Beyond the Void

Chapter 65, Empty

of Shattering 399 - Luxor falls as the last city in the east. The forts of Sinwatch on Luxor, Hinterwall on Spearhead and Tail End are established shortly before. All passages through the Greater Spine are sealed, finally halting the demon's advance. Small skirmishes continue near all three. 

An excerpt from the diary of Pia...

AERIN

Four moons and three tens since the mark of the Other One blossomed.

The streets were full of mud. The spring rains had lasted far longer this year. Aerin pushed off from the wall and set after the man in purple. Maybe today she would strike silver.

She weaved through the crowd after the man, trying to keep up. This one was in a hurry. She needed a break. Maybe today she would get lucky.

Aerin might have used up all her luck to be still here and not in the flesh market again. Garret had accepted what little information she had found out and found it satisfactory.

The little bits and pieces she had gathered about the Covenant's plans were enough to keep her out of the flesh market. No more. She was still fighting for her place among the thieves.

This, in turn, had cost Aerin her place in the Covenant. Had she ever been a part of it? There were only nameless faces and unfamiliar voices left. Which one of them was actually Orion? She had spoken to him. She had sought the man out herself. She was sure of it.

But after that one night of heated words and crying when Orion had taken her into his embrace. She could not remember if they had ever talked after that.

Aerin felt empty. Everyone had betrayed her. Even Sonera was reluctant to remain in her company for long. Her student had taken her spot now. But the way Sonera avoided Aerin, stung.

Aerin was proud of her, yet she hated the brat's guts because of her attitude. The only thing that still kept her going was that maybe tomorrow would be a better day. You never knew what it might bring. Maybe tomorrow would not be full of numb, powerless thoughts.

Or maybe it was time to give up. She cursed each morning. She wanted to cry each morning, but she could not. The tears would not come. Why was she still here? Why could she not sleep forever? 

There was that tiny hope that perhaps one day she would not wake up. Or better yet, maybe she would wake up and everything would be the way it had been before.

Or she would wake up in a new body, a new world. Please, if only something like that were possible. She would take the opportunity without hesitation.

The haze lifted, and Aerin looked around. She cursed loudly. She had almost missed the man in purple. He had taken a corner towards the upper city and she had to hurry after the man.

It was good that there was a distance between her and her mark, but she was risking losing sight of him. The man had turned another corner.

Aerin sprinted to the corner and stopped. She had lost him. People bustled here and there, but the man in purple was gone. Perhaps disappeared into a house or shop.

And right there, a little ways down the street, was that park. The park where she and Will had scouted for a way into that house.

The buzzing numbness drowned her mind. She wanted to cry and yell, but she could not. At one point, the covenant had talked about releasing her flow. Now her mind was torn into tatters. Could one awaken if their powers had not been awakened?