The Fallen Queen~[✓]

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 60

'Yes, a strict lockdown has been imposed all over the world. The infected toll crosses over millions, and the deaths are significant too.' Abhiraaj replied.

I and Ryan had traveled back to India, to look at the situation there. It was pretty bad. Covid19 or Novel Coronavirus had been declared a global pandemic, and the Earth had come to a halt. People were stranded, they lost jobs and had to confine themselves in their houses. The governments were relentlessly trying to make more quarantine camps, where the patients would be kept. Doctors and Hospital workers were risking their lives to save others'. There was a food shortage, and the economies were crashing.

'How? How did this happen?' I enquired. Abhiraaj was a bit shocked, looking at my unawareness of the situation. I ignored him.

'It originated from the wet markets in Wuhan, China. Transferred from bats to humans. At least that's what we know, for now.'

'Zachariah created this disease out of his powers, rumors are that he paired up with some scientists in China itself, and then left shapeshifting eagles to transmit it to the bats to test, that's what he told the scientists, but ended up opening it to the masses.' Ryan whispered into my ears.

'You know right? Schools, shops everything is closed. It's so frustrating, home quarantined. Now we cannot even step out without wearing masks and gloves. It's the worst case in Mumbai. The world, its changed, for so much worse.' Ayum narrated. 'There is a rise of domestic violence, an array of mental health issues, suicide cases shooting up and high, ban on travel, online exams, its worst case.'

'Thank you Abhiraaj.' I smiled as I left along with Ryan. It was too unsafe for us to stay with anyone else around, given that Zachariah and Nathaira were actively searching for us.

'I've booked a Riverfront house in Goa, which is detached from the main city. Zachariah is unlikely to find us there. And it's completely out of human prying eyes.' Ryan spoke, as he opened the mirror to portal us to Goa.

The view was spectacular there. The house was cozy and had a vintage and comforting touch to it. 'It's a beautiful place. We can keep an eye out for the News as well as practice our magic here and communicate with Etis.' I smiled, as I switched on the television. It was our only way of knowing what was happening around in the world because I insisted we practice our magic. Ryan agreed to it, and we settled there.

It didn't take for five weeks to pass just that way, both of us working on our magic, watching out over Earth to see if there was any unusual activity happening around. We had shielded the house so that it seemed like it was any other abandoned and unbought big villa.

As for Earth, the conditions got worse. The cases of Covid19, which was a respiratory disease, saw a spike every day. The lockdowns were continuously extended and work and education moved to virtual. The suicide cases saw a hike more than ever, especially among the poor, the teens, and the unemployed. The cabinets and governments continuously deliberated on how the issue could be resolved, but alas, no one came to a conclusion. Vaccinations were trying to be prepared, but it was inconclusive either.

'I understand what meant by weakening the Earth.' I banged the coffee table, as Ryan closely took notes from the news channel and his laptop. We had also connected to some heads of countries and other important members to extract true information, which was hardly there over the media. 'They played with the human lifestyle. Everything, everything has changed so drastically that it's very difficult to handle. People weren't prepared to face this, at all. I don't know what they plan to do.'

'Kashi, we have to act wisely and we have to win. The Earth, its in grave turmoil. The events, everything, everything has been rushed in such a way that people aren't getting time to think twice. But I believe in them, I'm sure they'll do something to keep themselves from going completely offshore and off track. They have to. I already see YouTube videos on how to be productive in quarantine.'

'I agree. Humans do tend to bend situations to their will. But this? It's unimaginable. The fact that people are trying to fight it is very impressive, but Zachariah? How could he do this? He shouldn't have dragged the Earth in this matter. How power-hungry can he be?'

'I think there's more to the story. I sense something terrible Kashi, as if, it's not limited to what we are seeing.'

'Nathaira. That serpent, I find something uncanny about her, she resembles Natha to a great extent. Natha was one password I could never crack.'

'We have to be cautious and we have to do our best to make sure we don't miss out on anything. I talked with Aspen a while ago, she says the training is going pretty well. Almost three-fourth of Etis's youth has agreed to join either as warriors or as officers. Everyone has officially agreed to develop their magic. We're seeing unity. But Kashi, there is unsettling news.'

I immediately fixed my eyes on Ryan's face, which was grim. 'There was a major attack in the Air Realm, Fayna, she is..no more.'

'What?' It felt like I was stabbed right in my gut. A woman I talked to just a couple of days ago was no more. She was the leader of the Air Realm, powerful enough to withstand threat, and she was killed. 'How?'

'I don't know the specifics. It seems she was lured into the Beguiling Islands and then they contained her magic, one of the many things Zachariah has learned to do over this period and i--

'We're leaving.'

Her lifeless body laid there, unmoving. Her wings had protruded out and they were stiff as stone. Men and women circled her, flying as they paid her their last honors. The cloudy ground and the castle didn't seem much like heaven. Everyone made way for me to go and pay my tributes, and as I took my steps towards her, I couldn't help but keep my fury away. Zachariah took a ruler, a ruler of his realm. He was an eagle, and eagles belong to the Air realm. His insanity, it raged a war inside my own body.

I loathed every single moment I thought I had a future with him.

I stroked her forehead gently and closed my eyes, I needed to know what happened. I still had the stone, so I tried hard to dive into her memories. It was something I had never done, but it was worth a try.

I slipped into a void, and I finally had scope for some answers. A powerful ruler like Fayna could never be killed like that.