The streets of the city were completely bare, with an exception of the abandoned hovercrafts that emitted a slight humming, indicating that the owners hadn’t even bothered to turn them off.
I could feel my knuckles clench with rage. “How could the Empress be so selfish?”
My voice bounced off the quiet homes that bordered the streets. “Recaro deserves better than this!”
It was now Ellie who was trying to calm me down – how ironic. “I know,” she said softly. “But there’s nothing we can do. There’s a reason why the Empress hoards more than half of the food supplies.”
I could hear the light tapping of our sandals against the stone road. We were heading back to her home to get prepared for the Tascaque.
“No, there must be something I can do,” I protested. “I’m the Lucid!”
“But even you have limitations, Darrel!”
Ellie was now at my side. We made a sharp turn, and the road gradually sloped upwards. The sun’s height in the sky indicated that it was around two or three. The Nile gently flowed east. However, no boats occupied its surface – perhaps even the fishermen had retreated to their families. They were jeopardizing Efaque’s food supplies, I realized. With the hunters and gatherers in the city as well, the fishermen would’ve been the only individuals working who could contribute to the citizen’s stomachs.
“Then what’s so good about being the Lucid?” My voice had lowered down, knowing that my outburst must have not only scared Ellie, but the citizens cooped up in their homes, knowing that a murderer dwelled in the city.
Ellie put her hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. I turned around effortlessly, rolling my eyes. “Because,” she said. “You gave us everything.”
I remembered her thanking me for the Malko’s and false memories my subconscious had provided her with. “I know that,” I replied. “But why do I have to prove it to you all? Isn’t faith enough?”
Ellie blinked. “If we only relied on faith, Darrel, we would’ve had a Lucid long ago. A false Lucid – one who would be basking in a limelight that person wouldn’t deserve.”
I looked out into the horizon. “Now, bringing up an old topic, what’re we gonna do about all the other . . . Anti’s?” That was the first time I said that word, so it was a bit awkward to say as it drifted past my lips.
Ellie shrugged. We started walking again. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “There’s really no way for us to help them. We can’t warn them about you – odds are, since they’re so convinced they’re the lucid, they won’t believe you. In fact, I can almost guarantee you that every single one of those Anti’s convinced themselves that they created that mountain.” She pointed to the newly formed landmass.
“You’re right.” I shook my head. “This is crazy.”
Ellie nodded. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
When we made it to Ellie’s house, we instantly sat down across from each other in the living room. Ellie held the wooden radio with decorative gold designs in her hand. She tuned in to the news, hoping to gather some information on the Tascaque that would be held in a mere hour and a half.
All the reporter talked about was about how there would be a funeral before the ceremony, that the Tascaque itself would last until midnight, that there would be a feast afterwards, and that everyone’s appearance was required. Any individuals who didn’t arrive were to be caught and imprisoned (this was said at least ten times in the five-minute report).
