From the Abyss of Stars Part 1

Vol-2: 022. No News in a Small Country (Part 2)

022. No News in a Small Country (Part 2)

Whoosh—Boom!

The missile flew some distance before reigniting, accelerating instantly to strike the armored vehicle, sending it skyward as a blazing fireball. Under Barnum's shocked gaze, the bearded man put away the launcher and waved at him, signaling to close the window to avoid stray bullets.

"Hey—Barnum, the embassy called me and told me to stay at work. What's going on? I heard gunfire! Tanks, armored vehicles are passing by downstairs. What the hell is happening?"

A coup.

Barnum quickly guessed the possibility.

Without a doubt, it was a military coup, a meticulously planned and suddenly executed operation.

He recalled the bearded man's daily photo-taking, binocular observations of the guards, and how the guards didn't change shifts today.

"They were ready for this." Barnum sat in his chair, unsure of what to do.

The sudden upheaval shattered his peaceful life and worldview. People cowered in their homes, afraid to look outside, fearing they'd be caught in the chaos. Just outside his building, rebels and the Grand Duchy's police and military engaged in fierce gunfights. Bullets even pierced his window, leaving a distinct hole in the mahogany cabinet.

Before long, he saw the bearded man pick up another rocket launcher, trying to cover his allies again. When he looked up and saw Barnum frozen in place, he urgently shouted:

"Get back! Don't come out!"

Ssh!

The bearded man's words had barely left his mouth when a blade suddenly protruded from his chest. A Law IV agent coldly withdrew the weapon, dragging the bearded man into the building. A horrific scream followed, and blood splattered on the window. Even from across the street, Barnum could almost smell the iron scent of blood.

Urgh—

He nearly vomited. A grenade exploded below his building, and the deafening blast left him temporarily deaf. The shockwave sent him tumbling back into the apartment, where Barnum scrambled, using his hands and feet, to hide in the bathroom.

Footsteps echoed through the hallway, accompanied by women's screams and the occasional sound of bullets striking marble tiles. Barnum didn't dare make a sound. He curled up in a corner, covering his mouth in fear, too terrified to move.

The street battle raged on for at least a day. The sound of gunfire never ceased. Law IV agents used the chaos to search and arrest people house by house. They brutally dragged Barnum out of the bathtub, beat him mercilessly, and interrogated him about whether he had seen Bermudez.

At first, Barnum thought that if he answered "no," the agents would whip him. If he said "yes," they'd press him for details.

But he was wrong. The agents didn't give him a chance to lie; they beat him until he almost vomited blood and then splashed cold water on his face to wake him up.

When he curled up in pain, muttering incoherently about who Bermudez was, the agents finally believed his story and let him go.

Barnum staggered back to his shattered balcony, righted his chair, and collapsed into it, his eyes swollen shut from the beating.

The artificial sun was still as bright as ever, but now the wind carried the stench of burning tanks.

It was like throwing a piece of rotten pork on a coal stove.

Barnum squinted, realizing that in another country, Frost-Plated agents could freely arrest and beat people. Even as a GTB employee and Frost-Plated citizen, he wasn't spared.