The Tragedy of Renya

2.4 Wanting to Reunite

???, Renya

“Do you believe in destiny? In fate?” Hendri Pentel mused as he stood in front of the bookcase. He picked a book out of it, and started flipping through the pages. Behind him sat his wife, wearing a bright purple dress in the same colour as her eyes. She had her hands folded on her lap.
“I believe in facts.” She answered.
“I believe it was fate that brought you back to this city,” he said as he looked behind him to see hre, “the prayers of me and my family.”
Leandra looked away.
“I have always been in love with you, Lea,” Hendri said, “it was my family’s destiny to love you. My destiny. That is why you returned, isn’t it?”
“I returned because I had to. I have things I must do in this city still.”

Hendri frowned, “things? What kind of things?”

He watched as his wife opened her mouth several times as if to say something, then shut it again. Her expression became less and less calm.
“I don’t remember.” She whispered as she got up and headed towards the door.

Hendri dropped the book he was holding ran after her and before she could open the door he pushed her against a wall. He slowly moved his body against hers. The book fell down on the floor on the page Hendri had been looking at; Lord Andrey Pentel, founder of the family.
“What did you do to me?” Leandra panicked.
“I did nothing,” Hendri said as he pushed his wife’s hands over her chest and held her in his arms like that, “I did nothing Lea. Are you sure it wasn’t just a dream? All you have to do here is love me.”
“No,” Leandra shook her head as she tried to get away, “Renya will perish! Everyone will die, Hendri! And it’ll all be your fault!”

Hendri laughed.
“That won’t happen, Lea. Renya will forever stay the way it is; a prospering city.”

“No.” Leandra calmed down and coldly stated; “Renya’s doomed. You can’t change the future, Hendri.”
“The past,” Hendri corrected her, “I can’t change the past. The future’s still mine to decide.”
“The future’s already decided on. One person alone can’t change that.”

Hendri laughed.
“You’d be amazed,” he smiled as he kissed his wife’s neck and cheeks, “You’d be amazed to see what a single man in love can do.”
“I know what love does to a person,” Leandra said, “I’ve seen it too often already. Hendri, you don’t have the power to change the future. Everyone in Renya will die.”

Hendri let go of his wife.
“I’ll show you, Lea. I’ll show you that the future can be changed.”

He watched as she left the room. In her stead one of the servants came in. She bowed to him.
“Lord Pentel,” she started, and waited until Hendri gave her the sign to continue. He waited and first went to put the book he’d taken out back into the bookcase. He smiled as he saw his ancestor’s portrait.

“And she says the course of time can’t be changed,” he chuckled softly before shutting the book and putting it back.

“What do you want,” he glared. Alice shivered before she continued.
“I would like to know why people can’t leave the city,” she asked.

Hendri frowned.
“What do you mean they can’t?” he said.
“I was stopped at the gates yesterday and told I could not pass.”

Hendri cursed, making Alice step back a little.
“Looks like the council’s been deciding things without me.” He frowned, “I’ll go ask them at the next meeting.”

Alice thanked him and left the room again, confused. There was something wrong with the entire situation. She considered sneaking into the next meeting of the council, before realising how impossible that would be, and what a danger it would be for her job. Her brother would kill her, she thought, if she lost her job before he returned.

She looked at the clock and realised nobody would blame her if she went home five minutes early. She had something to check.

After ten minutes Alice had left the Pentel family’s mansion and headed for the west gate. She decided to take a short detour and headed for the center of town first. There was the dark pentagonal pillar that had always served as the shrine for the city’s Goddess. She greeted the goddess and prayed for her brother’s safe return. Then she headed towards the city gates again.

The same man as before was working at the gate. Alice ran towards him and he smiled.
“Kid, you still can’t leave,” he said. Alice nodded.
“I had a question.” She said, “are people still allowed to enter the city?” The man shrugged.
“Didn’t get orders about it so I think so. You’re waiting for your brother to return?”

Alice nodded. The man frowned and waited a few moments.
“I haven’t seen anyone enter the city for days though. Weeks, possibly even months or years.”

Alice’s eyes widened.
“But all the people at the market! They all have fresh produce, how’s that possible?!”

The guard looked at her with a puzzled look.
“Probably came through a different gate,” he said.

Alice shook her head and realised that was impossible.

She noticed it was dark and was about to head home again when she noticed a homeless man. She wanted to ask the guard to remove him, but there was something off. The homeless man coughed, and when she saw his hand after that it looked red. For a few more minutes this sight repeated. Then the man stopped moving altogether.

Alice shivered and quickly went home again.

Everything was as she’d left it.

Her brother hadn’t come home today either.