famous in the outside world, but on the inside he was a man of greed.

Lucian was standing inside the hallway with Martha, one of our servants. I nod to her which makes her step aside.
He's trembling, and the moment he saw me too, he broke down, his knees buckling as he rushed towards me. I caught him in my arms, holding him tight, trying to at least some comfort—even thought I sucked at it.
Our father may have been an asshole to me but he was an actual dad to Lucian at least. Which is why I couldn't cry, there was no one to cry for.

"Blake, I didn't know what to do.." Lucian gasps, his voice tight with panic. His face was pale, his eyes wide, as though he were still in shock. "I don't understand...How could this happen? How could dad just...just..."

"I know, I know," I murmured, rubbing his back in slow, calming circles. The weight of his grief pressed against me, and I did my best to shield him from the chaos of the scene. But I couldn't help but I felt relieved inside now that he's dead.
"It's going to be okay, We'll figure this out. You're not alone."

I could feel his body stiffening as he tried to control his sobs. I pulled back just slightly, holding his shoulders. "Where is he?" I asked, my voice steady and sharper than I intended.

"In the living room," Lucian whispered, his gaze flickering to where the other soldiers were standing. "They...they wouldn't let me back in there. They said they were waiting for you."
I nodded, giving him one last squeeze before heading towards the living room. The house that felt so empty, felt even emptier. I walk inside the living room, following the trail of blood on the floor. Like his body had been dragged.

Two officers, inspecting and discussing the body before turning towards me bowing their heads. One of them, Milo James—a aerokinesis (Air manipulation) steps forward. "Commander," He says quietly, his voice tight, as he knew I wanted to inspect the body personally. "My apologies, that you had to arrive personally. But I need you to should see this."

I nod, my gaze following the trail of blood as I then continue following it. The air turned into something sharp—a metallic smell that made my stomach sink. And then I saw him.
Dad was lying on the floor by the couch, sprawled in a way that didn't seem natural, his body twisted as if each one of his bone broke. His skin was cool—he'd been dead for days, that's for sure.
Everything about him was unnatural, but his face...his face was the hardest to look at. His face was beaten to a pulp—It was my father, but I couldn't recognize him. Cuts off a sharp dagger on his face. I can almost imagine it—stabbing, stabbing.

I knelt down beside him, noticing every detail. His shirt had a tear at the collar as he had been dragged. There were no signs of struggle—he was already dead before the murderer beat him to a pulp. My gaze goes back to the trail before glancing back at him and I immediately notice it—a strand of crimson red hair.
I put the pieces together and then It hit me, Penelope. I snap out of that thought at the sound of Milo's voice behind me, removing the hair away from his shirt.

"Commander, have you found any paranormal activity on him?" He asks in a low voice.

I looked up at him, shaking my head like I totally am not suspicious of Penelope murdering my father.
"There's nothing on him, you got anything to report?"

He shakes his head. I so want to believe that this was an accident, a terrible accident, that father died in his sleep. But the sight was horrific—this was definitely murder, a gruesome murder. And there is only one person who has this type of red hair—and that is the "Red moon Sovereign".